We’ve heard the saying about history repeating itself. Texans are wont to say things like, "Whatever goes around, comes around." Generally speaking, the duplication of history is not, nor should it be, considered something to be desired.
On the subject, George Santayana’s words articulate it well and are worthy of saying again: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." We (especially government officials and other politicians) seem to keep forgetting this oft quoted truism…
Let’s take a look at current events and see if we can spot any Santayanaisms…
The Democrats seem locked into something akin to the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day, with daily hammerlocks being attempted on each other by Hillary and Obama. Rush Limbaugh is even taking credit for much of their back and forth bickering, terming it Operation Chaos.
Unless one or the other of the Demos drops out, the (you name it)-Standoff could well run into Election Day. Has anything like this ever happened to the Democrats before, ala Geo Santayana?
Eighteen Sixty (1860) saw Stephen A. Douglas, a Northern Democrat from Illinois at odds with John C. Breckinridge, a Southern Democrat from Kentucky. The Democrats of 1860 were so locked in disagreement at their national convention in Charleston, South Carolina that they adjourned, with both Democratic hats eventually being thrown into the 1860 Presidential ring.
It will be interesting to see what finally happens to the Democrats at their 2008 convention in Denver, Colo.
Will Obama Lama Ding Dong from Illinois (same state as Stephen A. Douglas) finally get on the ticket…or will Hillary Hee Hee Clinton and hubby from, let’s say, Arkansas (55 miles from Breckinridge’s Kentuck), find a way to, let’s say, "steal" the nomination?
Or will history repeat itself, with both becoming candidates, ala 1860?
Nah, surely not in this modern day and time.
But I wouldn’t be surprised to see something like a dual ticket, with both being up for the top job.
The Demos would cut a fat hog with such tactics, virtually assuring victory.
But they wouldn’t attempt anything unconstitutional like that, would they?
I really cannot envision either of the Democratic Duo settling for the Number Two job, can you?
We will be forced to stay tuned, as Driveby Media insists on running non-stop coverage about one or other of the two...Ad infinitum.
But what finally did happen in the Presidential Election of 1860?
Well, a third candidate (have you ever heard of such?) decided to run…and John Bell of Tennessee ran on the Constitutional Union ticket, eventually winning Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia in the general election.
The final tally of presidential candidates in 1860 finally swelled to four by Election Day.
And history insists we must not forget the man, who a mere fourscore and seven years after the fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…that man, "Honest" Abe Lincoln, who ran and was elected on the Republican ticket in 1860…that man evidently decided the Southern states were not quite equal and in 1861 invaded them with an overwhelming military force, lasting four long and bloody years.
But I regress…
A close look at how Lincoln won the 1860 contest shows he could only muster 39.8 percent of the popular vote.
He did, however, win all of the (what have become) Blue States, garnering enough Electoral College votes (ECV) from them alone to win the presidency.
The two Democrats and one Constitutional Unionist won all of the (what have become) Red States.
The two Democrats, in combination, garnered 47.6 percent of the popular vote and, with Bell’s three additional Southern (Red) states thrown in, ran that figure up to 60.2 percent, leaving the remaining 39.8 percent to Lincoln.
But the electoral vote is the one that counts in our system and "Honest" Abe got 180 vs. 123 for his three opponents.
Interestingly, the 1860 electoral picture allowed a mere six Northern states enough ECV’s to defeat 14 Southern states.
Yes, with New York’s 35, Pennsylvania’s 27, Ohio’s 23, Indiana’s 13, Massachusetts’ 13 and Illinois’ 11 electoral votes, totaling 122, enough alone to defeat all 14 of the Southern states’ 111 ECV’s combined.
By the way, Texas had four and Florida had three electoral votes in 1860.
Now it seems all that population wants to come down here...
So, what about 2008; will history somehow repeat itself? Will a fourth candidate appear, ala 1860? Will a Republican pull off a victory in 2008, as in 1860? Santayana would probably know. May God bless.
