Presidential Election Of 1968

Ron DeSantis Does Cruel,Despicable Political Stunt, Shipping Venezuelan Migrants To Massachusetts!

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has done a despicable political stunt, victimizing Venezuelan migrant men, women, and children, by shipping them without notice or support to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts!

These are victims of an autocratic leftist government in their homeland, fleeing for their lives, and being victimized as refugees by a cruel, uncaring governor of the third largest state in population, and reminds us of similar treatment of Jews wishing to escape Nazi Germany in the late 1930s!

Similar stunts have been done by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, sending migrants to Washington DC, New York City, and Chicago. This is all part of the right wing campaign against immigration reform, at a time when we have a major crisis of migrants at the US-Mexico border!

These three Republican Governors, with DeSantis and Abbott planning Republican Presidential campaigns in 2024, are competing for attention against so called “Sanctuary Cities”, part of their attack on immigration, spewing hatred and racism!

This is similar to Southern Democrats shipping African Americans to the North sixty years ago in opposition to civil rights actions by President John F. Kennedy!

DeSantis is getting most of the attention, and is reveling in his demagoguery, arrogance, and bullyish nature, and seeing adoring men and women smiling around him is enough to make one want to vomit, at the level of hatred, nativism, and racism being displayed without shame!

Ron DeSantis is reminding us of Alabama Governor George Wallace, who was a threat in the 1960s and early 1970s, but with DeSantis a much more clear and present danger, as he is riding a wave of authoritarianism that could make him a danger as a serious candidate for the Presidency!

This was something never really possible in regards to Wallace, although he did win five states, 46 electoral votes, and 13.5 percent of the popular vote in the Presidential Election of 1968!

The Assassination Of Robert F. Kennedy 54 Years Ago Transformed The Future Negatively

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On this day, June 5, 54 years ago, in the Presidential Election year of 1968, the nation and the world were transformed in a way that still reverberates.

New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of the slain President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Los Angeles at the Ambassador Hotel shortly after winning the California Democratic Presidential primary.

RFK was at a point where it seemed likely, although not definitively, that he might win the Democratic Presidential nomination to run against Richard Nixon.

The events of the past half century, from Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan to George H. W. Bush to Donald Trump, have been very divisive and degrading in so many ways, but they might have turned out differently if RFK had lived.

One realizes that no one can be certain about the effects of a potential RFK Presidency, but for millions of Americans then and since, the shocking events of 1968 leave a sense of lost opportunity that has affected the past half century in a negative fashion!

My book, “Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama”, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, 2015, Paperback Edition 2017, covers the tragedy of the RFK Assassination in Chapter 10!

Ron DeSantis More Dangerous Than Was George Wallace In 1960s Or Huey Long In 1930s

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has become an authoritarian, arrogant, dangerous leader of the third largest state in population in America, and it is clear that he is full steam ahead in his pursuit of the Republican Presidential nomination in 2024, even if Donald Trump ends up announcing for President.

Highly ambitious, and willing to do anything to promote his populist views against the establishment in every respect, DeSantis should be seen as much more dangerous than an earlier popullst, Alabama Governor George Wallace was in the 1960s, including when he ran on a third party American Independent party line in 1968, winning five states, 46 electoral votes, and 13.5 percent of the national popular vote.

Ron DeSantis clearly will stop at nothing in his quest for power, as he has now made victims of women, minority groups, gay and transgender people, children, and promoted banning books and interfering with educational curriculum, and even the right of Floridians to vote in a system based on democracy and representation by promoting extreme gerrymandering.

DeSantis is interfering with his own party in the legislature, reminding us of Huey Long of Louisiana in the 1930s, as dictatorial in approach as Long was, alarming many at the time and now.

DeSantis has adopted Trump tactics, including showing his signature in a “show and tell” after signing legislation or an executive order. But he is also smarter and more than thirty years younger than Trump, and he is hell bent on storming the opposition in his own party, and taking over the federal government with an extremist right wing agenda. He has declared war on common decency, compassion, empathy, and humanity, all represented by President Joe Biden.

DeSantis has no limits to his agenda to promote the return of America to its past, rather than its multi ethnic future, and the goal must be to stop him in his tracks from reaching the White House, as American Fascism would be the result!

Donald Trump More Dangerous Than Joseph McCarthy, George Wallace, Because A Former President!

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If anyone had any doubts, recent events make clear that Donald Trump is much more dangerous to American democracy and the rule of law than anyone in American history!

This includes the demagogue, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, who led the Red Scare of the 1950s.

It also includes Alabama Governor George Wallace, who won 5 states and 46 electoral votes in the Presidential Election of 1968, gaining 13 percent of the national popular vote, on a campaign premised on racism.

It also is clear that as horrible as President Richard Nixon was a half century ago, by comparison, he could be considered a “choir boy”, which has caused his reputation to rise a bit, as despite the evil he represented, actually he accomplished some positive goals in domestic and foreign policy.

