Robert Kennedy-Eugene McCarthy debate excerpt, California Primary, 1968

[MinM]

Michael Beschloss ‏@BeschlossDC

Video: Robert Kennedy-Eugene McCarthy debate excerpt, California Primary, tomorrow 1968 (4 mins.):

Of course RFK won that Primary 48 years ago today .. We also know that the then presumptive Democratic candidate and most likely the next President of the United States (succeeding his good buddy LBJ ).

RFK was shot and killed that very same night.

[Tal Vez]

1. I remember that campaign well.

And, I remember how Senator McCarthy was the first to enter the race by boldly campaigning against the Vietnam War and, more specifically, against President Johnson, the Democratic president who was expected to run again. McCarthy's early primary success in New Hampshire made it clear that Johnson was in trouble. When the sitting president dropped out of the race, Kennedy saw an opportunity that didn't exist before and declared his own candidacy.

Many of the supporters of McCarthy resented the Kennedy candidacy. They believed that by knocking the president out of the race, McCarthy deserved the opportunity to be nominated. In addition, the believe that their candidate (McCarthy) was more trustworthy than Kennedy on the Viet Nam issue because Kennedy had played such a prominent role in his brother's administration and because Kennedy had declined to enter the race when asked to do so by opponents of the war. In fact, Kennedy's early refusal to enter the race is what prompted McCarthy to enter the race.

So, the supporters of McCarthy stuck with their candidate. Just before the California primary, McCarthy had won the Oregon primary. In my own opinion, the campaign itself produced some interesting psychological effects. Members on ach side of the Kennedy v. McCarthy competition exaggerated to themselves the differences between the candidates. Looking back now, it looks like a race between two progressive Democratic senators whose similarities vastly outweighed any differences. But, just the process of the competition caused them to feel at that time that there were huge differences between the candidates and, for many folks, only their candidate was really acceptable, or even tolerable.

I see the same thing going on in the current Democratic primary. There are some differences between what Sanders and Clinton are saying (and some differences in what they did in the past), but those differences are being grossly exaggerated by many of the supporters of both candidates. And, they believe every bit of it.

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. But the McCarthy camp was correct: RFK HAD been asked by the antiwar movement to run...

... and refused.

Wasn't "smart" to challenge a sitting president... even if he couldn't STAND him. Even if the war WAS immoral and unnecessary.

When LBJ nearly lost to the relatively obscure McCarthy in NH... and polling told his staff that LBJ was in for a shellacking one week later at the hands of McC in Wisconsin.... LBJ.... errrhhh..... "retired". RFK saw his "chance". Doesn't exactly reflect well upon him, relative to McCarthy.

There were lots of relevant things you didn't mention in your otherwise excellent analysis: Kennedy's ties to JOE McCarthy, collaboration w. JE Hoover over wiretaps for MLK, the general RW Cold War-mentality of the Kennedy family, INCLUDING RFK; collaboration w. local RW DEM machine DINO's like Daley, and the rest.

Gene McCarthy is actually the unsung visionary of that period; but, like Henry Wallace before him, he's been



HIDDEN FROM HISTORY.

[lovemydog]

7. Here's a 30 minute documentary about Gene McCarthy

I'm fascinated by this time period and the '68 & '72 democratic conventions. I try and read and watch as much as I can about it. There's also excellent documentaries on Shirley Chisholm, George McGovern, Angela Davis, most of which are available on youtube or netflix or amazon prime.

Thanks for the interesting discussion.

[lovemydog]

6. Very illuminating.

I see this today as well.

[L. Coyote]

2. I departed Kennedy state campaign HQ after we talked to DC HQ. We knew we would be in the WH in Jan

I left at the end of the speech, awoke to my loud radio alarm on the hpour with "Senator Kennedy is dead."

RFK died on June 6, 48 years ago tomorrow, was assassinated late in the day on the 5th of June.

[raging moderate]

3. Yes, I think Robert Kennedy WOULD have been the next President.

He had won the vote of my mother, a poor woman descended from the very first Republicans who were Abolitionists and really pretty liberal for their day.

I was a McCarthy kid, not yet able to vote but very active in his campaign, on a low level of course. I was happy, thinking, well, at least, Robert Kennedy will be a good President.

I sat up all night that awful night after RFK was shot, consoling my roommate, who had been HIS staunch supporter and active worker. We had remained friendly through the primaries and were ready to work together during the general election.

So many things ended then. That was right after Martin Luther King was assassinated. I remember RFK's speech about him. Both were magnificent, and losing them both was catastrophic for the liberals and progressives of that time.

[ucrdem]

4. Sad anniversary.

RFK comes across as a gentle giant who politely agrees with Senator M that Senator M distorted his record. They make a good pair.

[lovemydog]

8. Thanks.

I'd love to see more of that discussion if there's more of it available. Fascinating period of American history. I view history to learn more about that time and also because it provides glimpses into what's going on now, perhaps even better at times than getting too caught up in daily gossip.

[stuffmatters]

9. Sadly and selfishly, Hillary denied California the history of a Clinton-Sanders debate

[EndElectoral]

10. And the Establishment guy Hubert Humphrey ended up running and losing.

[MinM]

11. Humphrey basically backed Nixon in '72

Good point about Hubert H. Humphrey being the establishment candidate. It goes a long way to explain this congratulatory phone call he made to Nixon on November 8, 1972 in which they take turns kicking McGovern while he was down...

[MinM]

12. Eugene McCarthy endorsed Ronald Reagan in 1980

Last edited Fri Jun 10, 2016, 10:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Eugene McCarthy, the anti-war anti-establishment candidate, endorsed Ronald Reagan in 1980.

[MinM]

13. Peter Paul & Mary get 'Clean for Gene'

‏@BeschlossDC May 21

Peter Paul & Mary wrote & performed this 1968 campaign song for Eugene McCarthy—includes dig at Robert Kennedy: