1980 All Over Again

Many people have been making the comparison between this year's Presidential election and what happened in 1968. Personally I think 1980 is the better comparison.

In 1980 the Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan, a conservative from the west whose biggest knock was his age. Reagan had the contest for the Republican nomination locked up well in advance of the Republican convention and was thus able to start campaigning for the general election with a united Republican front. This year John McClain, a Republican from the west whose biggest knock is his age, has things all wrapped up in plenty of time to start campaigning for November.

In 1980 for the Democrats, even though Jimmy Carter was a sitting President, there was a bitter nomination process with Teddy Kennedy making his last hurrah attempt at the Presidency. The contest went right down to the wire with Kennedy famously making perhaps his best speech in defeat at the Democratic Convention. Jimmy Carter still contends that it was the damage done by Kennedy that cost him the election.

No matter if its Hillary or Obama who is nominated for the Democrats this year - if they go down to defeat in November you can be sure they will blame the other just like Carter still blames Kennedy.