Donald Trump is pure evil, and he must be stopped, and prevented from having any chance to return to power in 2025 on Inauguration Day!

Concept Of Political Coalition Against Donald Trump: Does History Tell Us It Could Work In America?

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Thomas Friedman, esteemed columnist for the NEW YORK TIMES, suggested in a recent column that the concept of a political coalition against Donald Trump might be the way to prevent him from coming back to power in the Presidential Election of 2024.

So Friedman suggests the following possible coalition tickets of a Democrat and an anti Trump Republican:

Joe Biden–Liz Cheney

Joe Biden–Lisa Murkowski

Kamala Harris–Mitt Romney

Stacy Abrams–Liz Cheney

Any Klobuchar–Liz Cheney

Friedman makes the comparison to the present coalition government in Israel, but Israel has a Prime Minister and a parliamentary system, which is totally different than our Presidential-Congress system of separation of powers.

And if one looks at past past attempts to have a Vice President who is not part of the majority party at the time, just look at John Tyler, not a Whig, under William Henry Harrison, who then had horrible time and constant turmoil after Harrison died after one month in office in 1841.

Or even better, Andrew Johnson, NOT a Republican, running with Abraham Linoln in 1864, and succeeding him after six weeks, and the horrible relationship and disaster of Johnson as President, facing impeachment and constant vitriol, much of it incited by his own prickly personality.

There was talk in 1968, of Hubert Humphrey selecting Nelson Rockefeller; of 2004, of John Kerry selecting John McCain; of 2008, of John McCain selecting Joe Lieberman. None of those would ever have been able to work out, and elect Humphrey, Kerry, or McCain.

Also, in the run up to 2020, some thought of a John Kasich-John Hickenlooper unity ticket, as an alternative to Donald Trump, and it never got off the ground!

And really, Liz Cheney, with strong right wing views on every topic except the danger of Donald Trump, paring with Biden? That is NOT serious, and Stacy Abrams or Amy Klobuchar paring with Cheney, so two women on the ticket, really?

And Mitt Romney running with Harris, really, with his strong criticism of Biden policies, and unwillingness to even back voting rights legislation?

The only one of these pairings that sounds at all logical, but really is not so, is Biden with Lisa Murkowski, the most acceptable Republican in national office, but how would Biden convince Harris why he has to “dump” her as Vice President?

Sad 44th Anniversary Of The Passing Of Hubert Humphrey, My Original Political Hero!

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On this day, January 13, 1978, 44 years ago, my original political hero, Senator, Vice President, and Presidential nominee Hubert H. Humphrey passed away from cancer at the young age of 66.

When I was young, Humphrey became my political hero, with his strong liberal championship of views on civil rights, and introducing many ideas that became part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society in the mid 1960s.

Not well utliized by Johnson, Humphrey became the nominee of the Democratic Party for the Presidency in 1968, a divided party that had elements rallying around Senator Robert F. Kennedy before his tragic assassination, and also those who backed fellow Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy.

In a three way Presidential race, Humphrey would fall short, losing to Richard Nixon, and with George Wallace being a strong third party candidate.

Humphrey, who had been Mayor of Minneapolis, and then a US Senator from 1949-1965, returned to the Senate in 1971, replacing the retiring Senator McCarthy, and competed unsuccessfully for the Presidential nomination in 1972, and remained a major figure until his untimely death in 1978.

This author and blogger literally wept when Humphrey died, as I was drawn to his humanity, empathy, decency, and compassion.

And once he passed away, I looked around the US Senate for a successor leader I could believe in, and found the young Delaware Senator Joe Biden, still in his first term at age 35.

I feel fortunate that although there were many barriers to Joe Biden’s advancement to the Presidency, that after serving in the Senate for 36 years, and as Vice President under Barack Obama for eight years, that four years later, on his third try for the Oval Office, Biden finally won, and saved the nation from the menace of Donald Trump.

Neither Humphrey nor Biden were or are perfect, no such situation exists, but the two men shared characteristics that caused me to fall in love with them as political leaders.

I am sure that Humphrey would be very proud of Joe Biden, and the two men stand out as uncommonly models of leadership!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Besmirches The Name Of His Father And The Kennedy Family As An Antivaxxer!

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the namesake of his father, former Attorney General and New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was tragically assassinated in June 1968 while seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination, has besmirched the name and legacy of his father and the entire Kennedy family!

The younger Kennedy has become the most prominent anti vaxxer, promoting false and misleading statements about the COVID 19 Pandemic, and therefore has blood on his hands, as his name carries undeserved weight!

He had been an environmental lawyer and author of two best selling books, but has manipulated his prominence as he argues against all vaccines, claiming they cause autism, with absolutely no scientific basis to his assertions.

