General Discussion

BlueMTexpat

(15,653 posts)

23. Humphrey was unfairly maligned then - and apparently still - and

Sat Mar 14, 2015, 06:03 PM

Mar 2015

would have been an excellent to outstanding President.

Humphrey urged Dems to stand up for civil rights in the late 1940s - long before many other prominent Dems began openly advocating for them.

In 1960, Humphrey was also the one who originally proposed a bill for the establishment of the Peace Corps. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/peace-corps/

Perhaps Humphrey seemed like a "dishrag" to those who weren't paying attention to - or don't know - his actual record. He was also unfairly tarnished by Johnson's Vietnam legacy.

But he was every bit as much of a progressive of that time as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are today. As a former PCV, I honor his memory and wish that American voters had had the vision and the smarts to elect him over Nixon in 1968. What a lot of misery we would all have been spared.

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"We haven’t bled enough. It’s never enough for these sons of bitches." [View all] phantom power Mar 2015 OP

Thank you. When I read (I guess some younger posters) write and say Nixon wasn't that bad OKNancy Mar 2015 #1

I was about to say those are not mutually exclusive options. Thor_MN Mar 2015 #9

By body count, he is.We hated his guts.The Berrigans, the Chicago Eight, the protestor deaths ancianita Mar 2015 #15

I totally agree about BlueMTexpat Mar 2015 #22

he didn't normalize relations with prc; that was a corporate decision. Capital needed ND-Dem Mar 2015 #58

He made the initial overtures BlueMTexpat Mar 2015 #77

One point that must be made about Nixon is that, unlike Raygun hifiguy Mar 2015 #94

he was all those things, but his domestic policies were more liberal than reagan's -- ND-Dem Mar 2015 #31

He never did anything without political calculation. OKNancy Mar 2015 #33

you can say the same of 99% of politicians. He did them, regardless. Unlike the ND-Dem Mar 2015 #35

I can't believe you think Nixon is liberal compared to Bill Clinton. Rex Mar 2015 #52

I can't believe you think bill is a liberal. Are you old enough to have been cognizant ND-Dem Mar 2015 #53

Duh. Rex Mar 2015 #54

i'll take that as a no. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #56

I'm sure you will, what you won't do is explain how Nixon was a liberal. Rex Mar 2015 #57

Nixon was a politician. Nixon's policies were more liberal than anything around today. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #59

Nixon kept us in the Viet Nam war shadowmayor Mar 2015 #50

strictly speaking, we left vietnam during nixon's watch, ergo he got us out of vietnam. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #55

Yeah, Nixon "gave" us the EPA Art_from_Ark Mar 2015 #69

Everything there is just previous policy implementation. joshcryer Mar 2015 #61

Nixon appointees were 44% of that Court & 1/3 of the votes for Roe were from Nixon ND-Dem Mar 2015 #88

I don't think that credits the policy process. joshcryer Mar 2015 #89

the clintons failed to pass health care. should we then call obamacare 'clintoncare' instead? ND-Dem Mar 2015 #90

No, but we can say Obama continued the policy work. joshcryer Mar 2015 #91

we call it obamacare and say obama passed it. but you won't give nixon credit for ND-Dem Mar 2015 #92

Nixon was a right-wing criminal and he was in no way, shape, or form a liberal. At all. Period. NYC Liberal Mar 2015 #70

tell me which great society programs he gutted. and you're wrong about the SC nominees. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #84

He did those things because that was the political landscape he had to deal with JHB Mar 2015 #75

The fact that he overthrew Allende in Chile, bombed Laos, thwarted Johnson's peace talks, deutsey Mar 2015 #79

obviously, and i'm not hailing his accomplishments. i'm mourning our present predicament, ND-Dem Mar 2015 #81

Touche deutsey Mar 2015 #82

The failure to prosecute "conservative" traitors has haunted the country since 1865 Doctor_J Mar 2015 #2

I have a couple of more to add. I remember my rage virgogal Mar 2015 #6

Question bobclark86 Mar 2015 #8

You are not alone. bread_and_roses Mar 2015 #28

the problem is.... tomp Mar 2015 #71

+100. the country's gone nuts, imo. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #32

indeed. we have people who think treason should go unpunished. Doctor_J Mar 2015 #46

Nutty is saying we should execute almost every Republican President since Eisenhower Cali_Democrat Mar 2015 #48

i think advocating for the execution of political enemies is nuttier ND-Dem Mar 2015 #63

Fine, life in prison, then. I'm not big on the death penalty either. n/t nomorenomore08 Mar 2015 #37

Bin Laden and Sadam were executed so they would not be able to talk. PowerToThePeople Mar 2015 #96

