Sunday, July 28, 2024

Party like its 1968!

 


In January of 1968, then President Lyndon B Johnson announced he was not running for re-election. Clearly, he was burned out by the Vietnam War.  That led to a scramble in the Democratic Party for a new candidate.  They eventually selected Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota in a Chicago convention that was chaotic and near riots outside the convention hall every day.  Humphry would go on to be destroyed by Richard Nixon in the election.

In 2024, Joe Biden, after a disastrous debate performance that bordered on elder abuse, announced he was not going to run in the 2024 election.  Some also allege that the Democratic Party leadership forced his out, but the point is that the current occupant of the Oval Office, in both 1968 and 2024, was not running for re-election. 

In 1968 and 2024, the Republican candidates, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump were "comeback kids" of sorts.  Nixon had lost a contentious election in 1960 and was back.  Trump had been in an election with many irregularities in 2020, and he is back, having also survived an assassination attempt!

Continuing the parallels, is the fact the Democratic Convention is in Chicago in 2024.  

And the protesters are coming!

Bonus info: The Democratic Convention of 1924, also chaotic, was in Chicago.

Each convention was chaotic and each led to a Democratic loss.

Since Kamala Harris did not run in any primary, this is hardly "democratic".  

The Democratic voters elected--for better or worse--Joe Biden.  There is time for primaries even if it is a bit rushed.  If this had happened three days before the convention or election, then fine.  Not perfect, but orderly at least.  Now, it seems the "Party of the People" has invalidated the votes of its own members.

Things called "democratic"--Democratic People Republic of Korea (North Korea) and German Democratic Republic (East Germany) usually are not.  

Is the Democratic (?) Party in America on that list too now?

If History does not repeat, it certainly rhymes!   


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