Hubert Humphrey on "Dialogue with Litton"

Hubert Humphrey on "Dialogue with Litton" - January 20, 1976

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State Historical Society of Missouri

6 жыл бұрын

This footage comes from the archives at the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO). It was digitized from its original 2-inch quadruplex videotape with support from the Jerry Litton Memorial Family Foundation. You can support the digitization efforts of the Society by becoming a member at shsmo.org/join
This video is raw footage copied from the format in which it was originally received. It may include dead air, test patterns, slate boards, and audio tones. The quality varies and it may include video/audio drop outs, artifacts, and other playback distortions.
In this video from January 20, 1976, Jerry Litton hosts U.S. Senator from Minnesota and former U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey on his program "Dialogue with Litton." The original film and digitized files are held as part of the Jerry L. Litton Papers (C3730) collection at the State Historical Society of Missouri: collections.shsmo.org/manuscr...
In the 1970s, Jerry L. Litton was a political rising star from Missouri. He ran for U.S. Congress for Missouri's 6th district in 1972 and won. He was reelected in 1974 with overwhelming support. In 1976, he began a run to be a U.S. senator from Missouri. On the night of his primary win-August 3, 1976-Litton and his family perished in an airplane accident.
From 1974-1976, Litton hosted a popular television show, "Dialogue with Litton," which was broadcast statewide. He invited prominent political guests to speak to audience members about their concerns with government. Twenty-nine guests appeared on the show, including Georgia governor and future U.S. president Jimmy Carter, Missouri senator Thomas Eagleton, and the first African American congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, of New York.
Learn more about Litton in his Historic Missourian biography at historicmissourians.shsmo.org...

Пікірлер: 34

@MAURICO2 4 жыл бұрын

Hubert Horatio Humphrey, a truly, gifted speaker, committed public servant and wonderful human being, with might I add an adorable sense of humor. His decency, integrity and prodigious knowledge of public policy and administration and deep love of this country's people was evident whenever he spoke. His illness tragically cut his life much too short. Seeing his passion and eloquence again in these videos after all these years brings me to tears. I am all over again tearfully mourning his 1978 death and also his 1968 election loss. How different the country would have been if this very able man had been elected in 1968. Sadly, Johnson's huge unpopularity over the Vietnam War and Humphrey being his vice president was insurmountable for Humphrey.

@rickmontgomery3037 3 жыл бұрын

Well said....

@BTURNER1961 3 жыл бұрын

This was the American voter's greatest missed opportunity in my lifetime. One of the first true progressives, and the one unstoppable force that eventually drove the Dixiecrats out. He was an early advocate for Social Security and Federal aid to education, the NTB treaty ,originator of the Peace Corps ( 3 yrs before Kennedy), and Food for Peace program, the Fair Employment Practices Commission and authored of the CRA of 64 and Medicare. On the other side of the ledger, his full throated support for LBJ's and Nixon Vietnam policies and an unfortunate effort with the McClarren Act of 1950, and a proposal to make membership in the Communist party a felony. Nevertheless, Its an astonishing career as a legislator.

@stephenj.schneider5185 3 ай бұрын

Totally agree! Last of the real "statesmen" who take what others consider "lower" positions even after serving as Vice President. Unfortunately, by this time America was looking for someone new..........and Democrats supported Carter.

@DustyLizard85 3 жыл бұрын

Watching this now at 35, born in 1985, during the turmoil of the 2020 election and watching President Donald J Trump disgrace our nation in his tantrum-like refusal with baseless objections to the people's vote. It's really refreshing to look back to times before, and hear the things people talked about then, and how they conducted themselves. Thank you for preserving this piece of history, OP.

@hunterlee6286 Жыл бұрын

You suck and you’re going to hell bitch

@DustyLizard85 Жыл бұрын

@@hunterlee6286 ???

@martym.6274 10 ай бұрын

Humphrey didn’t have the media pick apart everything he said and did, the media wasn’t biased and one sided and corrupt as they are now. I’m sure HHH would have had his feathers ruffled had he had to deal with the corrupt, lying media of 2020.

@MAURICO2 4 жыл бұрын

Below I have stated my admiration for Hubert Humphrey. After viewing this broadcast I became curious about Congressman Litton who, to my mind, came across as a rising star. I had not heard of him before and was thus wondering about the progression of his congressional career. In following my curiosity I have just learned that he, his wife and two children were killed in a plane crash on August 3, just 8 months after this broadcast. He died before Mr. Humphrey and was only 39. What a tragedy this was. This has me reeling. This broadcast show us the unpredictability and preciousness of life for all of us. Seeing this video and knowing the tragic future of these two fine individuals has shaken me. I am motivated to be a better person--more forgiving, more forbearing, more conciliatory.

@MAURICO2 3 жыл бұрын

@Ellis Conner Respectfully, what does "vote Biden2020" have to do with my heart felt comments above about Humphrey and Litton?

