Where I Stand 1982 — Hank Greenspun: ‘Old Rough and Ready’ becomes part of Sun family

Friday, Feb. 16, 2001 | 9:10 a.m.

Note to readers: This column by Sun founder Hank Greenspun appeared on June 10, 1982.

The suspense is over. Old Rough and Ready dropped the other shoe, but it was the one on the bad leg. He still has a good one with which to stomp around.

Mike O'Callaghan took himself out of the race for governor, but he'll still be around, interjecting his beliefs and skills into his total preoccupation -- the state of Nevada.

With the burning question of his candidacy or noncandidacy settled, we can now go back to reporting politics without sending the former governor through the roof.

Mike is full of surprises and for the past weeks we have been reluctant to say he would or he wouldn't. If I were forced to prophesy as recently as a week ago, I would have predicted that the Sun is definitely, but temporarily, losing an associate boss but gaining a super governor.

Fortunately for the average editor, the readers seldom remember his prophecies, so he can continue peering into his crystal ball and speculating to absurdity.

Mike's decision in my judgment was the right one.

He has known praise and criticism from the press since the early years as a teacher at Basic High School in Henderson. And just as flattery never turned his head, neither did critical comment divert him from his beliefs and convictions.

His overwhelming popularity in the state proves that his actions and judgments were acceptable and right.

His tremendous knowledge and expertise in statecraft could still serve in a role of guidance to present and future administrations. And you can be certain that his views will be made known through editorials and columns to all officialdom, whether they approve to reject his counseling.

There are people who are born or acquire an ability to lead, while others are satisfied with following along. It takes a considerable amount of mental and physical toughness to make the forceful, controversial decisions from which progress springs.

Mike will make them whenever the benefit and welfare of the state is on the line -- whether it be in the governor's chair or behind a Sun desk. He will be outspoken in encouraging a correct position or correcting a wrongful decision and he can do it equally well in the state building in Carson City or the Sun building in Las Vegas.

There was definitely a strong movement to bring about the return of O'Callaghan to Carson City. We at the Sun could attest to the phone calls and personal and group callers who dogged his footsteps to draft him for a third term.

It takes a strong character to reject the heady atmosphere of a governor's mansion and, though talk is cheap during election periods. Mike refused to cheapen the office by believing that he is the only one capable of administering the state government for the next four years.

And just as talk is about the only thing left that's cheap, I will speak out for Gov. Bob List, Richard Bryan, Stan Colton and all the other hopefuls whose sighs fill the air and whose ambitions are lifted by Mike's decision to stay put.

My free speech and political advice to all the candidates is to follow in the footsteps of O'Callaghan, who never charged up San Juan Hill, but is just as rough and tough as old Teddy Roosevelt when it comes to providing strong leadership.

It's been said by the wise men that a lion leading a horde of jackals is far better than a jackal leading an army of lions.

It's the leadership that is needed in the state, the nation and the world. So tighten up the bellies, toughen up the minds and charge.

Anything less is not acceptable and Mike will be around to gently guide or persuade, even if he has to use a big club -- a typewriter, that is.