Historical Parallels Between The 2016 Campaigns And Past Races

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Ronald Reagan speaks for presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in Los Angeles in 1964.

Think this year’s presidential race is unlike anything that’s happened in the past? Not so fast! We welcome back Emory University history professor Joe Crespino, who discusses the striking parallels between the current campaigns and past races in American history.

We take a close look at “Confessions of a Republican,” a remarkable 1964 TV commercial that questions the fitness of the Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater to serve in the Oval Office. Crespino says the spot could easily be transplanted into today’s race as Democrats raise questions about Donald Trump’s preparedness and temperament to be president.

We talk about the obstacles Trump faces in unifying the Republican party as a number of GOP standard-bearers, including the two living Republican past presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, say they can’t support his candidacy.

We also look at the continued fallout from Gov. Nathan Deal’s vetoes of two of the most popular legislative measures among Georgia conservatives: the religious liberty and campus carry bills.

Panelists:

Jim Galloway – AJC political writer

Joe Crespino – Emory University’s Professor of 20th century American political history and Southern history

Jackie Gingrich Cushman – conservative columnist and commentator

Beth Schapiro – retired pollster and Democratic political strategist