An American Melodrama: The Presidential Campaign of 1968

by Lewis Chester, Godfrey Hodgson, Bruce Page

For those who can bear to face it again, here is a report on the '68 Presidential campaign by three British journalists who covered it for the London Times. Beginning with the foreboding events of 3/31-4/6, they plunge onward thru the primaries to the conventions, paying rather less attention to the anti-climactic Nixon-Humphrey bout which followed. Using the mass-psychoanalytic approach developed by the better journalism since '63, the authors probe the styles & personalities of the major figures, & interpret phenomena such as Daley, Abby Hoffman & the Kennedy intellectuals. They comment on American violence, on the role of the media & on the conflict between rhetoric & reality in American life. Their insights will not startle readers of liberal-left periodicals, but they write with wit & concision, & have some sharp moments, as in their dissection of Johnson's Vietnam advisers, or in their remarks on Mayor Daley's Newspeak version of the Chicago police frolic. Their acquaintance with American history & idiom is impressive. Some flaws: an attempt to say too much & a paucity of straight political analysis (votegetting strategies etc.) which renders the book less valuable as campaign history than the White studies on '60 & '64. Still, until the mists clear further, this will serve to keep alive the drama of a fantastic & frightening election year.--Kirkus

Genres: History, Politics, American History, Nonfiction

830 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1969

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 5 out of 5]

1968 was the most intense year of my life as it involved the events of the assassinations of M.L. King and R.F. Kennedy, the campaign of Senator Eugene J. McCarthy, the Chicago police riot during the Democratic Convention, the Parisian students' revolt, the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Tet offensive in Vietnam etc. I was personally most involved in the McCarthy campaign and the police riot (ouch!) in my hometown--and I was only a high school sophomore!

It was also the year I made my first big trip alone--to Oahu, and the McCarthy campaign there, for most of the summer before the Chicago convention.

Any book about the year and the period, particularly one written from a foreign--in this case British--perspective is of interest. I've read several and this was one of the better ones.

[Chris Kan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been dipping in and out of this for most of the year and finally decided to skim the remaining eighth of the book I had left. Such a pivotal time in history, the major fallout of dislike for the Vietnam war, the violent and difficult democratic convention of '68 and the rise of Nixon all make for a fascinating - if sometimes overly detailed read. Certainly proves the point that not much changes in the political world - the factionalism, lying, cheating all existed and continue to do so. As part of my quest to read books from the year of my berth, this was a great read which I hope I will do more justice to on repeated visits.

[Peter Jakobsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitive account of the 1968 Presidential campaign, written by three accomplished British journalists, manages to avoid the faux pomp of much American political writing; brilliantly coves the most critical election since 1932 with telling vignettes of key players, Democratic, Republican and independent. Pithy chapters on RFK's death in Los Angeles and Nixon working southern delegates at the Miami Hilton are classic.

[Nick Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just can't get enough of 1968! A pretty masterful account of this wild, wacky election.

[Fred Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly thorough account of the 1968 presidential election.

[Joseph Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

1968: the mention of the year alone invokes emotions for those who lived through it. The Year was filled with many major events globally, as well as in the United States. Within the US the year saw the bloody Tet Offensive in Vietnam, the shocking downfall of President Lyndon Johnson, the assassinations of MLK & RFK, a contentious presidential race, violence at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and more.

"An American Melodrama" is an account of the 1968 presidential election written by three Birtish journalists for the Times. It's a book that does not invoke any partisan bias and seeks to write a factual analysis of the election from an outsider perspective.

Written a year after the election, the book is mostly a character study into the presidential hopefuls & those who made them. The "president-slayer" Eugene McCarthy, whose anti-war crusade led to the downfall of Johnson. Robert Kennedy, brother of the slain JFK who ran on an anti-war platform as well as one looking to heal racial divisions. Hubert Humphrey, the VP to Johnson whose tragedy in his war positions would lead to his downfall. On the republican side is Richard Nixon, a certified loser (literally, not my opinion) looking to make the greatest comeback in US presidential history. New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the leader of the liberal Republican faction who looked to make one last stand for the cause. California Governor Ronald Reagan, the darling of the conservative movement looking to make a re-appearence after the humiliation of 1964. And finally, the southern demagouge George Wallace, who made an independent bid for the presidency to proclaim himself the kingmaker.

