Before Vietnam; before JFK, MLK and RFK went down; before we started beating up on one another; before we starting hating one another; before we all became cynics -- there was a moment when all seemed possible. At the time of the 1960 Democratic Convention, I was twelve years old. I lived in Los Angeles. I remember the 1960 Democratic Convention as a truly electric moment. Then, there was a moment when our better selves stood to come forward. Wit, charm, intelligence and hope offered themselves as an alternative. I have the feeling that 1960 presents a great model of this year's convention. Let me give you a twelve-year old's recollection of the moment.
The Sports Arena was a brand new venue in 1960. There was live black and white television coverage. I recall sitting in our living room transfixed watching 24 hours a day.
Whether you've watched any tapes or read much about the 1960 convention, while Kennedy had the upper hand going into the convention, the final outcome was actually still in doubt through the first few days. The Kennedy people knew they could handle Johnson, but they feared Adlai Stevenson. There was a groundswell of support for Adlai. (Ironically, Adlai was born only a few blocks from the Sports Arena, just off the USC campus about a block south of Adams Blvd. You can still find the house on Mommoth Street below West Adams.)
At the 1960 Convention, Kennedy and LBJ held an impromptu debate. The debate was supposed to give Johnson a final chance to show his stuff. The handwriting was on the wall -- Johnson's campaign was in its last gasp. A "debate" was arranged between Kennedy and Johnson before some of the delegates. Johnson provided a ponderous, pedantic statement of his qualifications. In contrast, Kennedy gave Johnson the brush off. In response to Johnson's tedium, Kennedy with his usual light, good natured touch told Johnson that there was no questioning Johnson's legislative record, and Kennedy agreed that Johnson would be a tremendous help in passing Kennedy's legislative program -- in the Senate. The debate ended with Kennedy's smile, and a glowering Johnson. We saw the whole scene a few years later when Ali defeating a lumbering Liston.
LA was totally abuzz with the convention. The center of gravity of the events was the Peter Lawford home on the beach in Santa Monica with Kennedys gathering there along with Lawford, Sinatra and all that crowd. The convention took over the city. At one point, Kennedy made a visit to an apartment building on Rossmore in the Larchmont area to see some lady friend. I think he jumped over a fence or engaged in some other flight of athleticism to avoid the press.
Eleanor Roosevelt was the leader of the Stevenson people -- all the old liberals and the Hollywood lefties. The Kennedy people were scared to death that a draft Stevenson movement would overcome Kennedy's support. The Stevenson people had a picket line surrounding the Sports Arena, and the delegates were ready to break ranks from Kennedy. It wasn't the angry kind of picket line, but the kind you find at a football rally -- friendly rivals trying to get into one another's heads.
At the end of the convention schedule, there was a local television late night talk show starring Mort Sahl. The show was created just for the convention. The show was sponsored by Bart Litton (a left leaning Hollywood screen writer who had left the writing business to start a savings and loan. Litton was one of the first to hand out toasters to get people to make deposits, and was actually quite a promoter.)
The Sahl show had a lot of Hollywood types who were supportive of Stevenson. Sahl had not at that point become the Kennedy acolyte. He made a lot of snide comments about Kennedy along with Hollywood types praising Stevenson. In one of the greatest moments I recall of live television, LItton (who was a Kennedy supporter) walked onto Sahl's show to chastise Sahl for being unfair to Kennedy. Litton literally took over from Sahl. Even Sahl was thrown for a loss by the whole thing.
The bottom line to the convention was the final evening when Kennedy made his acceptance speech. From the peristyle end of the Coliseum, Kennedy launched his candidacy into history. The place was packed, and Kennedy gave his "New Frontiers" speech which became the theme for his election. I recall my father who had been a Stevenson supporter and dismissive of Kennedy as young and inexperienced ("a light weight"). The Kennedy speech was so well done that I recall my father rallying to the new guy.
I have the feeling that the Denver Convention could be equally "a moment." I read somewhere that Frank Luntz in an appearance before a college young republican group told that them that whatever they do, they should beg, borrow or steal the money to get to Denver and to be there when Obama delivers his speech. He says that Denver will be the moment for history. I think he's right.
They say there are no do-overs. Let's put that aside. Maybe, we do have a second chance to capture that moment of opportunity.