Watch the Man From LBJ's Landmark Ad 'Confessions of a Republican' Discuss the Current State of the GOP
In DepthOn Monday night’s episode of her show, Rachel Maddow excitedly introduced a man named Bill Bogert, the star of “Confessions of a Republican,” a famous, 4-minute political ad produced in 1964 for Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential campaign. Bogert, whose 1964 self I will somewhat disrespectfully suggest is worthy of a Would U, was (and remains) a registered Republican—but that doesn’t mean he was pleased with his party’s nomination of Barry Goldwater as Johnson’s opponent. Few were, and Johnson won by an incredible margin.
Maddow invited Bogert on her show for an interview (he says she’s the first journalist who’s ever offered) to discuss the parallels between Goldwater’s nomination and the Republican party’s current conundrum with Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, and the resulting segment is one that is as charming as it is disheartening. Though told in the captivating manner of a kind octogenarian, it’s still a story we’ve heard before—and one that we’ll keep hearing throughout our country’s foreseeable political future.