Jeff & Carrie (photo by Susan Swift)
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Eugene McCarthy, RIP
Eugene McCarthy has passed on -- once again with very little media coverage; this time for the last time.
A number of key UCSB student leaders were in the McCarthy campaign in 1968, so, in a sense, you could say that the leftist bent to late 1960's and early 1970's politics at the University of California Santa Barbara campus had its foundation in the McCarthy campaign...
REMEMBERING EUGENE MCCARTHY, by Ken Rudin, NPR:
By any measure, 1968 was a horrific year. An endless war in Southeast Asia. The toppling of a sitting president. The assassinations of a civil rights leader and a presidential candidate. A nation torn apart on race and war and culture. It was one of those benchmark years that people who lived through it will remember forever. And when you think of 1968, you also remember Eugene McCarthy, the Democratic senator from Minnesota, whose presidential candidacy was based on opposition to the war in Vietnam and who helped bring down a president.
McCarthy was a reluctant national figure, to say the least. He was not a showboat; he looked more comfortable reading poetry than drawing attention to himself. And he was not one of the earliest opponents of the war. For example, in 1964 he voted for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that essentially gave the Johnson administration carte blanche authority to wage war in Vietnam (only two senators -- and no House members -- voted against it). But once McCarthy broke with President Lyndon Johnson on the war, in 1966, he never turned back. For months, McCarthy publicly urged that Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) challenge Johnson for the nomination; for his part, Kennedy always said he wouldn't run and that he intended to back LBJ for re-election. Finally, with the war dragging on, the casualties mounting, and no one else willing to step forward, McCarthy made it official. And even as he announced his candidacy, on Nov. 30, 1967, he still said that he hoped that Bobby Kennedy would get in the race.
In the winter of 1967-68, all eyes were on the New Hampshire primary. Gov. John King (D), who led the pro-Johnson forces in the state, said McCarthy was the "spokesman for the forces of appeasement," one who advocated "a policy of surrender which would destroy everything we have been fighting for." King opined, "The people most interested in the results of this election are Ho Chi Minh and his Communist friends," and that a sizable vote total for McCarthy would be "greeted with great cheers in Hanoi." (King at one point said he thought McCarthy would get about 12 percent of the vote.)
That Johnson won the New Hampshire primary was not a surprise; he had the party machinery, the money and the endorsements all in his favor. That he won with just 49 percent of the vote -- compared to McCarthy's 42 percent -- was a surprise. In fact, it was a stunning repudiation of a president and his war policy. And it was carried out by the unlikeliest of political figures, leading an unlikely army of college students who decided to "Clean for Gene" -- shave, shower, clean up their acts -- and toil in the snows of New Hampshire to spread their message.
(Where Are They Now Department: McCarthy staffers at the time included press secretary Seymour Hersh, now a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist with The New Yorker; political director Curtis Gans, currently the director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University; and finance committee co-chair Martin Peretz, who has been editor-in-chief of The New Republic since 1974.)
The satisfaction McCarthy may have gotten for his strong showing lasted less than 24 hours. One day after the primary, Kennedy announced he was "actively reconsidering" his decision not to run. And three days after that -- on March 16, 1968 -- Kennedy made his candidacy official. He said he feared from the beginning that challenging Johnson would have made it look personal; his enmity for the president was no secret. Kennedy said that McCarthy's showing in New Hampshire made it clear that Democrats were losing confidence in the Johnson administration. He insisted he was not out to divide the antiwar wing of the party. "In no state will my efforts be directed against Sen. McCarthy," he said. But for those who joined McCarthy's crusade after having given up on the hope that Kennedy would run, it was an act of betrayal. And it made McCarthy a bitter candidate.
Fifteen days later, Johnson stunned the nation by announcing he would not run for a second term.
McCarthy was never able to capitalize. He spent the next few months campaigning as much against Kennedy as he did against Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who became the choice of the party establishment after Johnson's withdrawal. He beat Kennedy in Oregon in late May. In early June, Kennedy turned the tables on McCarthy by winning in California -- only to be assassinated within minutes of declaring victory.
