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4» THE LIBERA L ABANDONMEN T OF POLITIC S As Lyndon Johnson's presidency drew to a close, the Democrats' moral leverage o n th e natio n wa s slipping . Th e violen t clashe s a t th e Democratic National Conventio n i n Chicago in 196 8 symbolize d grow ing division s ove r Vietnam , th e emergin g cultura l war s betwee n tradi tional and new values, and the liberals' efforts t o reform th e Democrati c party. After Richar d Nixon defeated Huber t Humphrey in the November elections, liberal s focuse d o n takin g ove r th e Democrati c party . Thei r short-lived triumph culminate d i n the nomination o f George McGover n as their presidential candidate in 1972 and accelerated the Democrats' loss of credibility with American voters . THE ROOT S OF REFORM AT THE STAT E LEVEL In sprin g 1968 , I becam e th e deput y manage r o f Senato r Rober t Kennedy's "noncampaign " i n Ne w Jersey' s presidentia l primary . (Thi s grand titl e meant tha t I did grun t wor k fo r Kennedy' s onl y New Jerse y visit, a boisterou s rall y i n Camden. ) Kenned y ha d bypasse d th e Ne w Jersey primary and had instead put all his efforts int o California—a win ner -take-all event involving 17 4 convention delegate s held the same day as the New Jersey primary, which selected 8 2 delegates. 73 74 WRONG FO R ALL THE RIGHT REASONS Kennedy decided that New Jersey was not essential, and the feelin g was mutual. New Jersey's Democratic party was run by "regulars " wh o cared muc h mor e abou t winnin g count y election s tha n opposin g a Democratic president on anything as remote as Vietnam. Control of county governmen t mean t jobs , contributions , contracts , an d th e righ t t o decide who ran on the organization line for state and federal office. (A t his farewell dinne r i n 1968 , Essex County' s longtim e chairma n delivere d a plain message : "An d don' t worr y abou t m e i n retirement . Y'l l no t b e havin' t o thro w an y bing o game s fo r Denn y Carey." 1 ) I n return fo r th e support o f party loyalists, the county chair would awar d member s jobs, services, or small favors. The selection of national convention delegates was yet another opportunit y for the leader to conduct business, rewarding th e faithful fo r year-in , year-out servic e with th e chanc e t o tak e a nice trip , attend a few parties, and do a little political business of their own; there was no place for newcomers or ideologues. Kennedy stayed out of New Jersey, knowing that a good showing in other primaries was his only hope of unlocking the organizational suppor t that had nominated hi s brother in 1960. As LBJ's presumptive heir, Vice President Hubert Humphrey focused his campaign on appealing to southern and organization Democrats who remained loyal to Johnson; he had announced his candidacy too late to participate in primaries. (Johnson did not announc e hi s retiremen t unti l Marc h 31 , by whic h tim e th e filing deadline for primaries in most states had passed.) As a result, New Jersey's primary produced sixty-three uncommitted delegates (sixty-two of whom would eventually vote for Humphrey in Chicago) and nineteen for Eugene McCarthy. The McCarth y delegate s wer e electe d fro m suburban , Republica n areas where the Democratic party structur e was weak. The exclusion of antiwar Democrats from consideratio n a s delegates in strong Democrati c counties led to the unprovable assertion by McCarthy loyalist s that, in a fair an d open fight, they would have won more than their eighteen com mitted delegates . When the y returne d fro m th e tumul t o f th e Chicag o convention, the y wer e read y t o d o battl e wit h th e regula r organizatio n Democrats, eve n i f i t mean t allyin g wit h th e follower s o...

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