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One_Life_To_Give

(6,036 posts)

73. LBJ, Nam, Fall of Saigon, 79 Hostage Rescue attempt

Wed Oct 15, 2014, 05:19 PM

Oct 2014

JFK only won by 100,000 votes. And while the Repub's had the likes of Goldwater we had the likes of Wallace and the Solid South. So we may remember the period more fondly than is justified.

Also we hadn't "lost" a conflict since 1812. The loss in Nam and the sting of being shown up by a bunch of college students in some backwater podunk in the middle east (Iran). Accentuated by the slow response and eventual humiliating failure of our special forces to bring our people home safe. Set the stage for a charismatic actor who new how to connect with the people and give them the reassurances they wanted to hear.

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It's amazing that over the span of two decades, America went from this... [View all] YoungDemCA Oct 2014 OP

I have a question. How many Congressmen and women were millionaires back then versus now? liberal_at_heart Oct 2014 #1

It is all about the OPTICS and Wellstone ruled Oct 2014 #2

indeed, democrats often pave the way for republicans. unblock Oct 2014 #4

The Democratic party has abandoned labor. liberal_at_heart Oct 2014 #7

YES!!!! dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #80

This doesn't address Democrats or Republicans (or maybe it does, I don't know whose idea it was) Rozlee Oct 2014 #89

Yes, I can see that. Even worse... dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #90

Yes MontyPow Oct 2014 #81

Very true. Dawson Leery Oct 2014 #12

I have a theory, but it's not based on anything other than a guess... stevenleser Oct 2014 #3

As a youth of the '70s, we were rebelling against the seriousness of the '60s. ieoeja Oct 2014 #29

Not the early seventies. The latter part of the sixties and the early seventies maddiemom Oct 2014 #75

I think you're on the right track actually... Blanks Oct 2014 #62

womens, blacks gays, the social issues. i think many of us, young, thought we were well on our seabeyond Oct 2014 #5

That fuckin' asshole on the right in the 2nd picture is what happened thelordofhell Oct 2014 #6

Prescott Bush had connections to Nazi money machine. blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #48

Does that explain why they like making Nazi references at the drop of a hat? Initech Oct 2014 #105

That is GHB. Just Sayin' Other than that pretty good summation of the guy's character. Tommymac Oct 2014 #78

Wherever the bushes go, criminality follows. Dont call me Shirley Oct 2014 #94

Backlash against progress, backlash against Watergate prosecution, Arugula Latte Oct 2014 #8

Louis Powell memo Dont call me Shirley Oct 2014 #93

Shoot, in less than a decade it went to this FLPanhandle Oct 2014 #9

They thought "All in the Family" was a documentary bigbrother05 Oct 2014 #10

i half thought they must have known our family, that show hit way, way too close to home! unblock Oct 2014 #14

The funny part Mnpaul Oct 2014 #108

"All in the Family" is one of the most realistic sitcoms ever made. Eric J in MN Oct 2014 #38

Not at all, thought it was brilliant in puncturing stereotypes bigbrother05 Oct 2014 #123

From everything I've read? Raffi Ella Oct 2014 #11

I saw a documentary about that LeftInTX Oct 2014 #47

I read a different take Prophet 451 Oct 2014 #113

No, that was what Reagan & CO. used to court Falwell with. Raffi Ella Oct 2014 #122

Right. I was amazed when I read that. Raffi Ella Oct 2014 #120

Wherever there's opposition to progress, it's usually because of RELIGION blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #50

What's funny is that Jesus would be on the front line with Liberals today. Raffi Ella Oct 2014 #121

Reagan appealed to the worst of our nature. liberalmuse Oct 2014 #13

I think you've given a very articulate and accurate summary. cordelia Oct 2014 #16

very true. Maybe that's how we ended up with a corrupt Democratic party. They bought liberal_at_heart Oct 2014 #19

Sadly, yes. The "Opposition Party," isn't. blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #51

Sadly, yes. The "Opposition Party," isn't. blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #52

Well said, and exactly the impression I had of those times. Eventually it was all right maddiemom Oct 2014 #77

You were too young to vote at that time but you were definitely paying attention. pacalo Oct 2014 #95

Bad candidates and political purists? brooklynite Oct 2014 #15

Always the liberals fault. They either abandon, can't campaign, or don't vote. MontyPow Oct 2014 #85

Yeah, me too. Scuba Oct 2014 #106

Hey! That was my answer! MontyPow Oct 2014 #107

which is? brooklynite Oct 2014 #110

The Democratic Party moved to the right. MontyPow Oct 2014 #112

No challenger could've won in 1972 and no incumbent could've won in 1980 Hippo_Tron Oct 2014 #99

I strongly suggest that this question be put to those who voted for Reagan and Bush. Bluenorthwest Oct 2014 #17

if she runs for president she will have to answer JI7 Oct 2014 #67

I voted for Reagan ('84) and Bush ('88)... Blanks Oct 2014 #72

I sure can blame people who voted to continue policies of deadly ignorance that cost the lives Bluenorthwest Oct 2014 #88

Of course you can blame whoever you want... Blanks Oct 2014 #98

This hedgehog Oct 2014 #18

the immediate cause heaven05 Oct 2014 #39

Baby boomers. joshcryer Oct 2014 #20

You mean the generation that both fought in the Vietnam War and fought to end the war? That marched Hekate Oct 2014 #46

