Hillary and the Ghost of LBJ

American Spectator ^ | November 27, 2007 | Jeffrey Lord

[oldtimer2]

Lyndon Baines Johnson.

He was a well-documented force of nature. The champion of the Democrats' century-delayed acceptance of Civil Rights, he was the FDR-disciple who created Medicare and the vast government expanse known as the Great Society.

But LBJ was also something else. He was at the heart of the fatal divide over the internationalist, strong-national defense policies of Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Johnson's predecessor, the man he served as vice president, John F. Kennedy.

(snip)

The once-dominant party of his youth blew apart in a furious battle for the party's soul, finally savaging itself in an orgy of violence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

(snip)

THE HAUNTING DILEMMA of LBJ's ghost pervades the party he once dominated -- and then lost. It is sighted in all those Iowa polls showing surges for Obama and Edwards at Clinton's expense.

(snip)

But the struggle for the soul of America's oldest political party will continue. The fight that erupted over Lyndon Johnson's view of the world will be refought all over again. And whether she wins or loses, Hillary Clinton is already well on her way to sharing LBJ's distinctly unhappy political fate. Whether she knows it or not, whether she understands it or not, Hillary Clinton is being haunted by LBJ's ghost. And so is her party.

[oldtimer2]

Exerpting an article like this is almost impossible. Jeffery Lord is predicting that this year will have a replay the bitter fights from 1968, 1972, and 1980. He says that Americans will not elect an appeaser and Hillary almost certainly will have to appear to turn left to win the nomination.

If she does that and then wins the election, we will see a replay of LBJ's term if she refuses to go soft enough to please Move-on and other leftists, Riots in the streets, etc.

Read it and make up your own mind, Personally, I think he is probably right.

[Red Badger]

The nation is so evenly split on so many issues of the day, some catharsis is in order. She may be the poison pill that cures the ill................

[fieldmarshaldj]

Let’s hope we don’t have to go that far.

[ClearCase_guy]

The constant references to the "haunting ghost of LBJ" reminds me of Karl Marx: "A spectre is haunting Europe -- the spectre of communism.” But I’m sure that’s a mere coincidence.

As I read this, I think Hillary is being given the advice to mimic to Democrat who lost in 1968, the Democrat who lost in 1972, and the Democrat who lost in 1980. If she can follow in their footsteps, her success is assured.

Leftists don’t have their head on straight.

[se_ohio_young_conservative]

I have been saying this for a long time. The Democratic party is divided. The moveon.org rodents want to run the show. Wait and see what happens when they meet resistance to their agenda from their own side.

[iopscusa]

I agree this is the make or break election for the Commie Wing of the D-rat Party as well as the Clintonistas. They have no one to blame but themselves and IMO the party of defeat at all cost will meet it’s righteous demise soon enough! Thank God and pass the ammo, it is going to be a hot time in CO, fer shure!

[Just mythoughts]

The difference I see in Hillry and LBJ is that LBJ did not care who knew about his arm twisting. Hillry is not that brave, she does what she does behind some man. As far as I am concerned the day she entered the Senate she was running that place from some deep dark walled dungeon.

[Don Corleone]

The nation is so evenly split on so many issues of the day

This may be the biggest falsehood of the whole election period. The Pols and the MSM are perpetuating the "split" for their own perceived advantages. In reality Americans are Americans with American values and a politician who expresses them can be the winner. Ala Reagan.

[Verginius Rufus]

"It is sighted in all those Iowa polls..."

Ghosts are invisible. I think it should have read cited.