July 25, 2016 (Monday)
Last Monday’s blog was entitled, “The Republican National Convention,” and today’s blog is entitled, “The Democratic National Convention.”
After the Civil War, a phenomenon developed known as “The Solid South,” which became a phrase recognized immediately by everyone in our country. It meant that the Southern states voted Democratic. The word, “Republican,” was an ugly word in the South. This was true in the presidential campaign of 1952, when Dwight Eisenhower was the Republican candidate and Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic candidate. I have campaign buttons for each of them, and I actually saw each of them in person during the campaign. Eisenhower’s plane landed at Waco and he made a brief appearance on the tarmac before taking off again. I drove out to see him. Wanda and I went to the state fair in Dallas that year where we saw and heard Stevenson. I also have a campaign button for Pogo, a cartoon character. I’m a little surprised that the Pogo button has not reappeared this year.
The Democrats lost in 1952 to Eisenhower, but they won in 1960 with JFK and in 1964 with LBJ. The Republicans won in 1968 with Nixon, whose term was completed by Gerald Ford, but lost to the Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976. Republican Ronald Reagan won in 1980 and his Vice President, George H.W. Bush, won in 1988. Democrat Bill Clinton defeated him in 1992, but his son, Republican George W. Bush, was elected in 2000. After that, Democrat Barack Obama was elected in 2008. This year the Democratic candidate is Hillary Clinton, who will face Republican Donald Trump.
Demographic changes and culture migration, along with changes in party platforms have turned the South into Republican territory where “Democrat” is an ugly word. At least that’s the case in Texas. The party preference has been reversed.
Just as the Television screen was filled with the Republican convention last week, so the TV will be full of the Democratic convention this week.
When this week ends, it is probably safe to say that you will be planning to vote the way you would vote if the election were held today. The speeches, etc. will not change your mind or anyone else’s. Both conventions, however, give us all a good show. Both conventions remind us of our precious freedoms as Americans.