Campaign '68 "A fundamentally divided society"
Oct 30, 2018
Historian Rick Perlstein, known for his works on American conservatism, dives into the ideological divides that have shaped the nation since JFK's assassination. He discusses how figures like Nixon and Wallace capitalized on societal fractures to fuel their political ambitions. Perlstein shares a personal anecdote about a Cocker Spaniel named Checkers, symbolizing the rift between the middle class and the elites. Plus, he analyzes the rise of the 'silent majority' and the lasting impacts of political decisions on educational research.
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Trauma Broke The Postwar Consensus
- The assassination of JFK cracked a postwar belief that America settled disputes without street violence.
- That trauma, plus figures like Nixon and Wallace, institutionalized divisions into today's red/blue split.
Founding Faults Became Political Tools
- The American republic's structure embedded deep sectional divides from the founding onward.
- Nixon transformed those historical fissures into a political playbook of cultural division.
The Checkers Moment Shaped Rhetoric
- Nixon's Checkers speech framed Americans as hardworking 'salt of the earth' versus liberal 'cultural snobs.'
- He taught Republicans to weaponize that cultural divide, a template echoed by later figures like Donald Trump.
