Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: I'm a 63 yr-old and I'm tired of old establishment Dems whining about our great Young Democrats [View all]Progressive2020
(713 posts)Well thank you for your service to the Party in those days. I was just a young kid at the time. I understand it was a different era, but I think today when a candidate fails to win the Party's nomination, most (many, not all) of that candidates followers will vote for whomever does win the nom. Back then, the nomination process was different also.
I do not think it is a fantasy that another candidate might have been able to win in the General Election in 1968. I would call it speculation, not fantasy. And hopefully informed speculation. I think if we had Bobby Kennedy living and running in 1968, he probably would have defeated Nixon. I am less certain about McGovern and McCarthy, but as I have studied this stuff in the past, I think a lot of anti-war activists would have mobilized for them in a way that they would not have for Humphrey.
This is speculation on my part, but I think it is a studied speculation. But, I agree that some people are so enamored with their candidate that they lose their reason and develop fantasy scenarios about how and why their candidates lose. It is natural for people to concoct such stories when they invest so much emotion and commitment to a particular candidate.
I do not believe that I am one of those people. I try to vote based on principle over personality. There is also a difference between whom I would like to win and who I think has a better chance of getting elected. So, I have my wish list, but I try to be pragmatic about who I vote for.
I do think that some people "get married" to certain candidates early on. I try not to get too attached and base my vote on a calculus of who can get elected and accomplish certain policies. Anyway, I think there are many people who try to be rational about their vote. It is just that there are also those for whom their association with certain candidates is more emotional than rational. When you have people like that, they tend to have fantasy explanations for why their own candidate lost. I try to make my analysis based upon reality, not feelings.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided