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Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics
Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics | Lawrence O'Donnell
From the host of MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, an important and enthralling new account of the presidential election that changed everything, the race that created American politics as we know it today The 1968 U.S. Presidential election was the young Lawrence O'Donnell's political awakening, and in the decades since it has remained one of his abiding fascinations. For years he has deployed one of America's shrewdest political minds to understanding its dynamics, not just because it is fascinating in itself, but because in it is contained the essence of what makes America different, and how we got to where we are now. Playing With Fire represents O'Donnell's master class in American electioneering, embedded in the epic human drama of a system, and a country, coming apart at the seams in real time. Nothing went according to the script. LBJ was confident he'd dispatch with Nixon, the GOP frontrunner; Johnson's greatest fear and real nemesis was RFK. But Kennedy and his team, despite their loathing of the president, weren't prepared to challenge their own party's incumbent. Then, out of nowhere, Eugene McCarthy shocked everyone with his disloyalty and threw his hat in the ring to run against the president and the Vietnam War. A revolution seemed to be taking place, and LBJ, humiliated and bitter, began to look mortal. Then RFK leapt in, LBJ dropped out, and all hell broke loose. Two assassinations and a week of bloody riots in Chicago around the Democratic Convention later, and the old Democratic Party was a smoldering ruin, and, in the last triumph of old machine politics, Hubert Humphrey stood alone in the wreckage. Suddenly Nixon was the frontrunner, having masterfully maintained a smooth facade behind which he feverishly held his party's right and left wings in the fold, through a succession of ruthless maneuvers to see off George Romney, Nelson Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan, and the great outside threat to his new Southern Strategy, the arch-segregationist George Wallace. But then, amazingly, Humphrey began to close, and so, in late October, Nixon pulled off one of the greatest dirty tricks in American political history, an act that may well meet the statutory definition of treason. The tone was set for Watergate and all else that was to follow, all the way through to today.
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bunneeboy
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Pickpick

Lawrence brings so much context.
Fascinating!

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jpj7474

Very interesting period in American history. Good read.

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crhealey
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Saturday night in. Glass 1 with a few chapters of this, glass 2 with a couple episodes of Bridgerton and then I‘m going to sleep!

Andrea313 Sounds like a perfect night! 4y
Aims42 Cheers to that great sounding Saturday night 🥂 4y
8 likes2 comments
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crhealey
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If you scroll through my Litsy feed, two posts ago I said I wasn‘t going book shopping for a while. Just call me a liar, I guess! #bookhaul #mysterybook

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PurpleTulipGirl
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Pickpick

4.5/5 for being fascinating, though extremely frustrating

I was born in 1968, a week after Bobby Kennedy was killed, making me blissfully unaware of the chaos surrounding the election. This book makes me grateful for that.

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PurpleTulipGirl
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“Richard Nixon was in a makeup chair when he met Roger Ailes.”

This is a fascinating book about the election in 1968 and how it ended up as it did. I‘m learning a lot from it.

@ShyBookOwl #FirstLineFridays

RaimeyGallant Have you seen the movie? I noticed it was recently added to Netflix. 5y
PurpleTulipGirl @RaimeyGallant No! I hadn‘t seen that. Thanks! That will be something to do on a dreary weekend. 5y
8 likes2 comments
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PurpleTulipGirl
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Reading one book while knitting a pattern from another. It takes more coordination than I sometimes have.

#knittersoflitsy #harrypotter

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CoffeeK8
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Pickpick

This is between a pick and a so-so. The information is fascinating and well written. However, there is a lot of detail and it often feels rushed when he mentions people and actions that weren‘t made the major players.

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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1. Blue, especially cobalt or periwinkle
2. Westworld season 2
3. Recent history / politics send me to Google
4. Mayo mostly plus tomato and lettuce
5. Memorial service for a dear friend, bday party for other friends, family dinner or two, booooks b/c Mr. B is going away
#friyayintro

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Pickpick

This is an intense political history, focused on events of the 1968 US Presidential election. It covers a dozen people, from candidates to the sitting President. There are two assassinations, multiple protests, and one terrible, unwinnable war. Not exactly light reading. But O‘Donnell weaves the stories together into a compelling account. I‘m glad I read it, even though it took a long time.

Full review at www.TheBibliophage.com

Richryan52 Great review. Concise but intriguing 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Richryan52 Thanks. The blog review is a _lot_ longer! 7y
Richryan52 I‘m on your blog reading it 7y
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Eggs I remember that year vividly 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Eggs Then you might appreciate this one! 7y
129 likes6 stack adds7 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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The top quote is Bobby Kennedy‘s impromptu speech in Indiana on the night MLK was killed. I was just reading about it yesterday, and the news piece about the 50th anniversary of MLK‘s last speech dropped in my email. Sometimes #readingsynchronicity is surreal. This book is going slowly, but it‘s good. 1968 was a pivotal year in U. S. history.

