American Maelstrom: The 1968 Election and the Politics of Division (Pivotal Moments in World History)

American Maelstrom captures the full drama of the watershed election of 1968, establishing this year as the hinge between the decline of political liberalism, the ascendancy of conservative populism, and the rise of anti-government attitudes that continue to dominate the nation's political discourse. This sweeping and immersive book, equal parts compelling analysis and thrilling narrative, takes us to the very source of our modern politics of division.In 1965, Lyndon Johnson announced the most ambitious government agenda in decades. Three years later, everything had changed. Johnson's approval ratings had plummeted; the liberal consensus was shattered; the war in Vietnam splintered the nation; and the politics of civil rights had created a fierce white backlash. The National Committee for an Effective Congress warned of a "national nervous breakdown".The election of 1968 was immediately caught up in a swirl of powerful forces, and the nine men who sought the nation's highest office that year attempted to ride them to victory - or merely survive them. On the Democratic side, Eugene McCarthy energized the anti-war movement; George Wallace spoke to the working-class white backlash; Robert Kennedy took on the mantle of his slain brother. Entangled in Vietnam, Johnson, stunningly, opted not to run again, scrambling the odds. On the Republican side, Richard Nixon outhustled Nelson Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan, and George Romney, by navigating between the conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party. The assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Kennedy seemed to push the country to the brink of chaos, a chaos reflected in the Democratic Convention in Chicago, a televised horror show. Vice President Hubert Humphrey emerged as the nominee, and nearly overcame the lead long enjoyed by Nixon, who, by exploiting division and channeling the national yearning for order, would be the last man standing. In his presidential inaugural address of January 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson offered an uplifting vision for America, one that would end poverty and racial injustice. Elected in a landslide over the conservative Republican Barry Goldwater and bolstered by the so-called liberal consensus, economic prosperity, and a strong wave of nostalgia for his martyred predecessor, John F. Kennedy, Johnson announced the most ambitious government agenda in decades. Three years later, everything had changed. Johnson's approval ratings had plummeted; the liberal consensus was shattered; the war in Vietnam splintered the nation; and the politics of civil rights had created a fierce white backlash. A report from the National Committee for an Effective Congress warned of a'national nervous breakdown.'The election of 1968 was immediately caught up in a swirl of powerful forces, and the nine men who sought the nation's highest office that year attempted to ride them to victory-or merely survive them. On the Democratic side, Eugene McCarthy energized the anti-war movement; George Wallace spoke to the working-class white backlash; Robert Kennedy took on the mantle of his slain brother. Entangled in Vietnam, Johnson, stunningly, opted not to run again, scrambling the odds. On the Republican side, 1968 saw the vindication of Richard Nixon, who outhustled Nelson Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan, and George Romney by navigating between the conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party. The assassinations of the first Martin Luther King, Jr., and then Kennedy, seemed to push the country to the brink of chaos, a chaos reflected in the Democratic Convention in Chicago, a televised horror show. Vice President Hubert Humphrey emerged as the nominee, and, finally liberating himself from Johnson's grip, nearly overcame the lead long enjoyed by Nixon, who, by exploiting division and channeling the national yearning for order, would be the last man standing. In American Maelstrom, Michael A. Cohen captures the full drama of this watershed election, establishing 1968 as the hinge between the decline of political liberalism, the ascendancy of conservative populism, and the rise of anti-governmental attitudes that continue to dominate the nation's political discourse. In this sweeping and immersive book, equal parts compelling analysis and thrilling narrative, Cohen takes us to the very source of our modern politics of division. ContentsEditor's NoteIntroductionPART I: BeforeChapter 1: BacklashChapter 2: Losing the Middle GroundPART II: The DemocratsChapter 3. "A Quiet, Witty Man of Grey Presence" Chapter 4. The (Un)happy WarriorChapter 5: "The Most Misunderstood Man in American Politics" Chapter 6. "...Out Like A Lion" Chapter 7: "The Evangelist vs. the Philosopher" Chapter 8: "The Politics of Joy?" PART III: The RepublicansChapter 9: The CipherChapter 10: The Short-Lived George Romney BoomletChapter 11: The "Doer" and. the "Rising Star of the West" PART IV: WallaceChapter 12: The DemagoguePART V: A Tale of Two ConventionsChapter 13: A "Plastic Paradise" Chapter 14: "A City That Works"PART VI: The General ElectionChapter 15: What Goes Up Must Come Down What Goes Down Must Come UpChapter 16: The Final StormPART VII: AfterChapter 17: Post-MortemChapter 18: The Legacy of 1968AcknowledgementsBibliographic Essay Part I. Before Backlash Losing the middle ground Part II. The Democrats A quiet, witty man of grey presence The (un)happy warrior The most misunderstood man in American politics Out like a lion The evangelist vs. The philosopher The politics of joy? Part III. The Republicans The cipher The short-lived George Romney boomlet The "doer" and the "rising star of the west" Part IV. Wallace The demagogue Part V. A tale of two conventions A plastic paradise A city that works Part VI. The general election What goes up must come down; what goes down must come up The final storm Part VII. After Post-mortem The legacy of 1968. In American Maelstrom, Michael A. Cohen captures the full drama of this watershed election, establishing 1968 as the hinge between the decline of political liberalism, the ascendancy of conservative populism, and the rise of anti-governmental attitudes that continue to dominate the nation's political discourse. In this sweeping and immersive book, equal parts compelling analysis and thrilling narrative, Cohen takes us to the very source of our modern politics of division. --Amazon.com