The Men and the Moment : The Election of 1968 and the Rise of Partisan Politics in America

The presidential election of 1968 perpetually modified American politics. On this character-driven narrative historical past, Aram Goudsouzian portrays the important thing transformations that performed out over that dramatic 12 months. It was the final “Outdated Politics” marketing campaign, the place political machines and occasion bosses decided the foremost nominees, even because the “New Politics” of grassroots participation powered main elections. It was an election that confirmed how candidates from each the Left and Proper may seize on “hot-button” points to change the bigger political dynamic. It showcased the ability of tv to “bundle” politicians and political concepts, and it performed out towards a rare dramatic international tableau of chaos and battle. Greater than the rest, it was a second determined by a contest of political personalities, as a bunch of males battled for the presidency, with momentous implications for the nation’s future.

Nicely-paced, accessible, and engagingly written, Goudsouzian’s guide chronicles anew the characters and occasions of the 1968 marketing campaign as an important second in American historical past, one with clear resonance in our up to date political second.