PaperbackPirate Reading synchronicity- I like it! 7y
mrozzz 💜💜💜 7y
97 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Show this to anyone who says high school kids can‘t make change. Those Parkland students paid attention to 1960s history in class! Or they‘re just THAT fed up with political establishment figures, just like the Senator‘s daughter mentioned above. #marchforourlives

TheBookHippie 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 7y
108 likes1 comment
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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All of my politically-related library holds came in at once. So I‘m on to this book from another TV political commentator. Unlike The Messy Truth (from Van Jones), this one is historical. I‘m just about 30 pages in, and I‘m learning a lot already.

#nonfictionchallenge2018 #politicalhistory #vietnamera

99 likes5 stack adds
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tracyrowanreads
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On the strength of my review of Lawrence O'Donnell's new book, Playing with Fire, I was asked to review this. I said yes because I believe the overall message that America isn't broken.

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BookishMarginalia
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Some notes: 1) LBJ undermined his own party by secretly giving candidate Nixon info about the Vietnam War; 2) candidate Nixon actively worked to undermine peace talks in the Vietnam War — and should have been persecuted for those illegal acts; 3) the US govt and LBJ knew —and had proof— of Nixon‘s perfidy *BEFORE* the 1968 election; 4) LBJ let Nixon off the hook for the “good of the country” - Any of this sound familiar?

LauraBrook Oh, god. I don‘t know if I could handle this book! 😠 7y
LauraBrook I mean, I know I should read more non-fic like this, but I have a hard time clearing out my head enough to sleep most nights. When I read stuff like this I tend to spiral for weeks and can‘t shake the anger/thoughts/frustration of it all. Thank you for your notes! That‘s about the only way I can handle it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 7y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Wow - I had no idea 7y
readinginthedark 🙈😔 7y
105 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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This is super interesting— I‘m learning a lot about Vietnam, George Wallace, the Kennedys, MLK, Reagan, LBJ, Nixon... and being reminded that our current president is not merely an outlier or a lone wolf, but the most recent and very flamboyant example of a politician pandering to fear, taking advantage of opportunities to enrich himself and others, and whose competence and sanity are questionable. #CurrentlyListening

mabell That about sums it up. 7y
RebelReader I enjoyed this one too and I learned a lot since I was 4 in 1968! 😍 7y
LeslieO 1968 was a fascinating year. (Vaguely remember it, I was 8). Another book I loved about that year is The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt. It's a middle grade book that covers the 67/68 school year of a 7th grader. 7y
UnabridgedTomes I read in the Washington post that a big inspiration for his current “executive time” in his daily schedule is that he likes to be able to brood over the tv like Nixon, and have time to tweet (which Nixon would‘ve LOVED). *sigh* 7y
mrozzz This is such a good read. I got so sucked in, especially because of current events. Enjoy! 7y
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Skyler
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Pickpick

I have such a crush on Lawrence O'Donnell, and this book only served to amplify it. If you have any interest in politics or 1960s American history, read this book! O'Donnell is a great writer, and 1968 was such a consequential year. So much of modern politics is imprinted with the legacy of this one election, and O'Donnell brilliantly connects the dots.

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Skyler
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Lawrence O'Donnell once retweeted a tweet of mine, but that's not why I picked up this book. I have historical crushes on both Lyndon Johnson and Robert Kennedy, which is why this piqued my interest. And so far it's great!

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RebelReader
Pickpick

O'Donnell brings to life this period in American politics without becoming dry and boring. Well researched and relevant in thinking about today's political climate. You don't have to be a political science major to understand and enjoy the backstories on all the candidates. Their motivations, challenges and strategic moves were explained in detail on both sides of the aisle. Excellent read for those interested in politics or the 1960's.

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mrozzz
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Pickpick

O'Donnell embodies the history in a way I've never encountered in nonfiction. I've always been a little obsessed with Kennedys and overwhelmingly so with the 60s & 70s...having not lived it I had no idea of the true chaos that existed in national politics so long before 2016.

12/10 would recommend. I'm pissed off and proud to be. If you've been riled up for the last 2+ years, pick this one up. I learned so much and remained engaged throughout.

