mississippi where i sometimes go and all over the southwest and the west where i'd prefer to be. being a native of missouri i always looked west down the santa fe trail, down roots 66. this is a part of the country that i do like the best and when i declared my major as a writer it was about the american west. not just cowboys and indians. not just the west that many people think about or conjure up when they hear that word but the contemporary west as well, the pop culture west, the contemporary west. tonight i am delighted to be here as always. i have always had a great

experience covering this location or the other. i was just saying to someone before the event started on this particular tour we had 40 some odd book signings and events and only one of them has been in a chain bookstore and i am very happy about that. [applause] chains are important to me but independent bookstores are more important to me. the independent bookstores are like my route 66. >> bookstores are like those monotonous turnpikes, interstate highways. i have to take them but i prefer to be on the old road, the

authentic, the personal. tonight i'm in the unusual position of presenting two books. not just davy crockett but while west 365 from abrams. another brand new book and the real issue. my rascal son in the center, pretty boy, charles austin floyd. it is not brand new. it was published many years ago but has been out of print until now all, until now meaning my original editor robert wilde, the best nonfiction editor in the country moved from st. martin to norton, a great house and he brought pretty boy back. it was the second of my surprise

nominations. it is a book that needs to be back in print and it has been optioned for major motion picture as has my more recent biography of billy the kid, an endless fried. i would be remiss if i didn't share with you at least a spoonful from charlie floyd who hated to be called pretty boy. this is really a social history. where this book ends, steinbeck's immortal the grapes of wrath begins. you go from nonfiction to fiction and if you read the grapes of wrath which i assume you have at least once and are planning to read you know that the jobs -- jobs talk about

charlie floyd because they came from sequoia county in oklahoma where floyd resided. charlie was also the subject of the ballad of pretty boy floyd written by an oklahoma and that all of you will probably remember from some of his great songs. he gave them to joan baez and bob dylan. there's a great line, some men will rob you with the six gun and some with a fountain pen. floyd liked to focus on those fountain pen thief, those

bankers who were foreclosing on the jobs and others. i came to find to my surprise he was a sagebrush robin hood. and interesting young man. let me give you a spoonful of i can from pretty boy, the life and times of charles lawson floyd and it is the prologue to the book. it is short and bittersweet. the farm near clarksson, ohio on october 22nd, 1934. alongside every outlaw who survives beyond brief days hovers this nameless legion whom the law does not know and may not touch, called on his protective angels if you like. that is a quote from when the dolphins road by an that dalton. charlie floyd ran for the trees

and the freedom that lay beyond. if he could just get across the field to the tree line he would be safe. the weeds and wild grapevines, the honeysuckle would grant him another reprieve. he would raise into the woods and down the slopes and across the crumbling masonry of abandoned canal locks filled with water from the recent autumn rain. he was known as the sagebrush robin hood and to others as the phantom terror but most commonly called pretty boy floyd, public enemy number one. he was in vincible and always got away. the weather was warm on this october after -- afternoon. his shirt and underwear were soiled and sweaty and he needed a shave. his dark blue suit was stained and covered with hundreds of

tiny thistles which ran the length of his sleeves and trousers. he was a country boy dressed in a city slicker clothes. a farmer's wife had given him a ginger cookies and apples and stuffed them in his suit coat pockets. he grasped a 45 pistol in one hand while the other was tucked in the top of his trousers. moments before -- and his wife florence. the couple had kindly agreed to give him a lift up the road in their automobile away from the farm owned by dike's sister ellen, charlie had passed an hour with her. she sent him a hot meal, still held the dollar bill the stranger insisted she take exchange for the plate of spare ribs. she watched him wolf down the

dinner she had prepared. he sat in a rocking chair on her porch and ate in silence. afterwards she saw him pacing around waiting for stewart and his wife to finish. charlie fingered the keys in the car at ignition deciding not to steal the machine. he waited for the farmer to come along. just before the dikes walked out of the cornfield charlie pulled out his pocket watch. it was almost 4:00 in the afternoon. sunset was an hour and a half away. he stared at the $0.50 piece attached. he smiled when he rubbed some dirt off of the ring he wore. no one knows but perhaps he thought about ruby or dempsey or the cotton fields of oklahoma in the times before he went on the scalp. and airplane, an unusual sight

