Reagan battled Tip O’Neill for years but two Irishmen became friends. When Reagan was wounded O’Neill was one of the first men to visit him in the hospital, knelt by his bed, said a prayer, rising, leaning down, kissed Reagan on the forehead.

George Bush and Bill Clinton, the younger Bush and Al Gore, Obama and Mitt Romney all battled but, at the same time, treated each other with mutual respect. The fabric of our nation held together.

There’s more bitterness in politics now than we’ve ever seen. Trump brands Kamala Harris evil, unhinged, and ‘dumb as a rock.’ Democrats mock Trump. Ruthless politicians touch millions of people by hurling insults on the internet to get cheers. News networks that were once unbiased now choose sides – to get higher ratings – and hammer opponents. Pulling the wool over people’s eyes is the heart of politics.

Is it possible to turn back the clock?

Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘You can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.’

A politician can fool you – but only when you let him.