Smangela Great review! Definitely stacking this one! 7y
mrozzz @Smangela Thank you! I hope you like it as much as I did. 😊 7y
AmyG Most importantly...VOTE. 7y
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mrozzz Exactly! @AmyG that's what I've been saying for a year. It's pathetic that our turnouts are so low. 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I‘m on the hold list at the library for this one. But you‘re making me wish for it sooner! 7y
mrozzz @BarbaraTheBibliophage 🤞🏻hope it comes in ASAP 7y
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mrozzz
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Words to remember and live by:

"Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."

Jabberwocky 😍 7y
mrozzz @Jaberwocky right?! 7y
DivineDiana I have always loved this quote! ❤️ 7y
mrozzz @DivineDiana it's amazing. Bobby was a smart guy... 7y
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mrozzz
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NBC reporter Douglas Kiker observed while covering the campaign, "It was as if somewhere, sometime, Wallace had been awakened by a vision: they all hate black people. They're all afraid."

Wallace voters who agreed to be interviewed sounded like Trump supporters in 2016. Most of them denied race had anything to do with their choice of candidate. They said they supported Wallace because he told it like was and wasn't afraid to speak his mind. ??

AmyG 😪 7y
mrozzz I was FUMING reading the passages about Wallace 😠 @AmyG 7y
AmyG I fume every single day. I stil can't beieve all this is happenning. 7y
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mrozzz @AmyG SAME. It's unreal. 7y
DivineDiana History repeats itself. 🙁 7y
mrozzz @DivineDiana unfortunately 😣 7y
58 likes6 comments
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mrozzz
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"What we need in the US is not division; what we need is not hatred; what we need is not violence and lawlessness but love, wisdom and compassion toward one another whether they be white or black. So I shall ask you tonight-say a prayer for the family of MLK, that's true, but more importantly to say a prayer for our country, which all of us love- a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke."
~RFK, April 4, 1968

????

RebelReader I'm waiting for my number to come up for this one at the library. On the bright side, I don't have time to read it right now! 😜 7y
mrozzz @RebelReader it's... FANTASTIC. I have never been so rapt with historical nonfiction!! I hope you can make the time when you get your hands on it!! 7y
RebelReader @mrozzz I really like Lawrence O'Donnell and I have a fascination with that time period so I will make time when it comes my way. 7y
mrozzz @RebelReader it's so weird and the nominating process is so un-democratic and there are all the rich families and YES. I too am incredibly fascinated with the 60s. (edited) 7y
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mrozzz
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Loving this even more than I expected to! ?

"He challenged the powerful incumbent president of his own party and 'won'. He put war and peace on the ballot, life and death, and he won. The insurgent won, and that changed Dem. party politics forever. Every nominating season since the Dems have gone looking for the inspiring insurgent who will recreate the feeling of NH in 1968...
'The young people have brought the country back into the system!'"

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mrozzz
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL 🦃🍽🍻😋💜

I'm stuffed!! Now settling in with a pup.

BookMaven407 Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🐶💕 7y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Happy Thanksgiving 🍽 7y
mrozzz @BookMaven407 @ForeverNerdy Thank you! Hope you both had a lovely day 😄 7y
96 likes3 comments
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mrozzz
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I've got goosebumps. ? O'Donnell is a great storyteller!

"Bobby was a realist first, a politician second, and a dreamer third. When he heard his audiences urging him to run for president he knew he was hearing dreamers. Their dream was not so much another Kennedy presidency as it was a restoration of the first Kennedy presidency. They wanted to put their shattered dreams back together."

67 likes5 stack adds
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mrozzz
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Have I mentioned lately how much I love my library? I do. I LOVE the library. 📚📚📚📚 #bookhaul

Got a bunch of non-fictions for #nonfictionnovember and the new Hallberg which I am SO excited about!! I love text + image 😄

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BeckyBelt
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Cracking this one open on my lunch break. It's almost intimidating in length (400 pages of non-fiction is outside my comfort zone) but the chapters are short so I'll break it up into a lot of sittings.

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tracyrowanreads

Just started listening. Boy, the stuff we didn't know back in the late 60s!

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GregoryCass
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After a great event tonight with Lawrence O‘Donnell, I‘ve completed my MSNBC prime time line up! #signedbooks #liberallibrary

CatLass007 Excellent! 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Great collection! 👍💙 7y
Kaye Did you get to meet Rachel Maddow ? Gosh. I really like her. ✨👍✨ 7y
11 likes3 comments
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bookishkai
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More audiobooking to keep me company while I tackle the most boring of all tasks: removing mail from envelopes, sorting it, and shredding most of it. Thankfully it‘s an interesting book, and I love Lawrence O‘Donnell.

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