Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Scoop Jackson Spoke In Walla Walla On July 4th 1976

The most serious run for president by a Washingtonian, up to this point, was in 1976 when Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson tossed his hat into the ring.  He won the Massachusetts and New York Primaries, but his loss in Pennsylvania knocked him out of the race.  
That very summer, Jackson spoke at Pioneer Park in Walla Walla at the city's 4th Of July celebration.  It was a big find for the small town on the nation's bicentennial.
Jackson's most memorable quote was that his campaign was "a remarkable  bicentennial tour of the United States--until I hit Pennsylvania" the self-deprecating, good natured reference to what may have been the darkest day of his career  drew laughter for the crowd.
I was in the crowd with my family to watch the speech.

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