REMARKS; NOTHING CAPTIVATES ME LIKE POLITICS AND SHIPWRECKS

I suppose two of the things that most intrigue me are shipwrecks and politics. These are two topics that will keep me up late at night, trying to absorb every detail and opinion. They are also two of the rare events that will lead me to watch the time and make sure I'm in front of the television set at a given hour. After going without TV for a year and a half (1994-95), my habits changed, to where I usually just have the set on when I'm eating a meal or have nothing else to do.

My struggles to get to bed before 1 a.m. this past week, during the Republican National Convention, made me think of the night, back in the mid-1980s, when Dr. Bob Ballard discovered the long-lost Titanic wreck. Kids today, I'm sure, have no concept of the excitement this inspired.

Generations had grown up, considering the tragedy of the Titanic the most legendary of shipwrecks. Yet actually finding the rusting hulk had always been the stuff of science fiction.

I had read Clive Cussler's wonderful Raise the Titanic several years before, and had seen the reasonably good movie adaptation of it. The night that the discovery was announced, all the news shows ran late and news anchors were scrambling to interview experts and historians, as the night turned into early morning. As I said, I don't think the youngest generations realize what a major scientific find it was when Ballard located the wreck, 73 years after she had gone down. Dr. Cussler was even interviewed. Of course the question "Could it really be raised?" now seem laughable. The public was not even aware at that early date, that the hull was in two pieces, some 1,500 yards apart.

I don't recall how late I stayed up that night, but it was way past any reasonable bed time. (I was sports editor in Dexter at the time and had to be on duty by 7 a.m.) I do remember not being able to pry myself away from the set. I had to see one more expert, hear one more opinion, see one more look back at the sinking of the great ship.

So it was this week. After the convention activity ended each night, there was always one more guest to come, on each news program. And, of course, on other channels, a whole new lineup of ex-presidents, current and past advisors, sore losers (some pretending not to be sore losers, others not hiding it), other media people, etc. The atmosphere is electrifying and addictive to someone like myself. While the Democratic National Convention may not hold the attention of an old peanut-sucker like myself quite as much, I look forward to it, too.

Aside from our good fortune at living in a free society which gives us a voice in our government, I never cease to be awed by the glamour and spectacle of the American political pageant. The art and sport of practicing politics is also an endless fascination to me.

From All the King's Men to All the President's Men, to Profiles in Courage, I have always loved reading about politics (as well as history). Movies such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Last Hurrah, Primary Colors, Dave, The American President, and biographical films on political figures always keep me glued to my seat. Heck, it fascinates me to analyze Mayor McCheese's political doings on McDonald's commercials!

I remember my introduction to the political arena -- the 1972 elections.

Watching Nixon and Agnew, in control of the well-orchestrated RNC and seeing

McGovern rise to the top of the disheveled (with help from the former, it later turned out) Democratic field, was something that struck a chord within me. I still have a scrapbook with political clippings from magazines of that summer and fall. I hope the apparent lack of "meanness" this year continues to be true.

Although the national media has been complaining of having no "red meat" at the convention, I prefer a more positive campaign. Some good old-fashioned mudslinging is very American and a lot of fun, within reason. I think American politics crossed a boundary during the recent three elections, though. One almost hates to follow politics at times, when both candidates for an office paint the other as someone absolutely not fit for any office. After a while, it's hard not to conclude that they're both probably right.

Watching the legendary 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates a few years ago on CNN, I was struck by the civil, polite tone of the affair. These were not fishing buddies. They did not see eye-to-eye. Yet they were addressing issues and were quite decent. A Nixon phrase (paraphrased, now, I'm sure) pops into my mind, "Of course Senator Kennedy and I both want what is best for this nation. We merely disagree on the best means of achieving that."

Of course if things get too nasty this fall, I have one alternative: I can always scan The Discovery Channel listings for any newly-discovered shipwrecks.