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This fits into my theory that something snapped after 1970 or so. Could the snapping event have been Watergate Scandal?
The election of 1974 brought Democrats into power in numbers nearly as great as after the LBJ landslide in 1964. Were the effects upon legislation similar to that of LBJ's Great Society?
Certainly, the Watergate scandal certainly helped the Democrat's political prospects. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is still with us today. One of its features is baseline budgeting, the kind of budgeting that refers to spending increases as "cuts". There is little way that even a GOP president, and a GOP congress can do about this. A provision related to former Senator Harry Byrd requires 3/5 majority to pass the Senate, which just about dooms any chance of getting the budget under control.
Another consequence was the loss of the Vietnam War:
As its first act after the 1974 election, the new Congress cut off all aid to South Vietnam. Within a short period of time, this led to Communist conquest of all of Indochina, the massacre of at least 4 million of our friends in the killing fields of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, and the displacement of millions of “boat people.”
Certainly the loss of Vietnam inspired Al Qaeda types to believe that they can defeat the USA in a war. They've got allies in the Democrat party. Ultimately, we were attacked on September 11th, 2001.
The election laws were also changed in a way that was helpful to Democrats:
Following the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon, Congress amended FECA in 1974, severely limiting the amount individuals could contribute to federal candidates and placing spending limits on federal elections. In addition, the law established the creation of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enforce election laws and to establish a public financing program for federal candidates.
Not to mention that those who work in unionized shops have their union dues go to pay for Democrat's campaign donations.
No question about it. Watergate was good for Democrats. Did the Democrats exploit the crime for political purposes? Sure looks like it.
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