Percy,
A couple of sideline notes.
"Sorry for the super-late reply and you'll be surprised to know that I'm in agreement with you on your #1 choice: Tricky Dick without question."
Dick Nixon was the smartest and also the most liberal for the past 100 years according to some sources. President Nixon's baby brother Edwarde was an acquaintance of mine during Navy Flight School so I paid close attention to him.
If you will read up on the Helen Douglas campaign she hired a political trickster named Dick Tuck. I think you will find most of the charges concerning Nixon's trickery were invented by Tuck. As a Republican I do not like Tuck's trickery at all. But I think it is only fair to say the man was really funny.
I won't comment on Bush the Elder's re-election campaign. In my opinion it was a one time event with a RINO I have trouble supporting anyway
Mr. Gatto did a series of videos on Youtube.com in re the elite boarding schools. I love listening to Mr. Gatto while our recent presidents less the Clinton and Obama campaigns run through my mind.
In attempting to put down the two Bushs the Liberals take their eye off what I consider to be the lesson to learn from those two. A good campaign bio on the two of them will show they have a simple technique for advancing themselves. They work their plan and their plan works for them. If you go looking the plan is available to all of us, it works and it sure as shooting isn't rocket science.
Ron