Right, they had their cake. joshcryer Oct 2014 #102

Well, aren't you special with your broad brush and all. Hekate Oct 2014 #109

WTF is wrong with you? Skittles Oct 2014 #53

+1000 nt Curmudgeoness Oct 2014 #66

Nope. joshcryer Oct 2014 #101

Oye vey, the generation wars... Hippo_Tron Oct 2014 #100

Oops, forgot how taboo it was. joshcryer Oct 2014 #104

pretty damn disheartening tk2kewl Oct 2014 #21

The two most overrated presidents of the 20th century, right there. Spider Jerusalem Oct 2014 #22

Great post. nt raccoon Oct 2014 #31

Excellent analysis. geardaddy Oct 2014 #69

I blame AMC. ileus Oct 2014 #23

the evil forces began getting their shit together - once USSR fell they stomped on the accelerator tk2kewl Oct 2014 #24

Two main things jehop61 Oct 2014 #25

yes. those two things had lasting impacts. bbgrunt Oct 2014 #40

nightline and cnn ushered in a brand new media era unblock Oct 2014 #26

Hmmm...I was there for all of this and I have some theories... Sancho Oct 2014 #27

There were, of course, a lot of very "coincidental" assassinations that just *happened* to benefit.. villager Oct 2014 #28

9/11 was another one of those "coincidences," yes? blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #55

Funny how all these things just *happen* to "work out" -- for *them*.... villager Oct 2014 #82

"The Southern Strategy" happened n/t DefenseLawyer Oct 2014 #30

demographic changes are slowly weakening that strategy JI7 Oct 2014 #41

Absolutely DefenseLawyer Oct 2014 #65

H.L. Mencken nailed it: Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2014 #32

Don't let the town criers tell you any differently, 'the fix' was in the moment Poppy Rex Oct 2014 #33

Prescott Bush had connections to the Nazi money machine. blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #56

I'd like to be a fly on a history class wall in 2114 Rex Oct 2014 #58

1980 was my first election, and it felt like the end of the world. byronius Oct 2014 #34

A lot of people had to die for this to happen. nt WhiteTara Oct 2014 #35

My first vote was for JFK. It is very hard to point to one thing and say that it was the cause of it jwirr Oct 2014 #36

Clinton was NOT a swing back to the left in any meaningful, long-term way. He was a placeholder blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #59

+1. That was a feint, not a swing. n/t winter is coming Oct 2014 #63

I certainly wouldn't call NAFTA or repealing Glass-Steagall Act going back to the left. liberal_at_heart Oct 2014 #64

Thank you, CIA NightWatcher Oct 2014 #37

The exact answer to you question was provided by this fictitious character DFW Oct 2014 #42

I remember JFK: that he was admired for his intelligence, not his lack of it. Hekate Oct 2014 #68

Obama called the Republicans "proud of their ignorance" DFW Oct 2014 #71

Yeah. Look at the currency "selfish Boomers" has even here at DU among some. Hekate Oct 2014 #97

Yes, they will. Prophet 451 Oct 2014 #114

Because the republican southern strategy worked maindawg Oct 2014 #43

Well amazing to you maybe, but relentless to me, sort of like global warming. HereSince1628 Oct 2014 #44

Because in-between was the Powell Manifesto: the 1%'s refusal to EVER be told what to do by the loudsue Oct 2014 #45

bookmark for self n/t Prophet 451 Oct 2014 #115

Older Baby Boomers are liberal. Younger baby boomers are conservative. jeff47 Oct 2014 #49

There was a coup. grahamhgreen Oct 2014 #54

A plan in place to usurp the U.S. Constitution. By the RWing elite. Rex Oct 2014 #60

This^ nt Hatchling Oct 2014 #91

Sad ... But true world wide wally Oct 2014 #57

In a Nutshell jalan48 Oct 2014 #61

It's the economy, stupid. Curmudgeoness Oct 2014 #70

LBJ, Nam, Fall of Saigon, 79 Hostage Rescue attempt One_Life_To_Give Oct 2014 #73

I remember the day JFK was shot... freebrew Oct 2014 #74

People assiduously avoid looking at the *pattern*.... villager Oct 2014 #84

George Herbert Walker Bush told the FBI he was in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Octafish Oct 2014 #119

Americans wanted a President Reagan yeoman6987 Oct 2014 #76

Funny fact. Rex Oct 2014 #83

Not really. They did this whole "Iranian Hostage Crisis" thing to smear Carter: grahamhgreen Oct 2014 #111

The Chicago convention helped, too... freebrew Oct 2014 #118

Vietnam MontyPow Oct 2014 #79

When they realized the Moon wasn't made of cheese lunatica Oct 2014 #86

All the Bigots and Hate Mongers left Cryptoad Oct 2014 #87

This message was self-deleted by its author appalachiablue Oct 2014 #92

Well, guy #1 died and so did any hope for our future. Ampersand Unicode Oct 2014 #96

Greed. 99Forever Oct 2014 #103

A lot of stuff happened Prophet 451 Oct 2014 #116

My Benchmark RobinA Oct 2014 #117