Although Humphrey got in the race after the filing deadlines for every remaining primary had passed, and thus never won a single primary, he went on to easily win the Democratic nomination. But the cost to the party was enormous. Antiwar demonstrators outside the Chicago convention clashed with and were beaten by the Chicago police. The entire spectacle showed a party in chaos, and it had a big role in assuring the election of Richard Nixon in November. McCarthy refused to endorse Humphrey until very late in the campaign.
Retiring from the Senate after 1970, McCarthy again sought the Democratic nomination in 1972 but was not a factor. As the years went by, he became even more of a Democratic outsider. He ran as an independent presidential candidate in 1976. In 1980, McCarthy endorsed Ronald Reagan over President Jimmy Carter. He even sought the presidency again in 1988.
If you ever got to speak to McCarthy in later years, it always seemed like you were in a time machine. The conflict, the drama, the personal slights of 1968 were never far from the surface. And the conversation rarely was about Vietnam or Lyndon Johnson. It was almost always about Bobby Kennedy.
In 1968 Eugene McCarthy was an imperfect candidate leading an improbable cause. He didn't get the nomination and he didn't end the war. But he stepped forward when antiwar forces needed him the most.
NPR text : Remembering Eugene McCarthy
NPR audio : Audio recap of McCarthy's political life
A number of key UCSB student leaders were in the McCarthy campaign in 1968, so, in a sense, you could say that the leftist bent to late 1960's and early 1970's politics at the University of California Santa Barbara campus had its foundation in the McCarthy campaign...
REMEMBERING EUGENE MCCARTHY, by Ken Rudin, NPR:
By any measure, 1968 was a horrific year. An endless war in Southeast Asia. The toppling of a sitting president. The assassinations of a civil rights leader and a presidential candidate. A nation torn apart on race and war and culture. It was one of those benchmark years that people who lived through it will remember forever. And when you think of 1968, you also remember Eugene McCarthy, the Democratic senator from Minnesota, whose presidential candidacy was based on opposition to the war in Vietnam and who helped bring down a president.
McCarthy was a reluctant national figure, to say the least. He was not a showboat; he looked more comfortable reading poetry than drawing attention to himself. And he was not one of the earliest opponents of the war. For example, in 1964 he voted for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that essentially gave the Johnson administration carte blanche authority to wage war in Vietnam (only two senators -- and no House members -- voted against it). But once McCarthy broke with President Lyndon Johnson on the war, in 1966, he never turned back. For months, McCarthy publicly urged that Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) challenge Johnson for the nomination; for his part, Kennedy always said he wouldn't run and that he intended to back LBJ for re-election. Finally, with the war dragging on, the casualties mounting, and no one else willing to step forward, McCarthy made it official. And even as he announced his candidacy, on Nov. 30, 1967, he still said that he hoped that Bobby Kennedy would get in the race.
In the winter of 1967-68, all eyes were on the New Hampshire primary. Gov. John King (D), who led the pro-Johnson forces in the state, said McCarthy was the "spokesman for the forces of appeasement," one who advocated "a policy of surrender which would destroy everything we have been fighting for." King opined, "The people most interested in the results of this election are Ho Chi Minh and his Communist friends," and that a sizable vote total for McCarthy would be "greeted with great cheers in Hanoi." (King at one point said he thought McCarthy would get about 12 percent of the vote.)
That Johnson won the New Hampshire primary was not a surprise; he had the party machinery, the money and the endorsements all in his favor. That he won with just 49 percent of the vote -- compared to McCarthy's 42 percent -- was a surprise. In fact, it was a stunning repudiation of a president and his war policy. And it was carried out by the unlikeliest of political figures, leading an unlikely army of college students who decided to "Clean for Gene" -- shave, shower, clean up their acts -- and toil in the snows of New Hampshire to spread their message.
(Where Are They Now Department: McCarthy staffers at the time included press secretary Seymour Hersh, now a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist with The New Yorker; political director Curtis Gans, currently the director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University; and finance committee co-chair Martin Peretz, who has been editor-in-chief of The New Republic since 1974.)