in those parts in 1934 droned overhead. charlie turned his face toward the cloudy sky. the rain of the past few days had disappeared and even though it was deep in the autumn there were smell of new life in the woods with a maple showed true colors. killing frost would give way to snow that would enrich the land. ellen, uncle watched as the stranger climbed into the back seat. her sister in law got up front. they waved goodbye as she went back to the kitchen chores. she heard machines driving up to the front of her house and the sound of car doors slamming shut. when she looked out the window again she saw a band of men in suits carrying guns. they began fanning out over her property. the stranger jumps from her brother's car and began his run across the field toward the

trees. it only lasted a few seconds. it must have seemed forever to charlie. maybe it was like one of those dreams filled with monsters that seemed to last forever in slow-motion. many years later federal agent remembered charlie ran like an athlete cutting and dodging and a broken field sprint. cookies and apples fall from his pockets. someone yelled for him to halt and gunfire erupted and the bullets bounced a round his feet. he ran on toward the trees open in mouthfuls of freedom as he ran. chester smith, policeman from liverpool and sharpshooter who fought in france and belgium knew the man running away with charlie. there was no doubt in his mind. it was ten minutes past 4:00.

smith shoulders 3220 winchester rifle. he took aim at the man running across the field. when he had charlie in his sights he wrapped his finger around the trigger. he took a breath and held it. he slowly squeezed. [applause] this is my latest sun. a bit of rascal. he did not meet his end in an ohio corn field as you well know. this crockett biography, talking to a friend at dinner tonight, is off to a great start. we have had incredibly good reviews from the wall street

journal, texas monthly and a totally endorsed this book. i am pretty hard on texas in this book. they are reviews my late mother could have written and i am pleased that that. my first exposure to mr. crockett, that american icon came, and i bet some of you throughout this room are in the same boat, recall the exact date. it was a frosty night, december 15th, 1954, in my hometown, abc television just

aired davy crockett:indian fighter. the first of three episodes by walt disney for the studio's new series that premiered two month earlier. it was called simply disneyland. this anthology series--there were a variety of other things -- wonderful world of disney which would become one of the longest prime-time programs in american television history. that evening i was 9 years old but i could have predicted the show's success. i was hooked moments after hearing of the theme music.

when you wish upon a star sung by the cartoon jiminy cricket from pinocchio. longtime disney announcer dick lesson introduced walt disney with individual assistance from tinker bell, uncle walt on leave, davy crockett. , was sitting indian style in the great carpet in the living room with my parents behind me and as if like a runaway train crockett came crashing out of that 12 inch screen of our rca victor said. only moments after this larger

than life crockett clad in buckskin wearing that coonskin cap -- my heart pounded. it was an incredible year. and two separate occasions -- some department retail store in st. louis my mother brought me down to meet some people on that big parking lot and there i was. and hopalong cassidy standing there. really thought he was -- never lost that fight. he always kept it on.

always liked it very much. the next saturday i went back down again with my mother and there was -- a beautiful smile, the cisco kid. i didn't wash my hands for two weeks. december 9th both of them were instantly demoted on my list. i am st. louis all the way. number 6, swinging stan the man, legendary cardinal, and name

etched in granite. by the time that first episode ended that image of crockett created by that former marine from texas, fess parker was firmly ensconced in my mind. i forgot about the promise of fresh snow. i made a beeline back to my room where i pored over the world book encyclopedia entry for crockett and dreamed of this swashbuckler with a proclivity for dangerous behavior which i found to be the most commendable. as i would later learn the next morning out in the snow when i

ran into the sphinx brothers, they have all seen it too. forty million people tuned in that wednesday night. by the time the second episode, davy congress goes to congress on january 16th followed by davy crockett at the alamo high along with much of the nation especially growing ranks of the boomer generation was swept up in the crockett frenzy, an unprecedented merchandising whirlwind in which crockett was commercialized in a way that would have been unthinkable to the man himself. every kid had the hat and almost overnight prices of record and

colt soared from $0.25 a lb to $6 resulting in the sale of at least ten million fur caps and causing eisenhower to almost put those be sunni endangered species list. within a few months of that premiere more than $100 million was shelled out not just for recon and caps but 3,000 different crockett items. i am sure some of you would admit to that because they include pajamas and lunch boxes and i know someone has davy crockett underpants. comex, moccasins, toothbrushes,

toy rifles, sleds, curtains, it goes on and on and then there is the song, the ballad of davy crockett that sold more than four million copies and remained no. one of the top-10 lists for 13 weeks and that warm spring night in 1955, was back on the floor sitting indian style with my cap on and out comes on the screen mackenzie singing the top 2 in hit of the week on the hit parade and like every one of my pals and i knew those words were all true. and of course they weren't. when we sang crockett's ballot at the top of our lungs to promote christmas trees and corporate boxes and transformed a school ground into our own version of crockett country crockett became our obsession. i realize it is hard for anyone

