An Unfinished Love Story:

 A Personal History of the 1960s

by Doris Kearns Goodwin

I might not have. chosen to read this book had Margaret not received it as a birthday gift from a friend.  I'm not sure why that was the case. I was familiar with the author from her time as a commentator on PBS news programs.  I guess political memoirs are just not a genre that has held much interest for me.  I suppose what ultimately tipped the balance toward the book was the focus on the decade that spanned my own journey from ages twenty to thirty.

While I am about the same age as the author, our lives could not have been more different.  Kearns Goodwin was a born scholar whose academic credentials led to a close and enduring relationship to Lyndon Johnson, begun while she was still in her early twenties. Goodwin's husband, Dick Goodwin who is the principal character of the narrative, was a speech writer for both JFK and LBJ. He worked in media relations for Eugene McCarthy's brief presidential bid, and then left that effort to join in Bobby Kennedy's primary campaign for the Presidency.

The book took shape toward the end of Dick Goodwin's life when he and Doris decided to make their way through a mountain of boxes full of speech drafts and other documents hoarded by Dick.  Doris made copious notes of their conversations and fleshed out the narrative with her own carefully recorded memories of a lifetime as an historian of the American Presidency.

The Goodwin's were thus the ultimate insiders on the '60s political scene in the U.S.
I didn't come close to that, having spent a good part of that decade out of the country.  My life was certainly shaped by the political climate of the times, but my opinions and ideology were responses to the broad strokes of history rather than any real familiarity with the most prominent actors.

"Actors", as it turns out, is a perfectly apt term for describing JFK and LBJ.  It came as a surprise to me to learn that their most memorable words on the political stage flowed directly from the pen of Dick Goodwin.  The New Frontier, the Great Society and a lot of other memorable themes resided first in Goodwin's brain.  Beyond the words, of course, those two presidents did form and guide much of the strategy behind what seemed then to be near-revolutionary transformations of the Country.

Under the two Democratic presidents Civil Rights, Health Care and equal access to opportunity did make great progress toward realizing the prescriptions of the Constitution. The account of those accomplishments as related by the Goodwins made a convincing case that both of the Kennedy brothers and Lyndon Johnson were sincere in their inclinations and efforts to right historic wrongs.

What was not really explored or explained in the writings of either of the Goodwins was how JFK and Lyndon Johnson could let their domestic accomplishments be undermined by militarism and war.  JFK's, first by not cutting himself loose from Eisenhower's initiatives in Vietnam, and then the disaster in Cuba's Bay of Pigs.  Johnson recognized how the momentum toward war in Indochina was going to destroy the legacy which the Great Society had offered him, but he seemed unable to do anything to change course

Dick and Doris expressed regret at having to turn against their political heroes because of Vietnam, but they seemed to interpret the failures of Kennedy and Johnson primarily as evidence of character flaws. Perhaps that was in part because they -- and I as well -- were burdened to some extent with deep-seated cultural baggage that included elements of unrecognized racism and over-blown conspiracy threats about communism and socialism.  It seems to me also that the Goodwins, in spite of their intimate knowledge of the government's vast machinery, did not properly acknowledge the overwhelming power of the Military/Industrial Complex which Eisenhower had pointed out to us, and which the power of the presidency was (is) to some extent subservient, regardless of the preferences of the office holders of the moment. 

 In reading the book I was aware of a rising level of apprehension as the events of 1968 loomed.  JFK's 1963 killing was shocking, but somehow not a very emotional personal experience for me.  But the assassinations of Bobby and MLK seemed at the time to herald an irrecoverable disaster.  Still, I did appreciate Kearns Goodman's reconstruction which restored some order to the chronology for me beyond the trauma which had muddled my memories of the times.  

Kearns Goodwin's book is very well crafted and an important and inspiring story which only she could have told. 

+++++++++++

 I need to add that I have not read the other works about Johnson by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  It may well be she has gone into more depth in those book about the conflicts between foreign and domestic policies. 

Two Speeches

Donald Trump used the opportunity to speak to world leaders at the United Nations to announce that he might annihilate Iran if that country did not accede to his demands for ending the war over control of the Strait of Hormuz.  It was surely no surprise to anyone that Trump would choose to continue the shameful decades-long tradition of undermining the potential of the UN for solving international disputes by diplomatic means.  It was also a clear example of Trump's inability to appreciate the lessons in asymmetrical warfare provided to the world by Vietnam and Iraq.

