Politics then and now...

I stumbled across this story while wandering around stories from Minnesota's political past.  Given the tone of today's campaigns -- and the campaign funds that both parties raise -- it's a story of a bygone political era.

Background:  I'd hope that nobody needs an explanation of who Hubert Humphrey was.  But I realize that he was a political figure over 20 years ago so there's a whole generation or two who may not be familiar with him.   Hubert Horatio Humphrey was one of the most charismatic people I've met.  He was a US Senator from Minnesota, ran for the Democratic nomination in 1960 and narrowly lost to JFK.  After Kennedy's assassination, he became  Lyndon Johnson's VP and in 1968 the Democratic candidate for President.

In that capacity he became an object of derision -- which  was unfortunate because we spurned a really good man in our opposition to the Viet Nam war and that era's policies.  He was later voted back to the US Senate and passed away while in office.

Val Bjornson was a well regarded Minnesota Republican who was elected and re-elected State Treasurer and served for 22 years during the 1950s and into the mid-1970s.    He ran against Hubert Humphrey in 1954 when this story came about from a local reporter in Worthington, MN:

"I was thinking lately of how I embarrassed Val Bjornson and Hubert Humphrey.  It was 1954. Hubert Humphrey was the DFL nominee for re-election to the U.S. Senate and Bjornson was the Republican challenger. They both came to Worthington for Turkey Day.

In those years, when we (Daily Globers) were assigned to cover a visiting politician, we were expected to follow like puppies on the heels of their masters. I was assigned to Hubert Humphrey. If Hubert stopped somewhere for an ice cream cone, it was for me to know the flavor of ice cream he ordered.

It was late in the afternoon. HHH set out somewhat mysteriously from the Daily Globe. He turned at the corner of 11th and Fourth and started toward 10th Street. I followed. A minute or two later, Val Bjornson turned off 10th and walked along the side of what now is the Cow’s Outside, directly toward Humphrey.

Neither candidate appreciated immediately who I was, or what I was doing. They were slightly embarrassed — bitter rivals — to be seen talking together, cordially.

I caught their secret conversation. Want to know what it was?
 
    Humphrey: You ready to leave?
 
    Bjornson: Any time you’re ready.

The two candidates had come to Worthington in the same car. Neither had a great wad of money. Traveling together was one way to save dollars. That’s how politics was in those days."  (Source:  http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/7666/)

There's something really appealing to me about two guys who campaigned against each other but could share a car ride of several hours.  I doubt we'll have a similar story about the 2010 and 2012 elections in 60 years.