David Brooks Doesn’t Know Has Much History As He Thinks

From Wednesday’s nytimes.com

 

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/the-long-stagnation/

 

David Brooks: Let me start with the smaller tragedy before I get to the larger one. Gov. Chris Christie will not be running for president. To me this means he will never be president. Those who hesitate the first time they have a chance to run, never win later on.

 

Never?

 

Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 Presidents who didn’t run the first time they considered it and were subsequently elected. I think Brooks may have heard of them.

 

Dwight Eisenhower, who didn’t run in 1948

 

Ronald Reagan, who didn’t run in 1972

 

Bill Clinton, who didn’t run in 1988