It is now 49 years since Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York was tragically assassinated in Los Angeles, where I am right now, in my first visit to the number two city in America.
RFK was seen as likely to win the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1968, and it is believed that he would have defeated former Vice President Richard Nixon in a close race, without being tied to the Vietnam War policy of Lyndon B. Johnson, which Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey had as an albatross around his neck, from which he was unable to escape.
It often seems as if RFK’s death marked a turning point to the right, from which America has never fully recovered, despite the best efforts of Barack Obama, the most liberal President since LBJ, but with the reality of a strong Republican opposition that helped to prevent much of his agenda.
Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, while certainly more “liberal” than any Republican President in the past half century, were unable, and also to a great extent, unwilling to go anywhere as far as Obama attempted.
So in a sense, America lost its liberal champion, which Ted Kennedy represented after his brother’s death, but due to his own Chappaquiddick scandal, was unable to promote, with one failed attempt in 1980 against President Carter.
RFK was certainly one of the most talented and creative politicians we have seen, and had a broad appeal, and his goals and aims to unite people of all backgrounds in promoting progressive change, remain the goal of Democrats as they look ahead to 2020, and wish to find the best Presidential nominee possible.
1968 was quite the year in history. From the January capture of the Pueblo by North Korea to Johnson’s ” defeat” in the NH primary to his announcement soon thereafter that he would not run for re- election to the “Clean Gene” McCarthy/RFK grab for the spot; to the assassination of Martin Luther King and RFK within two months of each other; to the fiasco of the Chicago Democratic Convention; to the politically crippled Hhh vying for the Presidency; to the Paris Peace Talks sabotaged by Nixon’s message to North Vietnam of a better deal to end the war to the Christmas time voyage of Apollo circling the orbit of the moon as a precursor to Neil Armstrong’s first steps on it the following year, 1968 was one for the history books!
Yes, Paul, and I have taught now for 45 years in the classroom, as of tomorrow, June 6, 1972, and I always have said the most significant years are 1945, 1968, 1989, and 2001 since World War II!
Paul Doyle writes,
“1968 was quite the year in history….”
Yes.
I was born in 1971. My one-and-only sibling, a brother, was born on April 14, 1968. My late mother always appreciated that because it was Easter Sunday. But, it was also ten days after the [April 4, 1968] assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Isn’t it interesting that assissinations in the United States, over the last, say, 50 to 60 years, have tended to be people who could do good for the people of the United States. Interesting that that is how it has played out? John Kennedy. Malcolm X. Martin Luther King, Jr. Robert Kennedy.
Sadly, D, you are correct, as the right wing forces continue to set us backward much too often!
VA Democratic primary was this week. Ralph Northam beat Tom Perriello in a tight race for Democratic Governor nominee.
As a result of Trump, more Democrats turned out for the primary than Republicans did. Hopefully that energy will continue into the general election and into 2018 and 2020.
A shooting occurred at a Congressional baseball practice. Republican House Whip, Steve Scalise, a lobbyist, a Congressional staffer, and two Capitol Police were shot. Shooter was very anti-Trump on his Facebook page and had volunteered for Bernie’s campaign, so I guarantee you Fox, Rush, and their ilk will politicize this.
ABC News said that, in addition to being anti-Trump, he was also anti-Hillary.
Back to the election results, it sounds like it’s going to be great news for Democrats in November.
http://bluevirginia.us/2017/06/yesterdays-primary-results-great-news-virginia-democrats-november
That man that was responsible for that shooting today had a history of domestic violence. That is a red flag we should all be taking much more seriously. One of the best predictors of future violent behavior, researchers say, is past violent behavior. And a crucial warning sign — one too often ignored — is domestic violence against intimate partners and other family members.
Those Capitol Police were heroes. If they hadn’t been there, it would have been much worse.
Here’s the picture that Paul Ryan mentioned in his speech, of the House Democrats praying for the Republicans.
http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170614090200-07-virginia-shooting-0614-exlarge-169.jpeg
Pragmatic – They’ve already started politicizing it. http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/politics/steve-scalise-shooting-political/index.html
CNN opinion article says both the left and the right have fallen into a tribal mentality.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/opinions/calm-the-rhetoric-heye/index.html