The 1968 Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention takes place this week in Chicago, and it appears it will be chaotic.

A few days ago, anti-Israeli protesters clashed with the NYPD following a rally for Kamala Harris. And apparently anti-Israeli protesters will be in Chicago for the DNC, as will Antifa (and possibly other radical groups). Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood announced it will be at the DNC to provide abortions and vasectomies.

With these protesters planning to show up for the DNC in Chicago, and Old Joe Biden announcing that he is not seeking re-election, it seems that history could be repeating itself, i.e. the 2024 DNC might end up like the 1968 DNC.

1968 was a terrible year in American history. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, as was Robert Kennedy (who was running for President that year).
Anti-war protests were taking place across the nation, as were race riots. And
Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not seek re-election.

With LBJ pulling out of the race and the assassination of RFK, the Democratic field was down to two candidates- Eugene McCarthy and Hubert H. Humphrey. And
thus the stage was set for the DNC in Chicago.

McCarthy was an anti-war candidate, supported by the radicals as well as those who actually wanted a more aggressive pursuit of the Vietnam War. Humphrey was supported by the Democratic Party bosses.

Since the radicals didn’t have enough delegates to nominate McCarthy, they chose to carry out a series of protests in the streets of Chicago. Such radicals included the Black Panthers, Maoist groups, the Yippies, and the New York Motherf***ers (whom one radical described as “the dirtiest, skuzziest, and loudest group of people I ever laid eyes on.”

Such protests were coordinated by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), whose plan was to provoke the police by means of having female protesters up to the front of their lines (possibly acting as human shields). Behind them were other protesters who threw rocks, bricks, pieces of concrete, and water balloons filled with human waste at the police.

Needless to say, the protest turned into a riot, with many arrests taking place, including seven of the ringleaders. Known as the Chicago Seven, they consisted of Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, John Froines, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Lee Weiner.

It should be noted that Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers was also one of the ringleaders, and that the group was originally referred to as the Chicago Eight. However, Seale was tried separately, and therefore the group became known as the Chicago Seven.

At any rate, some of them used the trial as a chance to make a mockery of the legal process (during which they hurled profanity at the judge). As a result, they became heroes among the left, who in turn saw them as being persecuted by a corrupt system. In the end, the Chicago Seven were acquitted on the charge of conspiracy, and convicted on the other charges (which were overturned on the ridiculous grounds that the judge prohibited the defense attorney from questioning potential jurors about cultural bias). Meanwhile, the case against Seale (who also made a mockery of the legal process) resulted in a mistrial.

Humphrey became the Democrat nominee, but eventually lost to Richard Nixon in
the general election.

Why was Nixon elected? The Silent Majority was a key factor. Those who made up such a majority wanted strong leadership, as well as craving law and order. They were also tired of the counterculture.

With Biden not seeking re-election (just like LBJ did), protests planned at the DNC in Chicago (just like the 1968 DNC), weak leadership in the White House (or in today’s case, no leadership), RFK Jr. being in the race, and all of the other issues Americans face, Trump could wind up returning the White House.

Thus, history might repeat itself.