In under a week the first debate of the 2016 Presidential Race will take place in Cleveland, Ohio.
It hardly seems possible that debate season is already upon us, but the political media and candidates have needs. The political media needs 24/7/365 content. The candidates need to raise money and build organizations. Those two factors have created a longer and longer presidential race.
With 20 declared Presidential Candidates (I think) in the 2016 Race it seems like a clown car pulled up and the candidates keep getting out. Please note I am not calling anyone a clown—it is just a comment on the large number of people running.
Before the debate season starts and some candidates get culled from the herd I thought it a good time to look for some local/Penn State connections to the field—some obvious and some maybe not.
Let’s start with the most obvious Penn State connection—Rick Santorum. Before his time as a Senator and a Presidential candidate he graduated from Penn State. In the 2012 G.O.P. race he won several states, remaining Mitt Romney’s biggest challenger before finally bowing out. This year he doesn’t seem to resonating as much with the conservative base as he did in 2012, but in 2016 there are a lot (a whole lot) more people vying for that same base.
The second most obvious connection to Penn State is Hillary Rodham Clinton. The former First Lady/Senator/Secretary of State did not attend Penn State but she is the daughter of a Penn Stater. Her father played football at Penn State and her brother Hugh Rodham walked on to play at Penn State. Legend has it even roomed with Franco Harris. In the 2008 Democratic Primary then-Senator Clinton and former President Clinton both campaigned at Penn State. When Hillary’s father passed away he was buried in Scranton and President Bill Clinton talked about his father-in-law’s love for Penn State.
Speaking of fathers, Candidate Jeb Bush’s father and brother have Penn State connections. In 1988 Penn State Coach Joe Paterno campaigned for the Vice President Bush in New Hampshire and then seconded his nomination at the Republican National Convention. In 1992 President George H W Bush campaigned at Penn State and spoke to the football team in a team meeting. Jeb’s brother, President George W Bush, also visited Penn State and spoke in Eisenhower Auditorium.
In 1999 during the pre-game meal before Penn State’s win at Iowa, former President George H W Bush called the team hotel to speak with Coach Paterno and wish the team luck. The former President was in Iowa campaigning for his son Texas Governor George W Bush. He wanted to reach out even though wishing the home-state Hawkeyes’ opponent good luck might be politically incorrect to some local voters.
Speaking of politically incorrect, Donald Trump hasn’t shied away from speaking his mind. One area where he has been on target has been the Twitter opinions he’s shared on Penn State’s NCAA sanctions, the Freeh Report and the actions of the Penn State Board of Trustees. He shredded the school’s handling of the Freeh Report and acceptance of unwarranted NCAA sanctions. There’s an issue where the vast majority of Penn Staters are in agreement with Donald Trump.
Finally there is Rick Perry the former Governor of Texas and Texas A&M alum. There is no obvious connection to Penn State except for one fateful day in December of 2007. Penn State and Texas A&M were minutes from kickoff in the 2007 Alamo Bowl when the Governor dropped in unannounced into Penn State’s pre-game locker room to meet and have his picture taken with Joe Paterno. Since it was an unannounced visit no one in the locker room knew him or that he was coming. In the paranoid world of college football an unknown Texas A&M fan walking into the locker room created a stir.
Because no one recognized him, Governor Perry was kicked out of the locker room. After the game when Joe Paterno was told he’d unknowingly kicked the Governor of Texas out of the Locker room he was apologetic, regretting his unintentional disrespect for the Governor. Truth be told, Governor Perry was probably more disappointed that Texas A&M lost the game.
Given the vast number of Candidates in the field, there are likely many more Penn State connections and stories as they relate to the Presidential field that is as wide open as it is vast. Who knows, although she is not running for President, perhaps Penn State Alum and New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte may even be on the short list for running mates with the eventual nominee.
With the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary still months away there is plenty of time. Given the daily injection of stories we get, plenty of entertaining and hopefully informative days are ahead before the next President is chosen.
