Wasn't that around the time of Fred Thompson? He was the only genuine American of the bunch, the GOP heir apparent, and should have been the nominee.
But he didn't want it. You could tell. turns out Fred's wife berated him into running against his will.
We had to wait for 2016 for the Real Deal to appear.
Thompson had lymphoma. It was in remission in 2007, but it came back and killed him in 2015. Maybe his wife was wise and had the right idea.
As it turned out, Fred was too old to have a go by 2008 (he would die in 2015 at just 73, so he would not have even been able to complete two terms. Plugs the Pedo is just 3 months younger than he would’ve been today). He should’ve run for the TN Governorship or Senate back in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, making him a viable Presidential candidate by the ‘90s.
He was so disgusted and burned out by serving just 8 years in the Senate. It disillusioned him and broke his heart. He realized that the only time Demonrats and Republicans come together is to persecute Republicans. Corrupt Demonrats are exempt. Watching space hero turned treasonous Sinator John Glenn obstruct and run out the clock on the Chinagate hearings (for a ride on the Space Shuttle) was the final straw for him in deciding to retire before he got assimilated into the hive.