Is This 1968 All Over Again?

No.

Maybe.

As Josh Marshall notes, maybe this is 1967, the bloody lead-up to the social disintegration of 1968.

I think we might be more resilient that 1968, because at least we aren't mired in Vietnam and America is more diverse.  But that diversity is what drives Trumpism.  That Trumpism seems to have a ceiling of about 30% (with the rest of his support coming from people who are simply opposed to HRC or loyal Republicans) is heartening.

My worry remains two-fold.

First, Trump will continue to do and say things that are outrageous and break the rules and norms of political discourse in their country. He will normalize the abnormal.  As of now, the Black Lives Matter movement has vehemently rejected violence and I don't expect that to change.  But that leads to my second worry.

We live in a time where the demonstrations of Sandy Hook, San Bernadino, Orlando and now Dallas show that any long asshole can sufficiently arm themselves in a way that can cause mass casualties.  There are some heartening signs in the aftermath of Dallas - Newt Gingrich and Paul Ryan both made very eloquent statements about the disadvantages of being black in America - but how many more angry men will take matters into their own hands.

I fear that it is almost certain that a politician will be assassinated this year.  Maybe not of the stature of King or Bobby Kennedy, but someone, somewhere.

Is it 1968?  No.  Maybe.