HRC as HHH

[digidigido]

I've been rereading Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 72 and there are some interesting parallels. The McCarthy and McGovern campaigns offered
new politics, an invitation to a new generation to get interested in politics as a vehicle for change and equality. There was that bastard Nixon, and we
have that bastard Bush, who may be the only politican that ever made me miss Nixon. McCain is following Bush's policies and is essentially campaigning
as the next Bush, but nice and straight talking.
There is Barack Obama, who represents what McCarthy, McGovern and Bobby Kennedy brought back then, bringing excitement, the hope of change
inclusion and the possibility of enticing a new generation into the belief that the system can be a profound instrument for change, and asks us to believe
all that's good about ourselves and our country, and to strive to be that.
Then there is Hillary, who sort of reminds me of Hubert H. Humphrey. He'd been VP, the candidate in 68 who thought he could do it again in 72.
Well, Hunter Thompson states it beautifully when describing a significant failure of McGovern and his campaign. McGovern did blow it himself, there is no question
of that, but he also was blindsided By the "Humphrey/Meany Axis" and I quote
"So the minor flaws didn't matter a hell of a lot. It was the Big One, the Humphrey Sidewinder- that blew the spine out of McGovern's campaign strategy. The one
thing that never occurred to Hart or Frank Mankiewicz (his campaign mgr.s) or to me either, for that matter, despite my rancid contempt for the Humphrey / Meany
Axis and everything it stood for - was the ominous possibility that those evil bastards would refuse to close ranks behind McGovern once he had the nomination.
It was almost inconceivable that they would be so bitter in defeat that they would tacitly deliver their own supporters to a conservative Republican, instead of at least
trying to rally them around the candidate of their own party
Now Hillary hasn't done that yet, but she's walking a very fine line, and if she keeps walking it, whether by design, or just lust for power, she will effectively
do the same thing, and we will have the democratic Party once again snatching defeat from the Jaws of Victory

[Rick Myers]

1. Excellent analysis!!!

Welcome to DU! That's an excellent book, and I'm going to dig it our and read it again!!!


:kick:

[Alexander]

2. I believe Thompson called HHH a"shallow, contemptible and hopelessly dishonest old hack"

I remember reading that book. The gist of Thompson's tirade was that wherever Humphrey was, he'd tell his audience what he thought they wanted to hear instead of taking a stand on anything.

The 1968 convention turned into riots partially because Humphrey, who didn't win a single primary, was nominated over people like Gene McCarthy and George McGovern (taking the place of the recently shot RFK).

Hmm, sounds familiar.

[TexasLady]

3. Shows you where MY mind was..

I thought you were speaking of Triple H, the wrestler...My DH and kids watched it a lot for a while.

oops.

Anyways, I always learn an awful lot here. so thanks for sharing this.

[JustinL]

5. me too!

The thread title brought me back to college, where a few of my dormmates watched WWF nonstop. This was during the D-Generation X/"crotch chop" era.



(Triple H shows his disdain for a vanquished foe)

[loyalsister]

4. That was the year Shirley Chisholm ran

She released her delegates and asked them to vote for McGovern.
"Unbought and Unbossed" shows some good behind the scenes footage of that convention.