Bush, Thatcher, Blair, Nixon

American blogger Matthew Yglesias, pondering Jeb Bush, had this striking observation:

"I wouldn’t count Bush out yet! After all, the last GOP ticket to win the Presidency without a Bush on the ballot was Nixon-Agnew in 1972."

Quite a staggering thought. But then again, when did we last win an election without Margaret Thatcher being party leader for the bulk of the preceding parliament? 1970.

And when did Labour last win without Tony Blair? 1974 (1966 if you want a decisive win).

And going back to America, when was the last GOP ticket to win the Presidency without a Bush or a Nixon on the ballot? 1928.

These names may be even more prominent in our history in decades to come, when lesser names are forgotten, than they are now.