You're a supporter of the death penalty? Cali_Democrat Mar 2015 #14

only for treason, and I'd be fine with life at hard labor. But 18 months at a country Doctor_J Mar 2015 #45

How exactly would you have proposed we imprison Scalia? Cali_Democrat Mar 2015 #47

Agree, if we need gitmo it's to hold traitorous bastards like Oliver North, Rove, Rice and Cheney. whereisjustice Mar 2015 #17

treason winetourdriver Mar 2015 #18

, blkmusclmachine Mar 2015 #3

Powerful article gwheezie Mar 2015 #4

We got fooled, and it wasn't even different sons of bitches. phantom power Mar 2015 #20

Yes, the people in charge Unknown Beatle Mar 2015 #43

Oh they learned from the past. Very selfish and partisan lessons. stillwaiting Mar 2015 #67

HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!! WillyT Mar 2015 #5

I wish I could rec this more than once. n/t Martin Eden Mar 2015 #7

Robert Kennedy would have won the 1968 Presidential Election but was assasinated in the sping of 68. jalan48 Mar 2015 #10

Not necessarily OnlinePoker Mar 2015 #13

Kennedy had the momentum and the charisma-Humphrey was as exciting as a washrag jalan48 Mar 2015 #19

Humphrey was unfairly maligned then - and apparently still - and BlueMTexpat Mar 2015 #23

By today's standards, yes, Humphrey would be a Progressive. However, he was a mainstream Democrat in jalan48 Mar 2015 #25

Well - I was there then and remember it well. BlueMTexpat Mar 2015 #27

I was there as well. jalan48 Mar 2015 #30

Still miss Bobby Kennedy AikenYankee Mar 2015 #34

I agree. jalan48 Mar 2015 #36

Did you see him after MLK assassination ? AikenYankee Mar 2015 #40

It was right before. jalan48 Mar 2015 #42

We agree about much more than we disagree, BlueMTexpat Mar 2015 #78

Yes we do agree on most things I am sure :) jalan48 Mar 2015 #80

Welcome to DU! BlueMTexpat Mar 2015 #93

Thank you! jalan48 Mar 2015 #95

I agree totally with you on your discription... malokvale77 Mar 2015 #38

Yes, Hubert's positions were considered mainstream for a Democrat dflprincess Mar 2015 #44

This is, BY FAR, the best thing I've read on the subject. eggplant Mar 2015 #11

Wish I could rec this a thousand tiimes. CanonRay Mar 2015 #12

kick samsingh Mar 2015 #16

Nixon was a psychotic monster gregcrawford Mar 2015 #21

Richard Nixon never worked for Joe McCarthy. I think you are conflating Nixon's participation in the KingCharlemagne Mar 2015 #49

A VERY important point BrotherIvan Mar 2015 #24

Richard Nixon was a weasel. He set the mold for Republicans to come. Enthusiast Mar 2015 #26

He was an AMATEUR. Orsino Mar 2015 #73

True. Enthusiast Mar 2015 #74

Until we start prosecuting conservative traitors, it will be same shit, different day. Initech Mar 2015 #29

It wouldn't hurt to boot them from... malokvale77 Mar 2015 #39

Some of us from that era also believe Nixon had Bobby whacked. Spitfire of ATJ Mar 2015 #41

Some of us from that era... malokvale77 Mar 2015 #51

Well, we were also called "Conspiracy Theorists" to talk about the Trilateral Commission.... Spitfire of ATJ Mar 2015 #60

We still are called that. malokvale77 Mar 2015 #62

some from that era don't get that presidents are just hired hands; they don't ND-Dem Mar 2015 #64

Johnson's girl-friend at the time.. Joe Chi Minh Mar 2015 #68

oooh, johnson's girlfriend. i'm sure she was let in on all the inside dope. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #85

It was when he came out of the meeting, Dum Dum. Joe Chi Minh Mar 2015 #98

right, "dumdum." your manner of discourse certainly makes *you* a believable source. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #99

Only on RT..... Spitfire of ATJ Mar 2015 #72

keep dreaming. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #86

amazing read. My husband went into Vietnam in June 1968, the worst year of my life....... secondwind Mar 2015 #65

K & R. The right wing cheats and lies about everything because their policies can't win the GoneFishin Mar 2015 #66

When will it be enough for us? merrily Mar 2015 #76

K&R plus a gazillion. love_katz Mar 2015 #83

Kick,kick,kicked&Recommended! butterfly77 Mar 2015 #87

I've followed this thread and hesitated to comment umtil now pinboy3niner Mar 2015 #97