Eugene McCarthy

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Effects of the 1968 Campaign

In the aftermath of the chaotic 1968 convention in Chicago, Democrats convened the McGovern-Fraser Commission to reexamine the manner in which delegates were chosen. The commission made a number of recommendations to reform the process, prompting widespread changes in Democratic state organizations and continual democratization of the nominating process for more than a decade. In response, the Republicans also formed a similar commission. Because of these changes, the practical role of national party conventions diminished dramatically. The most immediately visible effect of the reforms was the eventual nomination of national unknown Jimmy Carter by the Democrats in 1976. Some have argued that the increased significance of primaries, which tend to be dominated by party activists, has resulted in candidates who are less nationally palatable than those that might have been chosen in a "smoke-filled room."

Related Topics:
McGovern-Fraser Commission - Commission - Democratization - Republicans - National party conventions - Jimmy Carter - 1976 - Activist - Smoke-filled room

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