Vague historical reflections on protests and political events

error, McCain could conceivably have been slightly ahead. This, then, was the last presidential election. In the future, you’ Il only need to vote for the pollster that you trust the most. During the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, | was among 15,000 protesters who had gathered in Grant Park for a rally when the police, triggered by the actions of one of their own provocateurs, attacked the demonstrators and sadistically beat as many as they could reach. It seemed impossible that we could ever work within the system. But now, forty years later, there were 200,000 celebrants who had gathered in that same park, giddy with the excitement of Obama’ s victory. They had worked within the system. During the past four decades, there has been a linear progression from Jimi Hendrix playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock to Aretha Franklin singing “My Country,‘ tis of Thee” at the inauguration. Is it possible that this event signified the early tremors of a nonviolent revolution? As the late singer/songwriter Harry Chapin once said to me backstage at a benefit: “If you don’ t act like there’ s hope, there /s no hope.” And remember, placebos work. My hope is | don’ t get disappointed. [But | did.] HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015322