His advocacy of conspiracy theories has undermined the good works and beliefs that any liberal or progressive would be proud of, and it is sad, and troubling, that he has allowed himself to become a villain in a time of national crisis!

Presidential Losers Who Ran Again, And Donald Trump!

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It has been reported that a former Trump advisor is planning to convince Donald Trump NOT to run again in 2024.

According to the report, this person has, or will tell Trump, that he would not wish to be a two time loser for the Presidency, amidst the belief that Trump’s ego could not handle that idea.

Former two time Democratic Presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson (1952, 1956) is mentioned as the example of the most recent two time nominee who lost twice for the White House.

One would think that this advisor would have more knowledge than just mentioning Stevenson, as five other Presidential candidates lost either twice or three times.

These include Republican Thomas E. Dewey (1944, 1948); Democrat William Jennings Bryan (1896, 1900, 1908); and Whig Henry Clay (1824, 1832, 1844), along with Democrat Martin Van Buren (elected in 1836 but losing in 1840, and 1848 (Free Soil Party), and Federalist Charles C. Pinckney (1804, 1808).

All six of these two or three time losers had real credentials and validity, unlike Donald Trump, who will go down as the worst or near worst President in American history!

But also, Andrew Jackson lost the Presidency in 1824, but won in 1828 and 1832, and William Henry Harrison lost in 1836 but won in 1840.

Also, there is the example of Richard Nixon, who lost in 1960, but came back successfully in 1968 and 1972.

And finally, there is Grover Cleveland, elected in 1884, but losing reelection in the Electoral College in 1888, and yet coming back to a second nonconsecutive term in the White House in 1892!

Birthday Of Joe Biden And Robert F. Kennedy November 20, And The Issue Of Age!

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Yesterday, November 20, was the 79th Birthday of President Joe Biden, our oldest President in office.

It was also the birthday of Robert F. Kennedy, who Biden perceives as a hero, with Biden having a bust of RFK always in every photo on his left side when Biden is at his desk in the Oval Office.

Biden is working so hard to accomplish the greatest social change legislation in the past 55 years since Lyndon B. Johnson accomplished the massive reforms of the Great Society in the mid 1960s, something RFK wished to build on if he had lived and become President in the Presidential Election of 1968.

The issue of age constantly is brought up as Joe Biden will be 82 years old weeks after the Presidential Election of 2024.

Biden certainly has aged since he was Vice President under Barack Obama, but he is still capable and alert, although his annual physical shows his gait has slowed a bit.

But when one compares Biden to Donald Trump or Ronald Reagan at the end of their terms, and even Trump now a year later, Biden is far more mentally capable than either of them.

And the idea that Donald Trump at age 78 and a half at the time of inauguration three years hence would magically be much more mentally and physically capable than Joe Biden, when already it is clear that Trump is a danger with his reckless rhetoric, and promotion of hate, sedition and treason, makes one have to wonder about the mental stability of Donald Trump followers, who see him as a God like figure!

Joe Biden might decide one term is enough, considering his age, and that would be perfectly understandable, as only one third of our Presidents have served two terms.

Joe Biden is a transformative figure in the Presidency, who is having an historical impact, and this is just his first year in office!

A new generation can follow him and continue the good works, and common decency, that would make Robert F. Kennedy proud, if he was alive, on his 96th birthday!

The Assassination Of Robert F. Kennedy 53 Years Ago Transformed The Future Of America!

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The world changed on June 5, 1968, 53 years ago, when Democratic Presidential contender, Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York, was assassinated in Los Angeles.

This author has written about that tragic event in his 2015 book, 2017 in paperback—ASSASSINATIONS, THREATS, AND THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY: FROM ANDREW JACKSON TO BARACK OBAMA (Rowman Littlefield Publishers).

While there was no certainty that RFK would have been the Democratic Party nominee in 1968, or that he would have been able to defeat Richard Nixon, many observers believe his death was a turning point that transformed the future of America!

RFK had been able to put together a coalition of working class whites, as well as African Americans and Hispanic Americans, and he was inspiring many young people to engage in the campaign, including those opposed to the war in Vietnam under Lyndon B. Johnson.

While no winner of the Presidency could, in reality, be expected to accomplish all the goals that had been set, there was great optimism and hope that RFK would have been a transformative President.

Instead, the right wing of the Republican Party won out under Richard Nixon, who appealed also to many George Wallace supporters, and Hubert Humphrey, despite his wonderful record of commitment, was lost in the anti war movement opposition to LBJ.

The next fifty years would be dominated by conservatives who wanted to push the nation backward, and the battle for Democrats has been to overcome their impact, and the battle is presently engaged under Joe Biden, at a very difficult time with Donald Trump promoting the “Big Lie”, that he won the election.

So America is in crisis, and Biden, having the same birthday as RFK, but 17 years later birth, is trying to bring about what RFK was promoting a half century ago!