Watching as RNC tries to freeze out Ron Paul's delegates reminds me of parallels and differences that took place in '68 at the Democratic National Convention.
Unlike '68, there will be no Pigasus to be nominated as President, seriously doubt there will be a police riot, and probably there will be no Dan Rather getting punched in the stomach on the floor of the RNC; but the dynamics of a political power machine trying to stomp on it's own elected delegates has taken place. Quietly, and with scant news coverage Romney's operatives have already tried to strike Ron Paul's delegates and the RNC stands poised to adopt new rules making challenges to party hierarchy even more difficult in 2016.
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Some similarities and differences between 1968 and today:
In '68, Eugene McCarthy launched his bid to be President upon a focal point of ending the war in Vietnam. It inspired the nation in response, both from within and outside the political power structure of the time. Democrats were already reeling from massive defections from the Southern base in response to the CRA, and Democratic political power structure was ill prepared to handle gracefully aspects of these challenges from the Left. Hosting the Convention in Richard Daley's Chicago, just was not a good idea. As well all know bedlam resulted at the 1968 Chicago Convention.
While Paul's anti-war message is certainly more muddled and loaded with libertarian concepts that make any thinking liberal cringe, that core anti-war message along with serious concerns about unbridled power of the security apparatus of government are legitimate. Many of Ron Paul's supporters tout the "anti-war" aspect as primary. One thing I will say for Ron Paul, he pulls supporters from all over the spectrum; and whether we like it or not, there is some value to being opposed to the repressive government actions taken in the name of security, no matter what political party is in control at the time. As I said, there's a lot more to the ridiculous and absolutist libertarian anti-government stances of Ron Paul which are totally antithetical to the ideals of liberalism and I offer no sympathy or support for these destructive concepts.
This is a complex and fluid situation. Similarities and differences to ' 68 abound, and the concept of a potential 'spectacle' remains in the offing. I'd be looking for corporate media coverage to perhaps highlight some of that spectacle in shallow, surfaces terms - and they will predictably spin madly to defend power brokers. Today, those Republican power brokers face more internal than external pressure in '68, and it appears they learned from the disaster of the Democratic Party experience. Rather than eject delegates on the Floor of the Convention, they are moving quietly and with little media coverage to freeze out Ron Paul's delegates. Republicans have already made moves to ensure they control as much of the narrative as possible.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/...
No doubt the GOP will try again quietly as possible to crush the appearance of disunity - it will be interesting to see what happens as a result. No one expects a serious challenge to Romney at this convention.
No one expects speakers at the RNC to call for an end to NDAA, the Patriot Act, or a general end to war - the cognitive dissonance of allowing these sentiments to be aired at a Republican National Convention would stretch their credibility to beyond any breaking point.
How gracefully the RNC accommodates [I'll wager they will try every trick in the book to suppress and silence them] Ron Paul supporters and their ideals in their process will be fascinating to watch.