The satisfaction McCarthy may have gotten for his strong showing lasted less than 24 hours. One day after the primary, Kennedy announced he was "actively reconsidering" his decision not to run. And three days after that -- on March 16, 1968 -- Kennedy made his candidacy official. He said he feared from the beginning that challenging Johnson would have made it look personal; his enmity for the president was no secret. Kennedy said that McCarthy's showing in New Hampshire made it clear that Democrats were losing confidence in the Johnson administration. He insisted he was not out to divide the antiwar wing of the party. "In no state will my efforts be directed against Sen. McCarthy," he said. But for those who joined McCarthy's crusade after having given up on the hope that Kennedy would run, it was an act of betrayal. And it made McCarthy a bitter candidate.
Fifteen days later, Johnson stunned the nation by announcing he would not run for a second term.
McCarthy was never able to capitalize. He spent the next few months campaigning as much against Kennedy as he did against Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who became the choice of the party establishment after Johnson's withdrawal. He beat Kennedy in Oregon in late May. In early June, Kennedy turned the tables on McCarthy by winning in California -- only to be assassinated within minutes of declaring victory.
Although Humphrey got in the race after the filing deadlines for every remaining primary had passed, and thus never won a single primary, he went on to easily win the Democratic nomination. But the cost to the party was enormous. Antiwar demonstrators outside the Chicago convention clashed with and were beaten by the Chicago police. The entire spectacle showed a party in chaos, and it had a big role in assuring the election of Richard Nixon in November. McCarthy refused to endorse Humphrey until very late in the campaign.
Retiring from the Senate after 1970, McCarthy again sought the Democratic nomination in 1972 but was not a factor. As the years went by, he became even more of a Democratic outsider. He ran as an independent presidential candidate in 1976. In 1980, McCarthy endorsed Ronald Reagan over President Jimmy Carter. He even sought the presidency again in 1988.
If you ever got to speak to McCarthy in later years, it always seemed like you were in a time machine. The conflict, the drama, the personal slights of 1968 were never far from the surface. And the conversation rarely was about Vietnam or Lyndon Johnson. It was almost always about Bobby Kennedy.
In 1968 Eugene McCarthy was an imperfect candidate leading an improbable cause. He didn't get the nomination and he didn't end the war. But he stepped forward when antiwar forces needed him the most.
NPR text : Remembering Eugene McCarthy
NPR audio : Audio recap of McCarthy's political life
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
IVRPD 1972-1998
For those of you wondering what happened to Isla Vista after the burning of the bank, Christina A. Ziegler-McPherson wrote a history of the Isla Vista Parks and Recreation District (1972-1998) which she gave the IVRPD in 1998.
During the 1970's, IV politics was split between the IVCC/IVMAC and the IVRPD. In the 1980's, the IVRPD became the defacto government in Isla Vista. What happened in the 1990's is also documented in this work. While the author's work is primarily taken from written reports of what occurred and very little primary source information was gathered, I recommend reading it:
Isla Vista Recreation and Park District History
During the 1970's, IV politics was split between the IVCC/IVMAC and the IVRPD. In the 1980's, the IVRPD became the defacto government in Isla Vista. What happened in the 1990's is also documented in this work. While the author's work is primarily taken from written reports of what occurred and very little primary source information was gathered, I recommend reading it:
Isla Vista Recreation and Park District History
Vernal Pools 1986-1996
Here's the link to the study that was made by Wayne Ferren and David Hubbard, in 1996 and published in 1998 on the vernal pool restorations in Isla Vista:
Review of Ten Years of Vernal Pool Restoration and Creation in Santa Barbara, California
Review of Ten Years of Vernal Pool Restoration and Creation in Santa Barbara, California
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Charlie Jones Effect
Long-time Isla Vista resident Mike Thornley demonstrates his skills at the Charlie Jones Effect at Anisq' Oyo' Park. The event commemorated the life of I.V. activist and juggler Charlie Jones.
Wingardium Leviosa! - Daily Nexus Online
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Charlie Jones Memorial
Some Email received since announcement:
-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Billinghurst [mailto:kevin@billinghurst.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 6:01 AM
Subject: Re: Charlie's Memorial 11/6/2005
Hi Malcom,
... Just wanted to say thanks for publicizing this. Can't
make it (I live 8000 miles away in Sweden), but will
be there in spirit. I'm one of the many people who
loved Charlie for a long time. I'm pretty sure I took
the photo of him, Jeff & Will juggling that you have
on your site.