Through an engaging (though a bit dry at times) narrative, the three journalists seek to provide clarity and dispassionate analysis on one of the most tumultuous elections in modern US history.

[Daniel Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to rank any other election year as more fraught that 1968, even in our own troubled times. The sheer rapidity of events - LBJ stepping down, MLK & RFK assassinations, McCarthy entering the ring, Wallace making a push, DNC riots, Nixon’s comeback - make for the most eventful year in modern American history. Interesting to see the parallels to and roots of our own times. In particular, Wallace creating the playbook to flip the Deep South from staunchly democrat to deep red that lasts to this day.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and detailed description of the presidential election 50 years ago, and i keep thinking how much things are the same. Racism, demogoguery, political tribalism, we are dealing with all of this still. I really enjoyed the style as well, the authors quote extensively from history and mythology as much as political science, and put things in better context in a way few politics writers do these days. Worth a read.

[Bart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great and very in dept book, a must read about the 1968 US election. It correctly predicted the coming players in US politics. It also an interesting parallel with the present political situation.

[Ernest Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three British journalists present multi-faceted, detailed account of one of the USA's craziest elections. Haven't made up my mind as to if 2020 will be crazier.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting bit of history.

[Jason McChesney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read by a renowned trio. This really filled in a lot of the story that I missed as child during and immediately after the events of 1968. It also felt highly relevant to our politics today.

[Ejknittel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of 1968 presidential campaign, one i was involved with and remember well.

I have read this book several times over the years, and am re-reading it now in April 2020.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book has one author, it is actually the work of three English journalists covering the election. The "Melodrama" in the title plays on their structure of "XII" "acts" and a coda. I think they would have been better dropping that idea, but the depth of coverage makes this a revealing look at presidential politics from primaries to election. It is also interesting how much has changed. Primaries were not universal, yet, and two-party politics more so with George Wallace & Curtis LeMay
nabbing an electoral vote of 46 for the American Independent party and a vocal advocacy for racial segregation in public schools and a viable option for the hawks.

The Republican nominee, former Vice President Richard Nixon, won the election over the Democratic nominee, incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey. This made a winner out of Nixon the loser and showed Humphrey could not get out of Johnson's shadow.

The bulk of this book is on the primaries which is where the drama was, despite the October surprise of Paris peace talks shenanigans around Johnson and Nixon.

On the Democratic side, those primaries had the late entry of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, assassinated June 6, 1968 on the night of a California victory. Many of his follower threw in with Eugene McCarthy
as an anti-war candidate with others flocking to Senator George McGovern for his outspoken opposition to the growing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. These two became much more viable without RFK and with President Lyndon B. Johnson withdrawing Mar 31, 1968. This all came to a head at the 1968 Chicago convention and its hippy-bashing police riot.

On the Republican side we had primary contestants Governor Ronald Reagan of California, when that state was basically Republican and Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York trying to defeat his own image as plutocrat and Governor George Romney of Michigan on the scene until he withdrew Feb 28, 1968.

It makes me think our election year is even less about hawks and doves and spawning less violence and protests and, in a sense, less present and fierce.

Like Alexis de Tocqueville, these European correspondents over in their reportage much that was true then and rings true now, like

"...personal influence is probable the most effective means of persuading people who are uncertain about voting at all that they should vote. And voters of low motivation, once brought to the polls, are more likely than not to be Democrats. Similarly, the more people vote, the better for the Democrats, since there are more of them."

On the Republican side, a bluening state map and a failure to disavow or reign in the most radical right-wingers proves to be a long, long problem for Republicans and it would seem a party split or triumphant third party may prove the ultimate reckoning.

[Paul Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was written by three British scholars. It is a really good rendition of the entire 1968 presidential campaign. It gives one a good appreciation of how the U.S. presidential election system -- from the primaries & caucuses through the general election-- and its political parties can elect extremely flawed presidents.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting but looooooooooooooooooooooooooong