Chicago Democrat Convention 2024 = Chicago Democrat Convention 1968?

Will history repeat?

With “Pro-Palestine” Hamas Nazis and Woke Nazis — yes, that is what I call them now; they earned it — announcing they intend to “protest” at this year’s Democrat National Convention (DNC) to be held in Chicago, speculation has arisen that the convention combined with street protests could be something of a repeat of the tumultuous 1968 Democrat Convention, which was also in Chicago, with similar political harm to the Democrats. What a mix of serendipity and schadenfreude that would be!  This historian and occasional political junkie finds the possibility intriguing.  So let’s compare what might happen this year with what did happen in 1968.

First let’s compare the street actors.  The composition of this year’s “protesters” are likely well known to readers, and I had some strong words about them in my last podcast.  So no need to repeat that here.   

The 1968 protesters were mainly opposing the war in Vietnam.  Though often provocative with flag desecration and the like, it is hard to say how violent they were.  A lot of violence certainly did occur between police and protesters, but accounts differ on how much the police were the ones responsible.  The accepted consensus blames the police, and they certainly were a bit vigorous.  But we should know not to trust the accepted consensus too much.

This year’s “protesters” have a record of violence, but most of it is not direct head-bashing violence (although some certainly is).  Still, blocking bridges and thereby holding people hostage is violence that merits prison.  Blocking people from going about their business, as at UCLA earlier this week, is also indefensible and a violation of rights.   Any protester violence at this year’s convention will likely be more of the obnoxious same, not the big street brawls of 1968.

As for numbers, there were a lot of anti-war protesters at the 1968 convention.  The numbers this year will likely be smaller, maybe much smaller.  And if the big money cabals behind all this “protesting” decide disrupting the DNC risks too much helping Trump, they may be very small indeed.  Not to mention the Gaza war might be over by then.

An important political question is how sympathetic this year’s protesters will be compared to 1968’s.  The cause of a “ Free Palestine” will get less sympathy than ending the war in Vietnam I think (and hope) but I’m not sure.  A lot of people disliked the hippies and Communists and hippie Communists of 1968. Still I suspect this year’s mix of Woke and Jihadi Antisemites will be more repellent as will their likely tactics of blocking bridges, streets, and doors.

As for the police (and also National Guard in 1968 at least), there will likely be no comparison at all between the two years.  For there is no comparison between the two Mayors of Chicago.  1968’s Mayor Richard Daley detested the anti-war protesters and had no problem unleashing the full force of the police against them.  2024’s Mayor Brandon Johnson is a radical progressive, to put it nicely.  The police under him will likely enable the protesters as is typical in most heavily Blue cities and states.  Police violence at this Chicago DNC is highly unlikely.

So, unlike 1968, the perceived villains on the street will be pretty much entirely the protesters although odious people like me might resent government and police inaction.  And instead of battles on the streets, there will be occupations and blockades much as we’ve seen this year with any police opposition being defensive and even gentle.  The problem for Democrats is this will remind people of how they have coddled and enabled criminals and “protesters” and given them preference over decent people trying to live their lives.

How the public will perceive the villains, I mean, Democrats inside the convention may be a harder question.  I think the Ilhan Omars and AOCs are more noxious than the anti-war Democrats in 1968, but today’s voting public has seen it all more than in 1968.  And we should not forget that party conventions are not watched as much as in 1968.  Not only are they more boring; the choices viewers have now are infinitely greater.  I will remind the kids that there was no internet in 1968.  I know, ancient times!  As for TV, most Americans still could count their channel choices on one or two hands.  And network prime time was taken over by convention coverage.  Today, more people will surely be watching Netflix than the conventions.

Nonetheless the politicians inside in the convention halls will be forced to pick sides.  Joe Biden particularly be forced to take sides.  And if he tries to take both sides as he has so far, he risks repelling both sides and more.  Democrats have to pick whom to alienate, the Hamas Nazis and Woke Nazis or the normals that somehow still support Democrats.  Trying to please both sides may alienate both sides.

We have a heartwarming illustration of this already.  Pro-Hamas protesters and counter-protesters faced off at the University of Alabama.  The counter-protesters chanted, “F**k Joe Biden.”  The Pro-Hamas people responded by chanting back . . . “F**k Joe Biden.”  I guess Biden really is a unifier!

So things could go wrong for Democrats at the Chicago DNC. But, without getting further into the weeds, I doubt that the 2024 DNC will be a political calamity like the 1968 DNC.  The two may not be nearly as similar as some expect.  We should not be too sure there will be large and disruptive protests at all.

So those hoping to eat popcorn watching political disaster unfold live on TV are likely to be disappointed.  Readers can guess (correctly) that I would love this year to be a political disaster for Democrats.  I just do not think it likely the Democrat National Convention and accompanying protests will be that disaster.