Also a correction to an item in your blog: Diane is
not her own worst enemy. I believe I hold that honor.
Regards,
-Kevin
--------------------------------------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Ed & Helen Isenberg [mailto:Public1@isenberg-family.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 5:44 AM
Subject: Re: Charlie's Memorial 11/6/2005
Thanks, Malcolm, for the update. I so wish I was able to travel to be there.
However, as you may know, I have been disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
for 15 years now and of course it is quite an expense from our home near
Albuquerque.
I think it would be great if, at the memorial, you could mention my name and
the names of those who paid their respects via your mailing list. I would
suspect that most of us wouldn't be there but like me would like Charlie's
family and friends to know how many people he touched in such a wonderful
way over his too-short life. In the very unlikely event that anyone were to
ask about me you at this occasion or ever, you have my permission to give
out my contact information...
Thanks also for spending the time to have the blog as a potential meeting
place for people touched by Isla Vista over the years. As my friend Carol
Cuzner (of whom I am sure I have mentioned to you many times) agreed with me
some years back, "IV wasn't necessarily the happiest time I ever spent, in
fact at times wasn't happy at all, but it was certainly and without question
the most intense experience of my life."
BTW that sentiment includes the year I spent at KCSB-FM...
Warm regards,
Ed
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Kinko's & 1970s I.V.
For those of you who remained after the riots or came later, during the 1970s, you remember Kinko's began in I.V.... And, for a while, The Alternative was a close competitor (see some of the comments under Charlie's Memorial posting):
Locals Recall Kinko's Start With Plaque - Daily Nexus Online
Locals Recall Kinko's Start With Plaque - Daily Nexus Online
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Charlie's Wake
Robert Bernstein took some photos during Charlie's Wake. These and some archival shots of Charlie and friends are posted at Robert's Charlie Celebration page at:
Celebration of Charlie Jones' Life - 30 August 2005
Robert's website is at:
www.swt.org/robert
(Isla Vistan Jugglers, 1983)
Celebration of Charlie Jones' Life - 30 August 2005
Robert's website is at:
www.swt.org/robert
(Isla Vistan Jugglers, 1983)
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Torched and Toasted
Greg Desilet saw the posting about Charlie and wrote:
"Thanks for the email regarding Charlie. I don't recall but I probably met him since I used Kinko's a lot in those days and knew the owner and founder Paul Orfalea (after moving to Colorado I worked for Kinko's in different capacities for 16 years)..."
Greg's working on a novel that incorporates much of his experiences during the riots and added:
"... those who visit the DBOA web site may be interested in looking at the "Fiction" link at my site where I have placed a sample from the novel I am working on that centers around the bank burning events. Included with the text are several pictures taken by myself the night of the bank burning and the following day. I have additional pictures that I plan to include with the novel when it is finally finished and (hopefully) published. As far as I know, my pictures of the interior of the bank are the latest into the evening of the bank burning that anyone took of the interior."
Direct link to the novel excerpt:
Greg Desilet Fiction
Link to Greg's website:
Greg Desilet
(Bank of Amerika, Isla Vista Branch, February 26, 1970 courtesy of Greg Desilet)
Thanks, Greg. Look forward to reading the book!
"Thanks for the email regarding Charlie. I don't recall but I probably met him since I used Kinko's a lot in those days and knew the owner and founder Paul Orfalea (after moving to Colorado I worked for Kinko's in different capacities for 16 years)..."
Greg's working on a novel that incorporates much of his experiences during the riots and added:
"... those who visit the DBOA web site may be interested in looking at the "Fiction" link at my site where I have placed a sample from the novel I am working on that centers around the bank burning events. Included with the text are several pictures taken by myself the night of the bank burning and the following day. I have additional pictures that I plan to include with the novel when it is finally finished and (hopefully) published. As far as I know, my pictures of the interior of the bank are the latest into the evening of the bank burning that anyone took of the interior."
Direct link to the novel excerpt:
Greg Desilet Fiction
Link to Greg's website:
Greg Desilet
(Bank of Amerika, Isla Vista Branch, February 26, 1970 courtesy of Greg Desilet)
Thanks, Greg. Look forward to reading the book!
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