By the time the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago rolled around in August, tempers were at the boiling point. The Vietnam War was raging and two important figures in the political fabric of America had been killed. Clashes between protesters and police outside the convention center were widely covered by the media. Many FDR Democrats were stunned and ashamed by what they saw. Those voters began to vote Republican in large numbers. It seems to me that this turn of events might have been the start of the whole blue state/red state political breakdown that is so commonplace today.
The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, who was only five at the time, says in 1968, "the anti-war protest against Vietnam was galvanized by the draft and by diligent reporting of the war which was reflected in bloody, uncensored television coverage." Without a doubt and one has to wonder if the response to the Iraq war would be different if a draft were instituted.
Despite 1968: With Tom Brokaw's lack of depth and new material for those who are familiar with or lived through 1968, the documentary can serve as a good primer for the generation of Americans who know very little or nothing about that time in our nation's history. Anything that will get people interested in learning more about our history is a good thing.
The DVD is presented in a 1.78:1 widescreen format. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. No subtitles are provided. The DVD includes: Tom Brokaw´s Personal Perspectives (4 min.) where he gives additional thoughts on 1968. There are also seven additional interviews (13 min.) with some of the interviewees from the documentary.
One note: As is often the case, the back of the DVD case warns that "the music contained in the broadcast of this program has been replaced for the DVD release."
Article comments
1 - cosmick
I've been watching this in my spare time. Just got through the RFK assasination. Strangely: absolutely no comment on who the perp was. RFK was shot but by who? For what reason?
2 - Rebecca Wright
Exactly. this program lacks many substantive facts about the who, what, where's and whys of anything. In the case of RFK, Rafer Johnson just tells his tale.
3 - Rebecca Wright
It has never been clearly established as to why Sirhan Sirhan shot Kennedy but many believe he felt he had been betrayed by Kennedy's support for Israel in the 1967 six day war. However "Kennedy Must Die" entries were found in Sirhan's diary before Kennedy's support for Israel was publicly known, so there were likely other reasons.
4 - Dean
Describing the clashes between protesters and police in Chicago as "outside the convention center" leaves a misleading impression. The protesters were near the Chicago lakefront, five miles away from the International Amphitheater where the convention was held.