Attempts by the more patrician contender Nelson Rockefeller to espouse a less aggressive approach to domestic and global politics had him repeatedly drowned out by bells, whistles, horns and drums brought by Goldwater's braying red-neck supporters who could have been accurately defined as "deplorables" well before Hillary Clinton's jibe in 2016.

Although Goldwater was electorally defeated by Democrat incumbent Lyndon Johnson, Republicans scooped the Pennsylvania Avenue prize in 1968 with the re-emergence of the perfidious Richard Nixon, himself obliged to quit the presidency midway through his second term in 1974 following "Four more years" chants in 1972.

His demise led the ferociously probing journalist Hunter Thompson to pen a scathing political obituary depicting Nixon thus: "He was dishonest to a fault, the truth was not in him, and if it can be said that he resembled any other living animal in this world, it would only have been the hyena."

One must trust that waiting in the wings is another such scribe drafting not only a similarly virulent anti-eulogy for Trump but who is also possessed of such prescient audacity to contend, as did Thompson in 1972, that "When you vote for President today you're talking about giving a man dictatorial power ..... who moves all his friends into the White House and does whatever he wants for four years." Ring any bells?

I normally bite my tongue at many of the comments I see in the CT, however the absolute arrogance of Nicholas Stuart ("Australia's geographical blessing", December 28, p51) deserves a response. He says, and I quote, "Berejiklian's failure to institute even the most basic measures to curb the potential spread of the virus is breath-taking". Tell that to the residents of the Northern beaches! Then he goes on later to demonise "an overbearing leader, Daniel Andrews, who (initially) insisted on his key role in determining restrictions. ... and the result? Hundreds of dead and a huge economic and mental toll as well."

Clearly we have got it wrong - the people of NSW and Victoria should simply appoint Nicholas to manage their Covid response. But wait - that would mean that Nicholas would actually have to accept responsibility for doing something! Don't hold your breath.

For mine the Premiers of NSW and Victoria have done an enormous job, working huge hours, in responding to unforeseen challenges. While our location has helped, they have worked their hearts out trying to save their residents from death, illness and hardship.

So, the operators of Thoroughbred Park (Canberra's racecourse) are proposing to develop 3200 "dwellings" ("Racecourse housing plan", December 26, p1) to improve the viability of the Park's racing operations and "improve horse welfare, security and training". Does this mean that the horses will be encouraged to munch on the lawns of the new "dwellings", mingling with the occupants thereof and so on.

I'm not sure what area the Thoroughbred Park precinct covers, but a quick Google Earth area calculation indicates that the course proper is around 111 hectares and the adjacent farm land bounded by Gungahlin Drive, Barton Highway and Mitchell is an additional 184 hectares.

My back of envelope calculation allowing for, say, 400sqm single dwelling blocks equates to around 128 hectares not including land taken up with road, parks and other infrastructure such as age care facilities and commercial operations. But silly me... "dwellings" doesn't necessarily mean detached housing... so I would expect that the proposed development will include several multi-storey highrise structures comprising single, double and perhaps three bedroom (well-constructed??) apartments, particularly if the residents are going to make use of the light rail running through Mitchell.

Bill Stefaniak (Letters, December 29) strongly condemns as guilty of kowtowing anyone who dares suggest that Australia's racist history towards Asian peoples has a bearing on our current relationship with China.

He says that this should not be a question of making a choice between our major ally and our major trading partner, but a question of who we are as Australians.

But his definition of who we are as Australians goes back to the days of the White Australia Policy when we officially classed Asian people as racially inferior and undesirable.

Instead, the rise of modern China is showing the world that it is not only a peer strategic, economic and technological competitor with the US, but it is poised to help advance human civilisation to the next level of its evolutionary potential.

While China has its own shortcomings with respect to human rights, our own racially motivated prejudices buried deep within the national psyche should not prevent us from working together with the world's oldest living civilisation to build a better future.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently wrote about 2020 being a "lost year". Despite the loss, fear, uncertainty and disruption, there have been many examples of positives that have and will continue to stand us in good stead as we navigate the COVID-19 future. Generous economic stimulus support packages, social programs, responsible and generous behaviour and a generally different way of interacting, socialising, conducting business, education and entertainment. All which will challenge our thinking and problem solving abilities into the future. Surely this is only a good thing.

