Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs
I think you are ignoring the cultural impact of the political protests of the sixties, especially those at Chicago in 1968. Those caused a sense that public order was breaking down that inspired real alarm.
|
That got Nixon elected by a razor thin margin. Nixon's 1972 landslide was the combined resault of the Left botching the Democratic convention out of spite and McGovern ditching the Unions. McGovern was a socially Liberal technocrat with no respect for working people and little skill at hiding it. Carter won because of A) Ford's pardon of Nixon cost him most people's trust and respect, and B) economic conditions, that he had no control over, made him look incompetent.
Carter got slammed by the same economic transition that squashed Ford. Add to that the fact Carter was a McGovernite social liberal with no real interest in working people until after he left office, and his defeat was certain.
Reagan had both luck and a charisma which never worked on me. He seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel. At least to most people. I was never a fan.
Still, Kennedy, if Mary Joe had lived, might have beaten Reagan. Space Exploration lacked a champion in the Oval Office from LBJ onward. Kennedy could have made orbital solar a glorious vision of the cuture. The big silly idea to bring people together.