The Overpass Exchange Out in the Middle of Nowhere

Update: May 2017. In the last line of this blog post, I wrote, "Things are not the same as they once were." Isn't that the truth. The overpass exchange I wrote about in February 2013 is no longer. It has been torn down and replaced with an intersection.  These pictures are now an archive of what once was an anomaly in the middle of nowhere.

When I was a young lad, I was always in wonderment why the state built an overpass exchange with entrance and exit ramps in the middle of nowhere.  Other highway intersections usually rated only a stop sign and maybe a traffic light.  But not the highway intersection of U.S. 24 and KS 258.

Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but in the middle of my world at the time, was this intersection for a state highway and a US highway with no town in sight.  And KS 258 ended less than 100 feet to the north and ended a few miles to the south after crossing over the earth-filled dam compounding the South Solomon River and creating Webster Lake.

State Highway 258 ending to the north

I'm guessing one reason for the overpass was that Highway 258 after crossing over the dam was on a high roadbed while Highway 24 was graded to be as flat as possible.  The difference in height was accommodated with the overpass and exchange.  But still to the untrained eye, it looks a little out of place.

Looking to the west from KS 258.

Looking to the east from the overpass bridge

I loved going across this way as a kid because seeing a large body of water in that part of Kansas is not an everyday sight.  Kansas Highway 258, as it crossed over the dam, has no shoulders and is enclosed with guardrails on both sides. The top of the dam is the roadbed.

Webster Lake inundated the town of Webster. The town was relocated to higher land but never survived the move.  When I was very young, the town had a small fish and bait store with a few grocery items. But the town soon faded away. Only the lake kept its name alive.

I'm reminiscing a lot. Therapy for the soul. Things are not the same as they once were.

Clarkson's No Fear Performance at Inauguration

If this performance of My Country Tis of Thee doesn't tug your patriotic heartstrings, then you and I are on different planets.

Kelly Clarkson--full of nervous energy. Who wouldn't be? Does she lip-sync or go live?
The President just finished his Inaugual Address-who would want to follow that.
Surrounded by dignitaries, television cameras and 800,000 people on the National Mall.
Facing directly into a cold wind.

But she gave a gutsy performance, singing live, no lip-syncing controversy here!

Kerry Breaks Stain of Presidential Candidate Loser

Before Adlai Stevenson losing to Dwight D. Eisenhower twice (1952 and 1956), losing presidential candidates often stayed politically active, or were consulted publicly as elder statesmen, or were asked to run for president again, a la Stevenson in 1956.  Then the culture of America changed about the loser tag, and for the last 55 years, the losing major party candidates were considered toxic.

That is until John Kerry.

Before getting to Kerry, let's look at losing candidates from 1976 on, not counting incumbent presidents who lost (Ford, Carter, Bush I) because a losing incumbent still gets a presidential museum. And six years must have passed since the election (so no 2008 or 2012 assessment yet).

1984: Losing candidate = Walter Mondale

Before losing, Mondale served in the U.S. Senate from 1964-1976; U.S. Vice President from 1977-1981.

Mondale got a plum 3-year job as US Ambassador to Japan but that doesn't count as an elected official nor as a significant poltical appointment.

1988: Losing candidate = Michael Dukakis

Before losing, Dukakis served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1975-1979 and from 1983-1990.  After losing, Dukakis finished his term as governor and hasn't done anything political since.

Dukakis did effect one major campaigning change--the two major candidates after convention run a "poltical sprint" to November. Dukakis with a 17-point lead in the polls took time off the campaign trail after convention to be Governor of Masschusetts.

2000: Losing Electoral College Candidate = Al Gore
(winning popular vote doesn't count)

Before losing the Electoral College vote, Gore served in the U.S. House from 1977-1985, the U.S. senate from 1985-1993; and U.S. Vice President from 1993-2001.

Gore has accomplished a lot since the 2000 election but nothing in the elected or significant appointee arena.

2004: Losing candidate = John Kerry

Before losing, Kerry served as Lt. Governor of Masschusetts (with Gov. Michael Dukakis) from 1983-1985; and the U.S. Senate from 1985 to current.

After losing in 2004, Kerry not only finished the remainder of his 6-year term in the Senate, he was re-elected to another 6-year term in 2008 and became the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry has wielded great influence on U.S. policy as a U.S. Senator and as a Chairman of an influential Senate committee.

Now he has been nominated to replace Hillary Clinton as U.S. Secretary of State. His nomination to this high level Cabinet position is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

John Kerry has broken free from the stain as a major party presidential candidate loser and never lost stride influencing U.S. policy, and he continues to be consulted about political strategy.