Bernie Sanders spoke at New York's Riverside Church at a celebration of the Charter of the United Nations.  He focused on the undeniable realities of climate change, vast inequalities in income distribution and the prioritization of endless and pointless war making.  Those elements of the status quo -- along with the threat of unregulated AI -- are all clearly relevant issues for every country as well as being of special urgency in the U.S. at this perilous moment for our struggling. democracy.  Let's hope the voters are paying attention.

Making The Team

New Mexico's Democratic Party Central Committee conducted a four-day electronic election to finally choose Stephanie Garcia Richard as Deb Haaland's running mate; she took 53% of the vote. Pope Jr. got 46%, showing a significant - if not commanding - strength of the Democratic Socialists who backed the State Senator. 

Insider reports on the progress of the selection process were notably sparse.  Joe Monahan has not yet offered any analysis. 

Santa Fe New Mexican

The Battle for Democracy

 New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury made a presentation this morning at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.  It was an upbeat pep talk in support of the Democratic race for control of the House.

Stansbury talked non-stop for about half and hour, explaining what House Democrats have been doing to combat Trump's chaos.  She also provided a succinct review of similar periods of history which were even more chaotic, and which were preludes to progressive political and social advancements.

I recall not being impressed with Stansbury's speaking in the early phase of her career, but it seems to me now she is extraordinarily articulate and communicative, with an excellent command of the facts including a thorough grounding in ecological issues. 

It seems very likely Stansbury will one day be representing New Mexico in the United States Senate.

Stansbury at Wikipedia

Who Do You Like?

The recent episode of New Mexico in Focus included a segment about the selection of a candidate for lieutenant governor by the Democratic Party Central Committee.  Primary voters made a choice earlier, but their selection, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, dropped out due to health reasons.  The discussion included supporters of the two main contenders, Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard and State Senator Harold Pope Jr.

Mentioned was the fact that the leading candidates seem to have little differences in the policies they have advocated.

Not addressed was the question of why the State has to go through the expensive ritual of holding a separate primary election for Second Banana, something which only five other States require.

The Dem Gov candidate, Deb Haaland, has expressed a preference for  Stephanie Garcia Richard, and it seems pretty likely she will have her way.  Policy congruence played a part, but perhaps the addition of an Hispanic name to the ticket also trumped the appeal to the smaller Black constituency brought along by Senator Pope.

What the new Lt. Gov might actually do while in office will likely not get much attention.  The position is an historical dead-end for political aspirations.  The main objective in handling the office has been finding. ways to keep the Lieutenant Governor busy and on the sidelines. 

On Track

 The present and future governors of New Mexico.

2019

Fight Back!

 Yanis Varoufakis in a post on his blog today does a good job of dealing with claims of consciousness for Artificial Intelligence.  His strength is an ability to apply relentless logic to any question he tackles.  As many others have pointed out recently, Varoufakis identifies the most urgent issue to be the ownership of the technology and who is or could be the biggest beneficiary.  The conclusion is that the people need to come together to take control of the political process which the billionaires are currently dominating with vast infusions of capital.

Beyond the macro-political strategies there are individual actions which people can employ in their daily lives to resist the AI behemoth which has been incorporated in so much of what we do in front of our screens.  One easy tactic is based on the fact that much of AI's power is based on routinely feeding us only what we want or are prepared to hear and "like".  The danger of that, of course, is that we become blind to what is really shaping the world around us.

A useful opening move is to use the option  in the browser of your choice to open any news links in a private window or tab.  What you then get is not a selection of items catering to your past  choices and prejudices, but a more balanced view of what is happening in the world.  

One browser with a strong focus on privacy, DuckDuckGo, has gone a step further toward individual empowerment by offering the possibility of blocking all those irritating targeted ads that pop up when you try to access a YouTube presentation.  That platform will undoubtedly strike back with threats and countermeasures.  In the meantime, though, people have the opportunity to experience the pleasure of reasserting individual control over the technology.

Corrrecting the Terminology

 Paul Krugman's substack has a useful examination of the right wing's tendency to label anything they don't like as "socialist" while ignoring the real meaning of the term.  Read: 

There Are Very Few Socialists in America

 Krugman does not take up the even more ridiculous "communist" which Trump flings at politicians like Mamdami.

