I’m no political analyst (to state the bleeding obvious), but while going through notebooks I wrote during the 1988 presidential campaign, I found an observation that I think is worth airing 18 years later.

After hearing Jesse Jackson speak at a political rally in his characteristically fiery manner, I thought: this man has too much charisma for the office of president. He could seduce an entire nation down the most irresponsible paths through his rhythmic rhetoric. I’d prefer a more restrained—even dull—president, but one, of course, with a sharp mind and compassion. Fire and brimstone do not belong in the White House; an emotionally inflamed populace threatens rational behavior. Jackson could make World War III sound like the best party ever.

In retrospect, America’s mostly docile, apathetic citizenry could benefit from some of Jackson’s rabble-rousing speeches and ideas, which, while far from flawless, at one point seemed to offer so much promise. It seems as if Jackson’s fighting spirit and influence have been waning ever since that presidential race. It’s a shame. I can get behind a candidate who uses language like this:

Today’s students can put dope in their veins or hope in their brains. If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude.