1968 election

January 29, 2008 - 3:32am

Democrats see similarities between Humphrey vs. Kennedy '68

Tags: Barack Obama, Ray Lesniak, Hillary Clinton, Richard Hughes, Steve Adubato, Lyndon Johnson, Brian Hughes, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Hubert Humphrey, Kibili Tayari, John Cunningham, 1968 election

Robert F. Kennedy campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968

Working guard duty at Fort Dix in 1968, 22-year-old government issue Ray Lesniak counted himself a fortunate one because he didn't get shipped off to Vietnam.

"Even though I ain't no senator's son," said the senator, 40 years later now, quoting the Creedence Clearwater Revivial song lyrics from the older era.

He was into politics even then, and he liked Sen. Robert Kennedy for president.

"I was a huge supporter," he said.

For insiders like Lesniak who have been immersed in Democratic Party stand-offs for decades, the primary rumble between senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama bears traces of that 1968 match-up between establishment warhorse Hubert Humphrey and tousle-headed rock star Kennedy.

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