On To November

The People's Champion vs. Big Money

 The last airing of of the PBS Friday program, New Mexico In Focus, featured a discussion about the primary election and the meaning of the voter turnout favoring Democrats.  It was enlightening, but might better have been aired before the election to make it more clear what people were voting for.

The disaffected Never-Trump Republican analyst summed up the choice of Deb Halland over Dem rival, Sam Bregman, as a vote for the status quo.  That is true only if one mainly focuses on the continued choice of voters to exclude Republicans from State-wide offices.  Bregman was clearly seen by many of both left and right as pushing policies compatible with long-held Republican views.

Former NM State Senator, Dede Feldman, pointed out that the real issue dividing the candidates was one of authenticity.  

Haaland's primary opponent, Sam Bregman, ran on a law-and-order agenda while paying lip service to the New Mexico public's distaste for Trump. Meanwhile, a big part of his campaign budget came from MAGA political action committees.  When the landslide outcome was announced and Bregman was asked if he would support. Halland in the general election, he responded with a scowl that he would NOT be supporting Haaland in November.

As Dede Feldman said, Haaland's long career in New Mexico politics has been characterized by a tireless effort, while traveling to every corner of the State, to present her own story and her views on the issues faced by ordinary New Mexicans.

We first became aware of Haaland when she made a presentation at the Main Library as part of her State Congressional campaign.  We were charmed by her articulate honesty and clear understanding of the historical, social and economic challenges which have shaped the State.

Haaland's lack-luster Republican opponent in the upcoming race for Governor does not himself seem to present much of a threat.  However, big Republican money is sure to be deployed during the rest of the year against Haaland.  While pushing the former Rio Rancho mayor to a win with an avalanche of cash is unlikely, every effort will be made to undermine Haaland's tenure as Governor. 

ICT

"ALBUQUERQUE — In a centuries-old town, Deb Haaland celebrated her nomination as the Democratic candidate for governor of New Mexico against Sam Bregman. If she wins in November against Republican Greggory Hull, she will become the first Native American woman to be governor in the United States..."

Not A Mystery

 That Donald Trump might fall asleep in Cabinet meetings is nor hard to explain.  It appears he is a poor sleeper, spending much of the night and early morning hours composing long rants on his Truth Social platform.  Here is one of the many stories on the subject:

------------------ 

Trump Fires Off More than 160 Posts in Late-Night Truth Social Spree, Covering Everything from Christmas to Michelle Obama

Trump stopped posting by midnight, then reemerged early in the morning to declare, "TRUTH SOCIAL IS THE BEST!" ... (People)

----------------- 

Muddy as it is,  the ideological orientation of the rants still has some residual appeal to the MAGA base.  For the broader public the consequences of a President with the character of a truculent child is clearly becoming more alarming by the day.

Trump's inattention to the actual process of governing leaves the running of the Country in the hands of misfits who cycle through the Cabinet, leaving chaos in their wake.  The question that looms now is 

Can the Country get to 2028 without a disaster of unrecoverable proportions?

New Mexico Political Winds

This is an interesting mid-term election year in New Mexico.  In recent years the outcome of the Democratic Party primary election has determined who occupies any State-wide elective offices at both the State and Federal levels.  That is very likely to be the case again, particularly as the Republicans seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot.

None of the three Republican candidates running for Governor in their primary have significant name recognition that would mount a serios threat to Democratic Party dominance.  The one guy with the biggest campaign chest via self-funding seems to think filling potholes is the State's most serious issue.

In addition to tissue-thin chances of the Governor candidates there is also a serious leadership conflict in the Republican Party.  Several suits have been mounted against the party chairwoman because of what is described as a conflict with party rules about who is eligible to run in the primary election.

Of course, the Democrats have their own conflicts to wrestle with as well.  Two Democratic Party candidates are vying for the office of Secretary of State of New Mexico which oversees elections.  Both have similar experience and pretty much identical campaign pitches with a heavy emphasis of keeping Trumpian interference out of State elections.  The more high-profile primary race, however, is that for who will likely be the next Governor.

Sam Bregman is trailing his opponent, Deb Haaland, in the polls.  He is a tough talking candidate with a good record as the Bernalillo County DA, appointed by current Governor Lujan Grisham.  Bregman cultivates a macho image wearing a black cowwboy hat, and he is an accomplished orator.  If he were running unopposed he would likely be a shoe-in to replace Lujan Grisham.

