This Election and Historical Parallels

The last time the United States was actively involved in an unpopular military conflict was 1968. During that election, the issue was Vietnam and pressing Communist threat, along with significant conflict at home. Today, we're engaged in two wars that are thinly strung together under the auspices of "fighting terrorism."

By every count, war brings out the worst in humanity: In 1968, the press reported on My Lai, a brutal, inhumane and criminal act perpetrated by American soldiers on Vietnamese villagers, because the Americans believed that the villageers were harboring Viet Cong rebels. In Iraq and Afghanistan today, Abu Ghraib and Guatanimo imprison hundreds of purported "enemy combatants" without due process or the Geneva Conventions to protect their rights. Even more egregious is the policy of engaging in torture including water boarding and sensory deprivation to coerce information from the imprisoned. Some have been detained for over 4 years.

What's important about these parallels between 1968 and 2008 is the fact that the party in power found themselves in with an angry electorate and the challenging party offered change, any change. In 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat, was in office; today George W. Bush, a Republican is in office.

Interestingly, both presidents were lame ducks. Both were very unpopular with large swaths in their own party. Johnson chose not to run in 1968; Bush is constitutionally limited after his two terms.

In both elections, race is key issue. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, costing the Democratic party votes in the southern states even until now. Today, because of the Johnson's foresight and fortitude, we now have for the first time in our history, a black man running for President. Yet, after 44 years, Barack Obama, despite his strong lead in the polls and high likelihood of winning the Electoral College in 8 days will undoubtedly lose votes simply because of his skin color. We obviously have a long way to go.

1968 was the beginning of the Republican's coalescense of power that would allow them to win 8 of the last 11 elections through 2004. Reagan may the Republican party's venerated saint, but it took the Vietnam war, huge levels of dissent at home because of civil and racial unrest, and a desire to change the philosophical premise of the role of government, because of the sweeping changes brought forth by LBJ's "Great Society."

The 2008 election might well be another fundamental shift in the attitudes of Americans toward government. Undoubtedly, George W. Bush will be remembered as the poster child for presidential incompetence and recklessness, both in terms of the Iraq War and the overarching failed neo-conservative policy of "pre-emptive defense" (aka: Shoot first, ask questions later), and his feckless response the the current economic crisis. He will likely be seen as the proverbial gasoline on the fire that ignited a massive groundswell of anger and antipathy among Americans. Yet, the fire was already lit by previous administrations with policies that slowly undid the previous generations' work centered around the "New Deal" and the "Great Society" and went too far.

Arguably, 2008 offers us another parallel on a more visceral level: in 1968, America had Bobby Kennedy who inspired a whole generation of young people to believe in the lofty idealism that Americans aspire to, until his tragic death. Today, Barack Obama is my generation's Bobby. He has captured the imagination of millions that American Dream is alive and well. For many in my parent's generation, Barack Obama may well be the realism of their dreams also.

In any case, 2008 will be an historic election because of the parallels with 1968.