Hypoxia
doesn't watch television
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2013
- Posts
- 28,080
In mid-1972 I was hitch-hiking from San Francisco to Los Angeles on my weekly run. My thumb flagged the US-101 southbound on-ramp at SF International Airport. A middle-class rental station wagon driven by a middle-class suited white guy stopped for me. As we rolled through San Mateo and northern Santa Clara counties (early days of Silicon Valley) he waved at the landscape and said, "By the way, I'm the congressman for this district".( Victoria )Woodhull is one of three women profiled in Fitzpatrick’s new book, “The Highest Glass Ceiling: Women’s Quest for the American Presidency”; the others are Margaret Chase Smith, who ran for the Republican nomination in 1964, and Shirley Chisholm, who ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972.
That was Rep Pete McCloskey (R), the only GOP challenging Nixon for the party nomination. Turns out Pete liked to talk to people, voters, see what they thought. Streetcorner crowds, shopping lines, hitchhikers -- he really wanted to know the vibe. He was bit disappointed but understanding when I said I was for Shirley Chisholm. Yeah, I took her seriously, and so did he, because he actually worked with her.
Our chat paused. He turned on the radio to KCBS (740 AM -- I had worked there briefly). News flash: FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover died. Pete growled, "Finally! I'm glad the old bastard's dead!" Then we talked about Shirley Chisholm a bit more. He knew she had no chance but respected her move.
Later that day, south of San Jose, a purple-polka-dotted Rolls Royce limo stopped for me. Yes, Leon Russell gave me a ride. But that's another story.