What Happened to the Democratic Coalition?

The 1968 election has been analyzed thoroughly in the past year. Whether the whirring of the computers and the sifting of the data will enhance the nation’s self-understanding remains to be seen.

It is my thesis that the election was most interesting for what it told about the Democratic Party as it has functioned—and flourished—during the last 35 years. In fact, 1968 should be remembered as the year when the several styles of Jacksonians in the Democratic Party got together, and got out of hand. The closeness of the election should be understood as a monument to Humphrey’s success in getting a large number of these Jacksonians back on the party leash before they got their hands on the voting machine lever.

About the Author

George F. Will

George F. Will has been a columnist, beginning with National Review, since 1973.

The 1968 election has been analyzed thoroughly in the past year. Whether the whirring of the computers and the sifting of the data will enhance the nation’s self-understanding remains to be seen.

It is my thesis that the election was most interesting for what it told about the Democratic Party as it has functioned—and flourished—during the last 35 years. In fact, 1968 should be remembered as the year when the several styles of Jacksonians in the Democratic Party got together, and got out of hand. The closeness of the election should be understood as a monument to Humphrey’s success in getting a large number of these Jacksonians back on the party leash before they got their hands on the voting machine lever.