Mr. Elliott, my former math teacher, who had a wonderfully dry sense of humor, took one look at me and said, "Why, Joe! Have you thrown subtlety to the winds?" I loved that man. His deadpan ribbing always made me feel like an adult, which is a nice way to help a boy grow up

Of course throwing subtlety to the winds is what politics is all about. In 1960 I didn't realize that JFK was establishing a lasting style of campaigning for the presidency: offering "idealism" and "leadership," meaning proposing extravagant missions for the government. JFK promised a "New Frontier," which took form (sort of) in the "space race" that culminated in putting a man on the moon before the Russians did.

JFK's successor, Lyndon Johnson, promised a "Great Society," meaning a lot of new Federal programs. And even today, presidential candidates are expected to make enormous promises, entailing huge Federal spending. President Bush is talking about sending men (and women) to Mars, among other things. Many other things. And he is said to be a conservative!