JANUARY 31

JANUARY 31 — 1830 Happy birthday James Blaine (the only Republican not to ghet elected president in the late 1800s); 1995 Clinton bails out Mexico; SUPER BOWL: 1988 Redskins over Broncos in SBXXII, 1993 Cowboys crush Bills 52-17, 1999 Broncos beat Atlanta 34-19, Just For Feet commercial company disaster; 2017 Dr. Strange sets record for most comic characters in a movie franchise

JANUARY 31

1968 – US embassy under attack in Saigon. This was part of the Tet Offensive which began the day before. On the Buddhist holiday of Tet, 80,000 Viet Cong came from out of nowhere and attacked almost every major city and district in South Vietnam during a ceasefire. The American and South Vietnamese forces were able to fight back successfully and crushed the Viet Cong, retaking all the lost territory.

During the Tet offensive, the Cong lost 32,000 men and 5,400 captured. The US had lost over 3,000, and was a tremendous military victory for the South. Up until Operation Rolling Thunder in 21965, only 15% opposed the war. But this was a major turning point for American approval for the way the war was being fought the heavy US casualties that took place during the Tet offensive along with the disillusionment over the earlier exaggeratedly positive reports of progress in the war accelerate the increasing disappointment with President Johnson’s handling of the war. LBJ’s approval rating in terms of how he handled the Vietnam was fallen to 28%, and he would not seek reelection. The communists, on the other hand, sensed American doubt and successfully gambled on the fact that the longer this war drags on the less Americans would like it. America would simply have to win this war without the use of violence, and found a way, on this day in


1990 – The first McDonald’s opened in the Soviet Union. Folks were lined up around the block willing to spend several days worth of income to enjoy Big Macs, shakes and fries. There were about 10,000 customers to show put on the first day, but it wasn’t even close to that number. It was actually 30,000 people who shoed up. It wasn’t about politics, it was about food, and this food my friends tasted like freedom and capitalism. Like a boss!

1995 — Clinton bails out Mexico. As the peso fell to an all-time low, President Bill Clinton authorized a loan for $20Billion. Clinton argued that a financially weak Mexico would not help America, would create an influx of illegal aliens into the US threatening American jobs and border security, and otherwise negatively impact the US economy, A republican led Congress argued it wasn’t America’s role to bail out a country that can’t manage their own money, so Clinton bypassed the legislature, being accused of abusing executive power. Mexico would eventually pay off the loan and its interest.

1988 – Super Bowl XXII, Redskins v Broncos. Broncos favored by 3. It looked like it was over before it began. The skins were trailing 10-0 until they pushed back and scored 35 unanswered points in the second quarter; a super bowl record. They would beat the Broncos 42-10. Chubby Checker and the Rockettes hosted the halftime. 1993 – Cowboys crush the Bills in Super Bowl 52-17. Michael Jackson performed the halftime. 1999 John Elway and the Broncos beat Atlanta 34-19, but most shocking part of that game was the Just For Feet commercial that aired. Just for Feet was becoming a giant of a company and was ready for the big time. 127 million TV viewers, $7 million 30 second spot. The commercial shows four white men in a humble in Kenya chasing down a black runner.

They catch up to him, give him a glass of water evidently laced with some knock out drug, and change the runner’s shoes to Nike.s. The runner wakes up, screams No and runs off trying to shake the shoes. The NYTimes called it appallingly insensitive and others said the company should change the name from Just for Feet to Just for Racists. By November 1999 Just for Feet had to file Chapter 7 and one commercial took down what could have been a giant.