Well, Hillary might be able to win a general election should we have a replay of the Great Depression get underway in 2008, ha-ha.
Don't bet on it with the corporate press and GOoP Noise Machine, however. The GOoP lacked those "assets" in 1932. America's press was non-concentrated and more independent in 1932. And our Democracy still apparently functioned.
Further, FDR entered the convention with more than 3 times the delegates of his nearest challenger---we won't be in that situation if things continue the way they are. Far from it.
There's no good precedent for what's about to happen to the Dems that I'm aware of. And the 1932 convention certainly isn't a good model for 2008.
But history is always interesting---note that Hoover still retained a shitload of "conservative" peabrains in the 1932 election: 16 million out of almost 39 million votes. Plenty of brain-dead conservatives, then as now. Stay the Course!
Posted by euzoius at March 9, 2008 11:32 AMi've never heard this little bit of history before.
and very interesting to read in its own right.
Posted by orionATL at March 9, 2008 04:30 PM60-36, now that's a majority I could live with!
Economic Times aren't all that great now, are they? What happens if Citi-whatever goes bankrupt?
What if the idiot son of a not very smart man starts lobbing bombs at Tehran?
What happens if China calls in some of their markers?
People won't like it for sure.
Posted by Duckman GR at March 9, 2008 04:31 PMFDR was actually a conservative for his time but people like Huey Long and Upton Sinclair pushed him to be more 'socialist'. Don't blame Hoover, he proposed most of FDR's agenda such as public works jobs etc. But a racist Democratic party helped scuttle any progressive instincts in the Republicans and the bad conditions that couldn't be ameliorated by any philosophy of govt. of the time propelled FDR to the white house. He resisted change but had to do something and his able advisors saved capitalism from itself with the WPA and other pump priming efforts as skimpy as they were.
People forget that Carter started the deregulation rage that Reagan only continued as well as funding that Afghan 'freedom fighter' movement that later bit us in the ass on 9/11.
Partisanship blinds us. Read this for a palliative for ignorance Both Democrats and Republicans have been waging a war upon labor for the last 40 years.
Posted by at March 10, 2008 12:42 AM