Terry
2012-09-08 - by
After Governor Hunt’s speech to the Democratic convention Wednesday night, a Facebook friend said it was “classy” for him to start by talking about Terry Sanford.
I’m glad Hunt did it. What a shame it would have been if Terry Sanford hadn’t been honored at a Democratic convention in North Carolina.
So pardon some history, youngsters: In 1960, Sanford risked his race for governor by endorsing John F. Kennedy for the Democratic nomination. Everybody else from the South, including the North Carolina delegation and then-Governor Luther Hodges, were for Lyndon Johnson.
Sanford didn’t just endorse JFK, he gave a seconding speech for him at the convention in Los Angeles. Sanford sent an important message: JFK can win in the South.
Later that decade, Presidents Kennedy and Johnson took up the cause of civil rights. That took away the South fromk the Democratic Party for a long time. Jimmy Carter took it back briefly in 1976. Bill Clinton made a strong run in 1992.
It was a long road – a 52-year-road – from a North Carolina governor endorsing JFK to North Carolina hosting a national Democratic convention, for an African-American President, no less.
Democrats, remember how you got here.
Terry
2012-09-08/
After Governor Hunt’s speech to the Democratic convention Wednesday night, a Facebook friend said it was “classy” for him to start by talking about Terry Sanford.
I’m glad Hunt did it. What a shame it would have been if Terry Sanford hadn’t been honored at a Democratic convention in North Carolina.
So pardon some history, youngsters: In 1960, Sanford risked his race for governor by endorsing John F. Kennedy for the Democratic nomination. Everybody else from the South, including the North Carolina delegation and then-Governor Luther Hodges, were for Lyndon Johnson.
Sanford didn’t just endorse JFK, he gave a seconding speech for him at the convention in Los Angeles. Sanford sent an important message: JFK can win in the South.
Later that decade, Presidents Kennedy and Johnson took up the cause of civil rights. That took away the South fromk the Democratic Party for a long time. Jimmy Carter took it back briefly in 1976. Bill Clinton made a strong run in 1992.
It was a long road – a 52-year-road – from a North Carolina governor endorsing JFK to North Carolina hosting a national Democratic convention, for an African-American President, no less.
Democrats, remember how you got here.