born after 1958 to recall this crockett frenzy that swept america in the 50s. so profound was crockett's cultural -- no baby boomer can fail to recall this charismatic american hero's name. this recognition to my way of thinking is a good thing. but the veritable flood of misinformation about crockett's life that resulted is something i became very much aware of later in my life and improve my research in this book which motivated me to write this book has created crockett mythology that continues to this day. this is not just another scrape forward chronological biography of davy crockett nor does it focus on that one slice, the

alamo. there is more to crockett then the last few weeks of his life ended is not a regurgitation of the many myths and lies perpetuated over the years. this is a book for people interested in learning the truth or at least as much as can be uncovered about the historical and fictional crockett and how the two often became one. and hopefully readers will gain new historical insights into the actual man and how he captured the imagination of his generation and later ones as well. so now a few spoonfuls from "david crockett: the lion of the west".

first from my preface. the authentic davy crockett was the 3-dimensional human being. a person with exaggerated hopes and will check fears. man who had as we all do his good points and that points. he with idiosyncratic, possessed of often unusual views and prejudices and opinions that government ought he chose to live his life. crockett could be calculating and self aggrandizing but also resourceful as anybody in the american frontier. he was authentic and contrived. he was wise in the ways of wilderness and most comfortable in the deep woods. yet he took care of his vote in congress. a fact that distinguished him from some of the other frontier

men. he enjoyed fraternizing with men of part of -- power and prestige in philadelphia and new york. crockett was like none other. in nineteenth century in a global. he fought under andrew jackson in the indian wars later to become jackson's bitter foe on the issue of removal of indian tribes from their homelands. crockett's contradiction extended beyond politics. he had only a few months of formal education yet he read the bard. he was neither a buffoon or great intellect but a man who was always evolving in the state of the nation and its adolescence. a pioneer whose dreams reflected a restless nation with his gaze back thated toward the west. more than anyone of his time davy crockett was arguably our first celebrity hero. inspiring people of his own time

as well as 20th century generation. the man davy crockett may have perished on march 6, 1836, in the final assault on the alamo but now an interval part of the american psyche perhaps more so than any other frontiers and lives powerfully on. in this way his story is more than a walt disney legend. his life continues to shed light on the meaning of america's passion. spoonful from a chapter. davy crockett believed in the wind and in the stars. the son of tennessee could read

the son, the shadows, clouds and fund. he was comfortable in the thickets in cambridge, quagmire in the mountain holes. he hunted the maple and forests that never felt an ax blade. he was familiar with all of these, the odor of decaying animal flesh. the aroma of the air after a rain and the pungent smell of the forest. he knew the river is lined with sycamore, par par and will low that reach the mountains through gorges and strange sounding names with indian influences like the pigeon, self host, the wolf, the elk. he had lakes and streams studded with agent cyprus. he learned dog days of arrive not in the heat of august but

early july when the dog star rises and sets with the sun. he carried his compass and maps in his fourth. he traversed the land when it was lush in the warm times and when it was covered with frost cherokee's described as clouds on the trees. the wilderness with crockett's cathedral. now i am going to jump way ahead. sort of towards the end. crockett lived to be 49 years old. this is early in the last year of his life. he didn't become total loggerheads with jackson though the creeks and cherokees knew the sharp knife. crockett had fought under

jackson in the creek wars so he didn't like what he experienced, the atrocities and killings and mayhem and he vowed never to do that again although he didn't keep that pledge to the poor black bears. he killed 105 bears in one season. he was a professional hunter of bears but not of men. when jackson who had no use for any native american came up with the indian removal lot to take five tribes on various trails of tears from their homelands in the southeastern united states to what is now oklahoma indian territory crockett stood up against it. the only member of the tennessee delegation to vote against it. it cost him his job. jackson and the others found a candidate to run against him and took his seat. as crockett explained he was beat by one legged man.

