You're not getting what I'm saying Richard. Maybe he wasn't our end of the political spectrum, but he was a damn sight better than candidates his party have fielded, who won.

He was more adroit and capable in debate. More intellectually 'with it' than Bush 2 or Reagan.

He woud have been better for the world than either of those guys. The Republicans need to sort out their selection procedure, if in the past, they have passed a man like him over for those two turkeys.

Political parties get like that. Look at Labour in the 1980's. Nothing you could say would convince Labour supporters that Kinnock was going to fall before the guns in the marginals.

Then the Tories when they went through Haig, IDS and Howard. It seemed like nobody could convince them they needed someone who could master the 'not weird' idiom. Haig still sounds like a mad scoutmaster; IDS was incapable of constructing an unboring sentence, Howard with a glint in his eye like an excited sheep shagger.

When I think of the name Republican - I think Abraham Lincoln. I hope when they start scouting for leaders, thay start looking for humnan beings with an IQ above room temperature - soon!