1968 and the 2016 Presidential Contest
(Legere) “We have not witnessed this level of hatred, violence and dysfunction in a Presidential electoral contest in a long time. 1968, was a violent one, which included the assassinations of both Dr. Martin Luther King and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.”
’68 Political Realignment
Most political scholars agree that the 1968 elections were historically important because it resulted in a realignment of American political philosophy away from the New Deal architecture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933. The American public had other, more important things on their minds.
Silencing of Rights Activists.
1968 was the first election since the passing of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965, which had led to mass enfranchisement of racial minorities throughout the country, especially in the South.
On April 4th 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. This resulted in predictable racial unrest. Riots broke out in more than 100 cities nationwide. A few weeks later on June 5, 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, also a rights activist, was gunned down during a victory speech held in the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California.
Silencing the Anti War Movement
The Democratic Party Convention was held in Chicago from August 26 to August 29, 1968. It would also be the gathering place for several interest groups. The National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam and the Youth International Party (Yippies) had already begun planning a youth festival in Chicago to coincide with the Democratic National Convention. Students For a Democratic Society also would make their presence known.
Chicago’s mayor Richard J. Daley had arranged for 23,000 Police and Illinois National Guardsmen to keep approximately 10,000 protesters under a watchful eye. What began as a peaceful demonstration erupted into chaos August 28 when one student unwittingly became the “flash point” for what is historically known as the “Chicago Police Riot”
“In the afternoon on November 28th, a student took down an American flag which caused an unanticipated response from the riot police. They moved in through the crowd and started to beat him. Students began to hurl whatever they could and the police riot was on. Live on TV for all to see.”
“Americans were shocked to see Chicago police brutally beating anti-war protesters in the streets of Chicago in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel. While the protesters chanted “the whole world is watching“, the police used clubs and tear gas to beat back or arrest the protesters, leaving many of them bloody and dazed. More
Inside the Convention Hall network news reporters Mike Wallace, Dan Rather and Edwin Newman were roughed up by the Chicago police.
Dan Rather speaking to Walter Cronkite. “Walter… we tried to talk to the man and we got violently pushed out of the way. This is the kind of thing that has been going on outside the hall, this is the first time we’ve had it happen inside the hall. We… I’m sorry to be out of breath, but somebody belted me in the stomach during that. What happened is a Georgia delegate, at least he had a Georgia delegate sign on, was being hauled out of the hall. We tried to talk to him to see why, who he was, what the situation was, and at that instant the security people, well as you can see, put me on the deck. I didn’t do very well.” Cronkite then replied by saying, “I think we’ve got a bunch of thugs here, Dan.” More
The protesters along with the majority of those attending the Democratic Convention were convinced that their cause would prevail. 80 percent of the primary voters had been for anti-war candidates. They believed they had won the peace.
Defeating Peace and Maintaining the Status Quo
Incredibly the delegates defeated the peace platform by nominating Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey who by the way did not run during the primaries, and Senator Edmund S. Muskie of Maine for President and Vice President.
Many believe that President Lyndon Johnson along with Richard J. Daley were pulling the strings behind the scenes. Daley led a group of powerful big city party brokers, that had controlled the Democratic Party since the days of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This group of power brokers were fearing the loss of their control over the party. Defeating the majority was imperative in order to keep the status quo.
Fast Forward to 2016
Well for those who were not around or who were asleep during the 1968 Presidential elections welcome to 2016. Like 1968, there are a number of similarities. There is a ground swell of frustrated and angry people. The voter is financially stressed, overworked and underemployed. They want the truth. They want things to change. Afterall the country is still wrestling with racism, they have been at war for 60 years, and they are absolutely horrified of the “Muslim terrorist” threat. So nothing has really changed since 1968.
Trump: The Lightning Rod of America’s Discontent
Donald Trump – Bigot, zealot, xenophobe, racist, hitler-ite? Or Donald Trump – cunning strategist who knows Americans better than the “leave us alone up here on our Hill” career politicians and their lackey liberal media partners? Zerohedge.
Trump is a master of gamesmanship. He knows which buttons need to be pushed to get a response. He is putting it all out there, unfiltered and forceful for everyone to see.
The Neutering of the Billionaire Class
Trump is financing his own campaign for president he wants to hold all the cards. He is rich and cannot be bought. He has presented himself as the incorruptible anti-establishment candidate and says he is ready to pass legislation that is good for American workers. Trump blames NAFTA and the recently negotiated TPP for the continuing downfall of America and he is arguably right. He wants to put a stop to the outsourcing and bring the jobs home.
He understands the undue influence and corrupt relationships corporations have with the American Government. Yes we all get to vote, but do our votes count? Citizens United, the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision allows unlimited corporate and union spending on political issues and that is a problem.
“This isn’t just a theoretical problem, because evidence suggests both government-corporate relations appear corrupt to the electorate, and those relations are in fact corrupt.” Reclaim Democracy
Uncovering Truths
Trump is anti-war and anti-establishment. His assertions that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was an enormous mistake facilitated by the George W. Bush administration’s misleading of the American people, Trump indirectly referred to 28 classified pages said to link the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the 9/11 attacks.
“It wasn’t the Iraqis that knocked down the World Trade Center. We went after Iraq, we decimated the country, Iran’s taking over…but it wasn’t the Iraqis, you will find out who really knocked down the World Trade Center, because they have papers in there that are very secret, you may find it’s the Saudis, okay? But you will find out,” Trump said at a campaign event in Bluffton, South Carolina. 28pages.org
In other words he will declassify the entire 9/11 report for everyone to see. Now that would be particularly worrying to the powers that be. Especially those in the Republican Party involved in the planning of the 9/11 event and the coverup.
Immigration of Muslims
In the wake of the deadliest terrorist attack America has seen since 9/11, Trump took his most aggressively anti-Muslim stance so far by calling for Muslims to be barred from entry into the United States. Though the United States has millions of Muslims, anti-Muslim sentiment has become increasingly common in public discourse.
Trumps poll results improved by 8% after he made his “Muslim” statements and his lead over the other candidates jumped to 20%. So I am guessing that Trump is simply saying outloud what every American is thinking.
The Wall
Illegal immigration has been an issue for decades in America. The southern border with Mexico is problematic. Trumps position is to return the illegals and build a wall. Trump ensures us all it will be “a big beautiful, wall.”
“Trump told NBC’s Chuck Todd that if he were elected in 2016, Obama’s executive order would be immediately rescinded. In an exclusive interview given aboard Trump’s private 757, the GOP frontrunner also told Todd that he would deport all illegal immigrants. “They have to go,” he insisted.” ZeroHedge
This is causing a great deal of stress for many immigrant families and has also raised the ire of a good portion of the American public.
The Violence, Protests and the Anti-Trump Movement
Trump is simply being Donald Trump. And whenever he opens his mouth he tends to piss someone off. This has resulted in a level of campaign violence not really seen since 1968. Trump blames Sanders (Democratic Candidate) for instigating things. However, my money is on the elite. They are in a panic.
Like the Democrats in 1968. The Republican party is fractured, unorganized and in a state of chaos. The party bosses and big money corporations who control the Republican party are sensing change and are fearing a loss of control. And like the Democrats in ’68 they will likely pull the rug out from under Trump win or lose at July’s GOP National Convention in Cleveland.
Image courtesy of Huffington Post