but he also came up with his famous quote which he said many times, you all can go to hell and i am going to texas. he did go to texas out of a fit of patriotic honor or something for those rascals down there. they had been coming into texas settle with permission of the government for some years starting with moses austin but they kept coming and they weren't always abiding by the law. needing to speak the language spanish to join the mother church and eventually not bring slaves. slavery was abolished in mexico long before we got around to that. these gentlemen and ladies, land speculators and slave traders, two of the largest in the

country kept bringing their slaves in. this is what crockett faced. crockett had owned a few slaves but he was not a big landowner and slavery was not a big part of his life. he wanted to rebuild his life. he liked to hunt and he thought he could get back into politics. he found some land he liked and took his time. took him a long time to get to texas and he was not there very long. a lot of people thought he had been killed. where is the great crockett? he was chasing bison on the red river and hunting sunni trees and talking to friends and he loved to tell stories. he was having some whiskey. this spoonful is from a chapter called time of the, at.

in 1836 crockett and his original three companions ran their horses to the oldest town in texas. he was reluctant to leave the good hunting grounds but he heard stories about successes of sam houston, his old friend. other impresarios established land agencies on their way to becoming wealthy men. crockett believe that last he could gain his own fortune in a place where he could hunt almost every day of the year. crockett was in a state of euphoria. for what his long ride from tennessee to texas the most famous of all the celestial nomads was clearly visible just as it is every 76 years or so. across the land people were in

all when they spied the optic making its way through the night sky. for centuries people believed it appeared as a harbinger of chaos and disaster. , its were to be feared. one pope excommunicated halley's comet declaring it an instrument of the devil. the appearance of halley's comet in 18 of 36 was blamed for catastrophes around the world including a horrific fire in new york city that raged for several days and nights. massacre of 280 people in africa by zulu warriors and wars that erupt across latin america. the seminole indians in florida saw in its tail a sign of the tragedy that soon descended on them as they lost their homes and were exiled to indian territory. among many americans especially

a globe texans it signaled the impending fall of the alamo. but for the people of mexican blood living in texas it was a portends of the mexican army's defeat. halley's comet was rediscovered in august 18, '35 about the time of crockett's defeat in congress. was visible for extended period and could be seen long enough for enterprising promoters to issue the almanac for 1836. it sold well but not as well as the davy crockett almanac with a cover illustration of crockett waiting the mississippi river on a pair of stilts. stories made the rounds in newspapers claiming crockett and his nemesis and rejection had forged a truce and old hickory had commissioned crockett to

scale the allegheny and ring the tail off of the --comet before it could jar the earth. by the time it vanished in may of 1836 not to be seen again until 1910 the ashes of the alamo, the last battle of the crockett's life were long cold and scattered. finally from crockett, from the alamo. to those who claim god made texas figuratively crockett invented texas. his blood and the blood of all who died with him transform the alamo into an american cultural icon affecting economic and political conditions in texas and beyond. the battle cry remember the alamo in 5 weeks later by sam houston to inspire his force when they captured general sand and and defeated the mexican

army still reverberates through history and culture. for many anglo texans and others those three words conjure images of patriotic heroes, sacrifice and love of liberty. the alamo is the most instantly recognized battle in american history with the possible exception of gettysburg. it has been said that not until the battle of little big horn and the death of george armstrong custer 40 years after the alamo what americans have a more fein and glorious event to rally around. texans used the alamo and the revolt against mexico to establish a republic and later a state they believed more unique and special than any other. in 1845 when the republic of texas gave up its sovereignty to become the biggest state of the union it did so with the caveat

depending on whose interpretation of the texas constitution is followed that it could secede at any time and split into five entities creating four new states. a strong belief among many texans with their independence had been bought and paid for at the alamo. crockett's death sums up the single most effective status of his state in texas. his contribution to the lone star state was not so much how he lived but how he died. his impact on texas derives precisely from his death in battered spanish missions and including a more marketable commodity than he had been in life and the alamo would become the state's biggest tourist attraction and popular historic site in the nation. crockett's death helped fuel the flames of rebellion against

mexico and made him a celebrated murder from the cause. this contributed to the creation of the bellicose stereotypical image of swaggering boastful texans bursting with superlatives and pride when describing the land they love. crockett's demise turned the alamo into the cradle of texas liberty and monument to westward expansion that became known as manifest destiny. davy crockett was a historical fact and there is the davy crockett of our collective and imagination. the first was a man who led a most interesting and colorful life. the other is the american myth featuring crockett as symbolic figure with superhuman powers. this version of crockett is used by others to promote their own interests. crockett and the alamo remain

and snared in clouds. an end crockett was a uniquely american character and formidable hero in his own right. he should not be judged by his death but by his life including the good, the bad and the shades of gray. consider him a legend and a hero but bear in mind he was a man willing to take a risk. that was what he symbolized and that is how it should be. mr. crockett. [applause] last but not least this other new book. this book is filled with rascal sons and daughters. there were no black heads. they were gray heads as you will find out. i co-authored this with my wife

