On the 1976 Election

First, let me free myself of certain political constraints in this brief speculation about the Jimmy Carter phenomenon. That done, I think the analysis can be made much more candidly. I intend to vote for Carter and to work as hard as I can for his election. He is not, obviously, a socialist candidate, or, for that matter, a representative of the democratic left even though he moved in the latter direction during the months between his conquest of the nomination and his acceptance of it. There is much we don’t know about the man, personally and politically; there may be some surprises, perhaps unpleasant ones.

I concede all this, and more. The fact remains that the question posed for the left is, Which holds out more hope fo...