Will Barack Obama be remembered as the Democrats' Nixon?

[Antonio the Sixth]

That's what I have been thinking for a while now. Really, the parallel Reagan-Bush41=FDR-Truman, Clinton=Ike, Dubya=JFK/LBJ, Obama=Nixon works impressively well. Following that logic, a moderate Republican should win in 2016 and then be defeated in 2020 by a progressive Democrat who would achieve the realignment. That's going to be pretty fun if it happens.

[Antonio the Sixth]

That's what I have been thinking for a while now. Really, the parallel Reagan-Bush41=FDR-Truman, Clinton=Ike, Dubya=JFK/LBJ, Obama=Nixon works impressively well. Following that logic, a moderate Republican should win in 2016 and then be defeated in 2020 by a progressive Democrat who would achieve the realignment. That's going to be pretty fun if it happens.

Only if Obama is convicted of something and Biden becomes President.

Plus, Obama's 2012 win is no 1972.

I think you missed the point. Dubya wasn't assassinated in 2003 and replaced by Cheney, in the case you didn't notice.

[Antonio the Sixth]

lol at "historical parallels". Most of this stuff consists of focusing on a few points of similarities between two Presidents, ignoring the vast number of differences and concluding you have some kind of predictive power as a result.

It's not really the Presidents themselves that are the focus, but rather their impact on the ideological consensus prevailing in the country. Nobody is denying "the vast number of differences", it's just that the scope of the comparison is a very precise one.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Why are Americans so obsessed with political dynasties? I never understood that. It's so blatantly undemocratic in its spirit...

[Antonio the Sixth]

Why are Americans so obsessed with political dynasties? I never understood that. It's so blatantly undemocratic in its spirit...

How on earth is it undemocratic?

Because the American system was founded in opposition to the dynastic political systems of Europe at the time. It was designed so that anyone could rise to political prominence based on their politics, not their family connections. Political dynasties are undemocratic because they favor those who have (often) undeserved name recognition.

Couldn't have said it better.

Note that if a dynasty politician happens to be a great politician (see FDR, Ted Kennedy, etc.), but some people seem to see a famous last name as a positive in and of itself.