suzanne fitzgerald wallis and we are pleased to acquire the services of our good friend robert mcgovern from dennis hills who has my favorite research library. 12,000 books. rare books, one of a kind books and it is intoxicating to go into that library. hundred of thousands of images. the biggest private collection of western photography anywhere. he supplied all the photos from the billy the kid book. many of them never seen before of all kinds of people. it is the size of adobe grip. a little smaller. if you don't like it which i can't imagine why that would happen -- i will tell you this. don't be intimidated by it.

you can open it literally anywhere. 365 pages. every day of the year is something that happened on that date. the main entries in the photos and illustrations is to move chronologically. 183-1930. so it begins with crockett and pretty boy threw 100 years. it would be good to give you a few spoonfulss but i would be remiss if i didn't summon up to the podium my partner in life and literature, suzanne wallis to give you a few spoonfuls of the remarkable women we will give you. [applause]

>> just after the california gold rush piqued the exotic beauty attracted by the abundance of new-found wealth shot their prim ladies and endorsed the tones of the rowdy life. her original name was mary dolores eliza were zoete guilt but the irish native adopted lola montez and had a series of romantic trysts with victor hugo, frederic chopin and george think. she served as the mistress of the king, scandalous relationship that contributed to

his abdication and sent her packing. during the tour of the united states she arrived in california in 1853 and stayed for two years. she became the and for performing her tarantula dance, provocative ballet in which she pretended to become entangled in a spider's web and discovered spiders in the folds of her gown. as she waved her arms and leaped in the air and shook her clothing revealing her petticoats the audience sat spellbound. she threw lavish parties and gave dance lessons to a minor's daughter who became a celebrated star of the american stage and was frequently seen in the company of her pets. in 1855 she broke into tears as she departed san francisco for

australia. local newspaper editorial praised her as a generous lady whose many good acts harmed the scene of our citizens. whatever lola wants she gets. cynthia ann parker. on may 19th, 1836, a band of indians attacked parker's for and the comanche front here in the republic of texas. in the skirmish that followed five texans were killed and five others were taken captive including 9-year-old cynthia ann parker and her young her brother john. a little girl who had become one of the -- in the history of the west. those with children adjusted.

john became a warrior and cynthia lived with the comanche for 25 years. she married the chief and bore him two sons and a daughter. their firstborn son became the last great war chief of the comanches. ian 1860 texas rangers led by captain sold ross swept down on the comanche village killing many inhabitants and taking captive including the long lost since the and -- cynthia. and her daughter. for many years living with the tribe changed her. she had nothing in common with her white relatives and begged to be returned to indian family. her escape attempt failed and when her daughter died in 1864 she lost all hope. broken in spirit and bitter at

her fourth captivity she starved herself to death. it was not until 46 years later that parker brought the names of his mother and sister from texas to oklahoma. he dedicated a great feast to honor the memory of his mother who lived and died a comanche. [applause] >> lola did inspire that line from damn yankees by the way. i thought you might enjoy this entry since there is a little cowboy and cowgirl in all of us. it is called cowboys. it has two great portraits of these off of the trail.

texas cowboys who maybe a little -- they got their favorite dish cowboys long for on the trail, chopped sunni or some eggs and a tumble in the hay and some good hard whiskey. some historians claim the word cowboy was first used in medieval ireland to describe boys who tended cattle. others say it was bandied about in early america when youngsters like daniel boone and davy crockett herded house. either way after the civil war the term cowboy came into common use. the heyday of the genuine cowboys was brief. it began in 1865 when texans returned home after serving the confederacy port in cash but rich in rain lands teeming with ubiquitous long arms.

