There is now a growing possibility that the Republican National Convention in mid July of this year will rival the most tumultuous convention of modern times, the divisive Democratic National Convention of 1968, which unfortunately doomed the Democratic Party for a generation on the Presidential level, with the sole exception of Jimmy Carter in 1976.
That convention was split over the Vietnam War, and led to massive demonstrations in Chicago, police brutality, tear gas wafting into the convention hall, and the party so badly split that the liberal hero, Hubert Humphrey, tied to the Lyndon Johnson war policy, left the convention in a greatly damaged state. This led to Richard Nixon winning the Presidency, and ushering in a generation and more of right wing conservatism, which has done great damage to our nation.
But now, there is a good opportunity to reverse that damage, with a Democratic win of the Presidency and the Senate, a narrowing of the House of Representatives Republican majority, and the return of a Democratic majority on the US Supreme Court!
The Republicans seem likely to have a floor fight over the platform, and attempts to contest delegates who will be seated, and who will be their nominee, if Donald Trump can be prevented from gaining 1, 237 delegates, a majority.
There will be breakaways, revolts, harsh statements, certainly the most colorful and exciting convention in the past 48 years, with long range implications for the nation, and the likely demise of the GOP as we have known it.
Conservatives may break away and refuse to support the GOP nominee if it is Donald Trump, and Trump could still decide to bolt the party if not the nominee, forming his own independent candidacy!
Professor,
I can’t see how anything could ever top the ’68 Democratic convention.
There is nothing today comparable to the atmosphere that surrounded that convention, such as the fervor of anti-war sentiment. Mayor Daley’s control over the protestors led by the Chicago Seven of Hoffman, Rubin, Hayden et al. and the police brutality. The Gestapo like atmosphere inside the convention hall where Dan Rather was roughed up by security trying to do his job.
It was still somewhat of a contested convention where the impact of the primaries back then was not the controlling force it is today.
Despite all the turmoil, Humphrey still nearly pulled it off.
I will never forget the night when the Chicago police were in full force against the protesters and TV juxtaposed those scenes and transitioned to the convention hall where Abraham Ribicoff, placing the name of George McGovern into nomination for President called out the tactics of Mayor Daley…classic.
By the way, Ribicoff replaced 41’s father and 43’s grandfather, Prescott Bush in the Senate after he retired and won the election over a Republican…
Paul, you bring back memories of Hubert Humphrey, who was my hero, as Joe Biden has been in recent decades.
And Ribicoff did indeed replace Prescott Bush in the Senate.
And when Ribicoff denounced Mayor Daley from the rostrum, Daley gave him the middle finger and uttered the F word, and made Walter Cronkite shocked, and go silent for a minute! lol hahahaha
Mitt Romney—as he appeared to be denouncing on 03.03.2016 Donald Trump—was essentially throwing the Republican Party under the bus.
The Republican Party Establishment apparently doesn’t want Donald Trump or his thus far runner-up Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio is a bust—and he will probably be out at some point by the next 5 to 10 days. And John Kasich is in wait-and-see mode.
Brokered convention? Oh, that really works like a charm for a party hoping to retain or flip the presidency.
The Republican Party’s previous election cycle’s nominee having just condemned the party’s likely nominee (or at least frontrunner) for this year—well, that has me thinking…
We could be in for an Electoral College landslide, with Election 2016, for the eventual nominee of the Democratic Party.
(If that turns out to be the case…enough of the Republican-held U.S. Senate seats will flip Democratic to give that party a majority-control pickup.)
You know—we could use one of those 400-vote Electoral College outcomes we haven’t experienced since the 1980s! (For the Democrats. Of course.) Is there anyone else here in that kind of mood?
Wow, D.
You are the epitome of the Professor’s hero, HHH…
“The Politics of Joy”
Paul, you have me heartily laughing here! LOL
D, I would LOVE to see a 400 plus Electoral College sweep, but wonder if you and I, and even Paul lol, are hallucinating.
And just imagine if, somehow, Bernie does it, wouldn’t that be something? –a declared Democratic Socialist winning the White House! That would make for the most left wing result since “The Triumph of Progressivism” in 1912–Wilson, TR, Debs, and even Taft somewhat progressive, and Debs winning 6 percent of the vote, an all time high for a true Socialist (which Bernie is really not!)
Or the complete opposite could happen. The Donald wins it all, issues an executive order re-instituting the Espionage Act of 1917 and has Sanders and Clinton arrested for their anti-Trump speeches. LOL!
Paul, that is NOT funny, as that would mean American Fascism is in control, a horrifying thought! 🙁
Professor,
It was not meant to be funny, but ironic. The Donald has said many dangerous things in the debates. Just the other night, when asked about the Joint Chiefs of Staff not going forward with an act that would violate the Geneva Convention, the stupid idiot, said he would MAKE them follow his order(s)…
Oh, Paul, I am being ironic too, and now the pledge and Nazi salute!