For your point to stand, you’ll have to demonstrate that the political left has been pushing the “vote the lesser evil” line continuously since the 50s. I wasn’t there, but my impression of the 60s and 70s is arguing that one should vote the lesser evil was pretty unpopular, so I’m hesitant to take the shift in politics over that particular timescale as hard evidence against op’s original point.
I would argue pretty distinctly that every major presidential candidate in the Cold War era was very much a question of ‘lesser evils’, and that there was certainly no candidate that we would regard as good, considering we’re posting here, in Memes Of Production.
If the argument is not that the choice is between lesser evils, but that it is perceived as between lesser evils, than short of a poll I can’t scientifically prove the period envisioned politics in much the same way, but I can certainly drag out a very large number of quotes from prominent figures - both in politics and culture - which describe American politics in much the same ‘lesser evil’ way.
I doubt even many Republicans were voting for Nixon because they thought he was swell and trustworthy. But he was their, lesser evil.
The Nixon voters I’ve talked to really did believe he was a great candidate, and were deeply betrayed by the corruption because they had such high hopes, but it’s a real small sample size. I doubt there’s any way to conclusively prove it either way because voters aren’t a monolith — someone’s ideal candidate is someone else’s lesser evil. I just don’t think of the hippie movement as a bunch of “lesser evil” folks was more my line of thinking.
The Nixon voters I’ve talked to really did believe he was a great candidate, and were deeply betrayed by the corruption because they had such high hopes, but it’s a real small sample size.
Can’t speak as to any personal experience with Nixon voters myself, but “Tricky Dick” wasn’t a prominent pre presidency nickname of his for nothing. He didn’t even win a plurality of the popular vote in the '68 GOP primaries, despite half his competitors either dropping out or starting late.
I just don’t think of the hippie movement as a bunch of “lesser evil” folks was more my line of thinking.
I mean, the hippie movement were a very small group and largely disdained by leftist political junkies of the period. But more than that, do you think hippies who voted for, say, JFK, LBJ, or even McGovern, thought that those candidates’ positions on, say, drugs, were anything but a lesser evil?
For your point to stand, you’ll have to demonstrate that the political left has been pushing the “vote the lesser evil” line continuously since the 50s. I wasn’t there, but my impression of the 60s and 70s is arguing that one should vote the lesser evil was pretty unpopular, so I’m hesitant to take the shift in politics over that particular timescale as hard evidence against op’s original point.
I would argue pretty distinctly that every major presidential candidate in the Cold War era was very much a question of ‘lesser evils’, and that there was certainly no candidate that we would regard as good, considering we’re posting here, in Memes Of Production.
If the argument is not that the choice is between lesser evils, but that it is perceived as between lesser evils, than short of a poll I can’t scientifically prove the period envisioned politics in much the same way, but I can certainly drag out a very large number of quotes from prominent figures - both in politics and culture - which describe American politics in much the same ‘lesser evil’ way.
I doubt even many Republicans were voting for Nixon because they thought he was swell and trustworthy. But he was their, lesser evil.
The Nixon voters I’ve talked to really did believe he was a great candidate, and were deeply betrayed by the corruption because they had such high hopes, but it’s a real small sample size. I doubt there’s any way to conclusively prove it either way because voters aren’t a monolith — someone’s ideal candidate is someone else’s lesser evil. I just don’t think of the hippie movement as a bunch of “lesser evil” folks was more my line of thinking.
Can’t speak as to any personal experience with Nixon voters myself, but “Tricky Dick” wasn’t a prominent pre presidency nickname of his for nothing. He didn’t even win a plurality of the popular vote in the '68 GOP primaries, despite half his competitors either dropping out or starting late.
I mean, the hippie movement were a very small group and largely disdained by leftist political junkies of the period. But more than that, do you think hippies who voted for, say, JFK, LBJ, or even McGovern, thought that those candidates’ positions on, say, drugs, were anything but a lesser evil?