Professor Frank Bongiorno has correctly stated that an episode of The Crown is "absolute fiction" ("Royal tour depiction 'absolute fiction'" December 26, p20). One should never believe anything seen in a "historical" movie or TV show, because very little shown in these is accurate.

Two examples of history being destroyed are the films The Longest Day and the 1971 version of Mary Queen of Scots. The Longest Day shows British troops removing explosives from the later named Pegasus Bridge, there were no explosives on the bridge. Towards the end of Mary Queen of Scots Queens Mary and Elizabeth I are seen meeting each other, the two Queens never met.

It should be remembered that one watches a movie, or a TV show, to be entertained, not to be educated.

A very sick Aussie polar expeditioner has been airlifted from Davis Station in Antarctica to Tasmania, in a remarkable rescue that would not have been possible if helicopters from the Chinese research icebreaker (MV Xue Long 2) had not been nearby to fly a team of other Aussie expeditioners from Casey Station to Davis to build an ice airstrip so that a US ski-aircraft could land and take the sick Aussie to Wilkins Aerodrome for transport in an Australian Airbus back to Hobart ("Five day Antarctic evacuation", December 26, p27).

Would it be too much to expect PM Morrison to get on the phone to both President-elect Biden and President Xi Jinping to publicly express Australia's sincere thanks for the sheer bravery and humane enterprise of all involved?

It's as dangerous down there for US and Chinese pilots and sailors as it is for Aussie expeditioners.

Perhaps if, in parallel, Senator Marise Payne could get a significant promotion out of the tedious foreign affairs portfolio, and Morrison suggested that he, Biden and Xi might share a celebratory glass of Australian wine in February 2021 to welcome in the Year of the Ox, wonders, if not exactly miracles, might happen.

President Biden has no intention of being daggers drawn with China in the reckless and provocative manner of Trump.

Might Morrison take a lesson out of Whitlam's historic gazumping of Nixon in 1971, and use this golden diplomatic opportunity to get in first?

Apparently the President of the USA has been busy in the twilight days of his presidency, issuing presidential pardons to his friends and associates. And the President of Russia has arranged for extension of his presidential term, and immunity from criminal prosecution for himself and all ex-presidents.

I used to think that these are the behaviours that characterised tin-pot dictatorships. Ah well, I suppose I'm rather old-fashioned about these things.

Politicians, commentators and writers of letters to this paper have bandied about the gigawatt. It was very pleasing therefore, to see David Osmond of Dickson (Letters, December 27) use the correct unit for energy, ie the Wh (giga, mega or whatever).

Surely the federal government should realise the folly of asking the ACT to run health and education services for Norfolk Island ("New request for ACT to run Norfolk", December 29, p1) when it cannot manage those systems in the ACT - at least the Chief Minister is smart enough to decline although I'm sure the temptation to avail the ACT of more federal funds must be enticing.

This is an "on water matter", surely ("New request for ACT to run Norfolk", December 29, p1).

On one page, demands for statues of women and on another fresh efforts to tackle homelessness in the ACT. Women are far more likely to become homeless and experience housing security. Why don't we put our money where women who are alive and struggling right now are instead of a new, useless project?

With Father Christmas having apparently responded in the negative to Donald Trump's asking for an extended term, the president must have just about exhausted his avenues to that end. In fact, a request of Santa was probably his best bet.

The striking cover photo on Panorama captures an image which masks the reality of the year that was (December 26).

Yes, Richard Barraclough (Letters, December 26), the history of humanity is a history of technological advancement. We are not still living in the Bronze Age for a reason and we know the tragedy of societies that did not transition from the Stone Age.

The lights at ABS House and at Home Affairs' offices in Belconnen are still on all night. I thought Christmas is over. Bring back timed lights and rein in this waste.

John Sandilands (Letters, December 24) has a touch of misadventure about him as he mixes his a's and m's in his alliterative musings, or amusing mal-alliterations. Plenty of A's and M's around to check in next Saturday's Honours lists though.

Our premiers and other leaders have urged us all to socially distance ourselves from each other over the coming days.

This is a most unfortunate request any time but more so at this time of Christmas and New Year. Fortunately, most people are ignoring them and socialising more than ever but at a physical distance and with breathing masks.