Reply #62: Coulda, woulda, shoulda [View All]

[dolstein]

Sure, McGovern would be just dandy as a president. Too bad we live in a democracy where the people get the final say. And in this case, the people (including an very large number of Democrats) voted overwhelmingly for Nixon.

Personally, I find it hard to argue that this country was better off because of Lyndon Johnson's decision not to seek reelection. Johnson could have beaten Nixon. It would have been ugly, but I'm confident he would have pulled it off. It's hard to imagine the Vietnam War ending any later than it did under Nixon, and at least Johnson would have been able to appoint more liberal justices to the Supreme Court.

Frankly, I'd be just as defensive as the left-wing is if my greatest political accomplishment were driving from office someone who was quite possibly the most liberal president this country has ever seen -- and prolonging the Vietnam War in the process.