Where is Sam Nunn now that we really need him?

On Tuesday morning while working my mind was reflecting on the Democratic debate from the night before. The thought crossed my mine: "What the country ready needs now is for Sam Nunn to be running for President. His election would be a slam dunk."

In a 12-17-07 post I quoted Bill Shipp who was writing about how the November gubernatorial election in Georgia. He noted that on the national level in 2008 it was imperative that Democrats embrace a towering candidate capable of pleasing all segments of citizens instead of satisfying a handful of bosses determined to control the Democratic nomination even if they lose the election. And who might that be he asked? According to Mr. Shipp:

At the moment it's hard to imagine such a candidate except perhaps former Sen. Sam Nunn.

In a 1-7-07 post I quoted from an AP article as follows:

[Sam Nunn] hasn't ruled out another round in politics, although he says he has no inclination to run for office.

Nunn was widely viewed as the Senate's foremost authority on foreign and military affairs at the end of his 24-year career, in which he served as an influential chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He remains active in international affairs and is among a select group of former lawmakers who many current leaders look to for guidance.

He was asked but declined to serve on the Iraq Study Group led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton.

Nunn has sharp words for the Bush Administration's planning of the Iraq war.

"We've lost a lot of prestige and credibility in the world," he said. "I definitely think we made a real mistake going to war without the consensus of other countries . . . we can't occupy a country successfully without cooperation from neighbors and countries around the globe.

"I think we're paying a very severe price for that right now," he added. "It was the worst strategic error I've seen in modern times by the United States."

"Our friends in a lot of places in the world are alarmed by the deterioration of our position in the world," he said. "We can restore it ... but to lead we have to listen, and we have to be perceived as listening.

"I don't think it's intentional, but we've come across as basically very arrogant in the last several years."

Nunn said he believes voters sent Bush - and the world - an important signal by ousting the president's party from power in November's elections.

Today Matt Towery reports in InsiderAdvantage Georgia that Nunn has been approached by several individuals about his interest as a candidate in a third-party effort in 'o8 as an independent.

Mr. Towery also writes:

Of equal or greater importance is the additional report, confirmed by sources, that Nunn has been approached "by one of the frontunners in the Democratic race for president" for "preliminary discussions" concerning a potential vice presidential role in the event of the candidate's eventual nomination.

Following Towery's article is a column written by my friend Larry Walker, former House majority leader (and the subject of a 1-24-05 post entitled "'It just won't be the same without you Larry.' -- Larry Walker, private citizen, great Georgian & great Democrat."), in which Mr. Walker writes:

I’m a moderate, middle of the road American citizen, and politically, the national candidates pay no attention to me. The Democrats, who used to be the conservatives (at least in the South), are controlled by the wing nuts - left wing nuts. The Republicans, who used to be socially moderate and fiscally conservative, are apparently now neither. Nationally, their right wing drives the Republicans’ social agendas.

Democratic Presidential candidates have to be so liberal to win the primary that they have great difficulty in winning the general election. Republican candidates cater to the right lest they fail the abortion or immigration tests. Wise, thoughtful, visionary leaders, have little chance of success under the current two-party system of electing our President.

Be honest. It’s about a year and a half before we elect our next President, and you are already disillusioned with the candidates and the process.

As I put forth this subject of Nunn’s being interested in an independent candidacy involving the Presidency, can I say that he has confirmed interest? The answer is “no”. But, do I think he has interest? The answer is “yes”.

Could it be done? Yes. Would it work? Definitely. Will it be done? Probably not.

In a 3-23-05 post entitled "Larry Walker & I have a great candidate to be the Democratic nominee for president in '08. -- Whatever Happened to Sam Nunn?", I quoted from an article Mr. Walker had written in James Magazine (Feb. 15 to March 15 issue):

Sam Nunn. A great U.S. senator in the Richard Russell mold. That’s a mighty big mold, but I believe Sam Nunn could’ve done more. I understand the dilemma he faced of getting the Democratic nomination in 1992 and then being able to win the election. Too conservative for the nomination, and if he did what he would’ve needed to do to get it, he would have been seen as too liberal to be elected.

My recent and short introduction of Sen. Nunn [for a Chamber of Commerce address] contained these words: “He could have been president and he should have been president.” It’s not too late, but . . . [he better] do so soon if we are going to pull this one out. Otherwise, they will say, “He would’ve made a great president, and by the way, whatever happened to Sam Nunn?”

In that same 3-23-05 post I wrote:

When I first started this blog in early August [2004] the layout of the blog was as follows:

Cracker Squire, THE MUSINGS OF A TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN DEMOCRAT, [just as it is now], and then after [a quote from AJC staff writer Ben Smith about my being] a moderate-to-conservative Democrat, appeared the following:

Conventional wisdom is that in order to win, a Republican must veer right during the primary, and then veer left toward the center for the general election. Is the reverse now true for the Democratic Party?

I started this post sharing my thoughts that Sam Nunn would be an excellent person to head the Democratic ticket in 2008. This does not just reflect, in the words of Larry Walker, my being "disillusioned with the candidates and the process," but rather a deep feeling that Sam Nunn is just what America needs at this particular time.

This feeling would obviously extend to Sen. Nunn being on the ticket in another capacity. Maybe we will get it, and if perchance we do, I feel certain it will be on the blue ticket.