It turns out, however, that the other Democrat in the race, Haaland, has built up a formidable dossier as a Party leader, a Congressional Representative and the Secretary of the Interior under Joe Biden.  Haaland's campaign relies on reviewing her experiences in office along with an appealing life story which a lot of Democrats have bought into during her long political journey.

Most of the TV ads attacking Haaland come from a political action committee, Accountable New. Mexico, which is not immediately tied to the Bregman campaign, but is clearly acting in support of the Bregman effort.  Bregman, in his presentations, casts doubt on Haaland's claimed accomplishments, but to what effect is unclear.  As reported in the Santa Fe New Mexican:

"Accountable New Mexico reported its donors in the last campaign reporting period, all four of whom contributed money to Haaland’s challenger, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, in the previous campaign reporting period.

While Bregman has denied any involvement with the group, he is tied to at least three of its initial four donors through the horse racing industry. Bregman previously served as chairman of the New Mexico Racing Commission before stepping in as Bernalillo County district attorney in early 2023."

How all of the above will contribute to the outcome of the primaries or the actual State elections is pretty uncertain at this point.

Viewpoint

 I have walked by this piece in the museum sculpture garden many times,  but only realized recently that it accurately depicts a cowboy standing beside Donald Trump.

 I may have to explore this theme. further with AI.

Today

New Mexico Primary Early Voting Starts Today!

Time For A Cleanup

Economic Reality

53 nations gather to plan a fossil fuel phaseout  (The Conversation)

 

US President Donald Trump is a longtime climate denier and oil industry ally, who sums up his own energy policy as “drill, baby, drill”. Yet he is doing more than almost anyone to speed up the global shift from fossil fuels to clean energy and electric vehicles (EVs)...

The Case for Mexico's Annexation of the U.S.

 Claudia Sheinbaum's address to the Summit for Democracy. 

Foto Oficial Claudia Sheinbaum, Presidenta de México

Sorting Out Homelessness

 We were impressed with the turnout at the recent campaign event supporting the candidacy for governor of New Mexico by Deb Haaland.  After the event, however, Margaret commented on her surprise that the segment allotted for questions did not produce anything on the topic of homelessness.  That might have just reflected the short time available, but it still seems that the subject might have had a higher priority of concern.

It seems people may just be overwhelmed by the size and seeming intractability of the problem of homelessness.  Most efforts to combat the problem have often seemed superficial, or just  a shifting ot the problem from one locale to another.  

Estimates of the scope of the problem and ineffective remedies are probably mostly accurate.  Less clear are perceptions of the fundamental causes.  There seems to be a widespread tendency to ascribe moral and behavioral impropriety to the homeless, with an accompanying suggestion of a need for correction or punishment.  In fact, about half of the people confined in Albuquerque's jails are classified as homeless.

It seems more likely that successfully analyzing the fundamental causes of homelessness needs to look more broadly at historical and economic  trends.  That thought prompted me to submit a request to Google's AI Mode to produce a chart comparing the trajectories of homelessness and economic inequality since the beginning of the Reagan Presidency in 1981.

The congruence of the the two trend lines seems far too close to be ascribed to coincidence.

Comparing homeless rates among different countries and economies does not yield easily to statistical analysis because of different national statistical approaches.  However, some relevant facts emerge from queries about homelessness internationally.

 The U.S. has the highest income inequality of the major advanced economies. While its reported homelessness rate (approx. 23.1 per 10,000 in early 2025) is lower than some European peers, it has a much higher percentage of "unsheltered" homeless people living on the streets rather than in temporary facilities. In 2023, approximatel  653,104 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in January. 

 Finland is widely cited as the only EU country where homelessness has consistently declined, driven by its "Housing First" policy. This approach provides permanent housing as a fundamental right before addressing other issues like addiction or mental health, rather than requiring people to be "housing-ready" first.  Since the strategy began in 2008, the country has successfully converted almost all temporary shelters into permanent housing units.  According to 2023 data, there are fewer than 3,500 people experiencing homelessness nationwide in Finland.

Sunshine

The defeat of Orban in Hungary is a hopeful signal of what may be a possible way for the U.S. to rid itself of our own despotic regime.  At the same time there is no guarantee that what comes after will ultimately help restore democracy.  The course of events that led to Orban's defeat and the uncertainties that follow are nicely recounted in Jacobin.