Reflection upon another primary and general election. [View all]
In 1968, at the all knowing age of 19 and unable to vote but having an intense interest in the proceedings. I joined the legions of young people (many of us, including me possessing nice new draft cards with 1A printed on them) in the service of Eugene McCarthy. As the campaign progressed and Robert Kennedy joined the fray I defected to RFK's following. Of course, I was crushed by the assassination of my candidate and felt that as the other peace candidate, Mr McCarthy, should then inherit the nomination which I knew would have been RFK's.
Came the convention in Chicago, which I was unable to attend, everyone felt that McCarthy had been robbed and that the party had foisted upon us the stodgy and slightly odd Hubert Humphrey who I now know as a good and honorable supporter of labor and democratic party principles (An appropriate quote for this time "The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously."
Anyway, we showed our displeasure with the party's pick in Chicago and joined by many who were just along for the opportunity to be assholes in public, wreaked havoc on Daly's order and decorum. Skulls met truncheons and blood was shed and ALL ON TV!
We sure showed them! And the only bad side effect was Richard Nixon was elected, the war continued, I, and thousands more were drafted, thousands more died, the word Watergate entered the vocabulary with a entirely new meaning, Nixon was threatened with impeachment, Repugs never got over it and are still getting their revenge and on and on, but...We showed that damned party machine all right!
Probably not the right place for this, but it feels safer here....
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