prior to the war there usually known as grover's. >> guest: 60s texas ranchers used the term cowboy as they gathered wild longhorns during roundups first called cal hunts. by 1870 ranchers hired youngsters do they generally referred to as cowboys to herd cattle up the trails and northern rail head and markets. some were 12 to 16 years old and barely big enough to climb into a settle. not everyone approved of such work. parents do not allow your boys to load themselves down with mexican spurs, 6 shooters and pipes, warned a reporter. keep them off the prairies as professional calendars. cal hunters. there's a distinction between 9

and find. teach them a trade or keep them at home. that was written a long time before willie nelson. just one more spin and full from -- spoonful from near the end. wyatt earp and josephine marcus from a jewish family in san francisco lived as husband and wife for nearly 50 years. the couple was a classic case of opposite temperaments complemented each other. wyatt irk was quiet and reserved and his wife was fiery. they remained devoted to each other to the end. that end came in los angeles a few minutes past 8:00 in the

morning on january 13th, 1929. the old lawmen died quietly as josie wrote in her published recollections, my darling had breathed his last dying peacefully without a struggle like a baby going to sleep. i don't know how long i continued to hold him in my arms. i wouldn't let him go. finally they had to drag me away. i had gone with him on every trail he had ever taken since those days in tombstone so long ago. included in his pallbearers were movie heroes william hart and, next. his ashes were buried in a jewish cemetery south of san francisco. when jody died in 1944 she was laid to rest with her husband. cowboys come to pay their respects. they stand on the manicured grass surrounded by tombstone's

topped with menorahs and stars of david. world away from the blood and smoke of the ok corral. [applause] thank you very much. now we will entertain questions, comments and/or concerns. all we ask is if you have a question let the blue like get in place. i am anticipating good questions from this bright denver audience. >> thank you for the wonderful reading and i hope publishers select you to read your own work. it was terrific and i enjoyed hearing this morning and looking forward to it tomorrow. i understand you will speak

again. >> i really like this chap. a popular talk show fellow in denver. it would be who for me to stay for a little bit in the studio. we appreciate that. tweeting for the mike. waiting for the mike. >> i wondered if you could make a comment -- ago to the right page but quoted hinsdale county and all that. >> are you familiar with this story?

this is an entry called the cannibal about alfred ackerman who earned a sinister place in the folklore of the american west as a result of his acquired taste for human flesh. do we have any cannibals in the audience? good. there is usually one or two. the illustration for this is a down-home peace called the packer club. there's an image of our packer. it is written in this down home language. they it was 7 democrats but you, you voracious man eating son of a bitch you 85 of them -- you --

that makes me a member of the packer club of colorado. chartered member rolf car, gene fowler and fred mozilla. the packer club. [applause] >> there was an announcement on the radio about the birth certificate of davy crockett, the woman who had it had to give it back to the charity. there was no birth certificate. that was probably the wedding license. that is true. he received a wedding license in tennessee at the old courthouse.

many years ago they pitch it out with a bunch of papers with this woman who lived in florida got hold of them. all they had for all those years was a facsimile of it. i talked-about that marriage license business in the book. this doesn't surprise me because i know they have been trying to get it back. not sure what legal maneuvering went on to get that. it is their own fault. i would imagine they play upon her sense of history and perhaps there was money involved. that always helps. did any of you put a bid in on the billy the kid picture here in denver?

i think it was $2.4 million. william cote who won the america's cup bought it. a lot of bidding went on. let this lady come over here. >> you said something about a thoughtful question. i hope i can ask one. you and i come from the same place. i was born in east st. louis five years before you. appreciate your presentation. the question/comment conversation, i heard you as the guest on the show this morning. you apply your talents to some pretty real people and disparage

the hollywood fictionalizeing of these people. i am a person who is very depressed with the way our country is going. i wonder if you could throw your astute observation about people and our politicians and our economy and the situation we are facing today and if you were to say 100 years from now how would you reflect on the mess we are in today? [laughter] >> it is interesting because some of the reviewers of the crockett book got into contemporary issues and referenced some of the folks involved in politics today. they even used his name with people like sarah palin and people like that.

i can understand that to a certain extent but not really. it is what i said today. i am not sure i even understand what i said because it came to my head. he would be like the liberal tee bagger which doesn't make much sense. he would be considered very liberal today. he became a whig which was the beginning of the republican party. not out of any desire to really become a whig but because of his problems with jackson who was a democrat. they whigs' used crockett and

teased about running him for president and some of them were very serious but that wasn't to be. i think crockett was more genuine than a lot of down home candidates. and i will tell you this, he was a lot brighter. [applause] he would probably be astounded by the dumbing down of the country because he was always trying to improve himself. this guy who was portrayed as a bumpkin, there was something really compelling about this man which drew me to him.

all of those qualities are like in crockett i find not an iota of them in the candidates that we have today. not an iota. but i am a bomb throwing bolshevik. [applause] >> that was wonderful. i want to sing davy crockett. king of the wild frontier. if you would like to form a line that way you can come up. we want to thank you for coming to this wonderful evening. >> good to be with you.