@MAURICO2 3 жыл бұрын

@Ellis Conner A few comments about similarities between Biden and Humphrey might be helpful. A bit of advice on social cues: someone who has taken the mental energy and time to write 15 lines as I did (8 above and 7 below) is hoping to see from a commenter a similar effort. A single sentence, slogan or thumb up or down is a let down.

@MAURICO2 3 жыл бұрын

@Ellis Conner Very excellent points! I had not recognized these connections. Thank you so much! I think your comments do much more to get out the vote for Biden than a slogan! ---Yes, despite his prior pro-Vietnam stance as Johnson's Vice President, (which is why he lost to Nixon in 1968) Humphrey would have been the 1976 democratic candidate instead of Jimmy Carter. He certainly would have defeated Gerald Ford as did Jimmy Carter. Then, in 1980 he would have gone up against Ronald Reagan, but as a much more able politician than Jimmy Carter. Humphrey would have had a much more successful presidency and thus been a more competitive candidate in his reelection bid than Jimmy Carter. Carter only got 44 electoral votes and 6 states while Reagan got 489 electoral votes and 44 states. ---Of course, if Robert Kennedy had not been assassinated (in May 1968 after he won the California primary) he perhaps would have been the democratic candidate against Nixon in November 1968. Then, if Kennedy got two terms as president, Humphrey would run to succeed him in 1976. Perhaps a few historians have explored and written about these "what ifs." It's worth a search.

@MAURICO2 3 жыл бұрын

@Ellis Conner Correction--it was 39 year old congressman Litton who died in a plane crash along with his entire family. It was on the night he was elected to the Senate. Humphrey died of bladder cancer as age 66 in Jan 1978. As other commenters have noted Humphrey discovered his illness in 1975-76 as he was about to gear up his campaign. Your other comments about similarities are right on.

@MAURICO2 3 жыл бұрын

@Ellis Conner ---I think Humphrey would have been an all around more effective president with more competent cabinet and high level appointments and stronger presence on the world stage than Jimmy Carter. Thus he would have had more support and better tools to deal with the hostage crisis. Perhaps it might not have even happened under Humphrey, Carter was so weakened by Nov 1979 (3 years into his presidency) when the crisis begin that it was viewed by many as US vulnerability because of his weakness. In reality it can be blamed on several administrations that looked past human rights abuses of the Shah of Iran because of Iranian oil. Even the failed rescue attempt in which 8 military servicemen were killed by a helicopter accident in the desert was viewed as Carter-incompetence rather than an tragedy that befell patriotic service members on a high risk mission. As a final insult to Carter the hostages were released the day Reagan was inaugurated--Jan 20, 1981. ---High level Carter staff such as his National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski have publicly stated that Carter immersed himself in minutia to the point of not seeing or addressing the larger picture. Famously, Carter was known to edit memos for grammar memos from his high level officials. We're not talking about drafts from speech writers but memos from cabinet officials seeking to inform Carter or his thoughts or decisions about national and international matters.

@rickmontgomery3037 3 жыл бұрын

This was great to watch! "...Behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-law...", what a great line :)

@MontgomeryMall 4 жыл бұрын

Humphrey was in the throes of bladder cancer at the time of this interview.

@DustyLizard85 3 жыл бұрын

Gosh, how much did we even know of cancer in '76 I wonder.

@ellisonpearson3387 2 жыл бұрын

@@DustyLizard85 he had the mayo clinic in his native MN. It was one of the only places w survival rates.

@onomatopoeia162003 4 ай бұрын

@@ellisonpearson3387 yeah. I was born over in Rochester :)

@Raughwe 7 ай бұрын

I think Litton was Presidential material. What a terrible shame. I'm also ashamed I didn't know about him until now, but so glad there's a record of tapes here on youtube.

@brettj.m.roebuck17 3 жыл бұрын

HHH was such a neat fellow.

@irocitZ 2 ай бұрын

One of greatest presidents we never had.

@tarikabaraka2251 3 ай бұрын

Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. fue un farmacéutico, político y senador estadounidense. Vicepresidente de los Estados Unidos entre 1965 y 1969.

@charlesritt5088 Жыл бұрын

Gee congressman Jerry Litton was on track to be the next US senator from Missouri and then he died in a "plane accident" in 1976 and the republican John Danforth wins. In2000 Mel Carnahan was about to win a US senate seat in Missouri and then he died in a "plane accident" This time through complicated things his widow Jean Carnahan was able to step in for her late husband and win. Kind of like my own home state of Minnesota where incumbent US senator Paul Wellstone was going to be re-elected according to the polls by 6-9 percentage and then he had another "plane accident" These "plane accidents seem to be keep happening and yet if you even dare to start questions you will be labled as either crazy or UNAMERICAN. Oh well best not to think or ask questions

@TheAnxietyCloset 7 ай бұрын

Litton's plane had a mechanical fault and the Carnahan and Wellstone plane crashes were both due to pilot errors.

@fshoaps Жыл бұрын

Did Humphrey run in 1976?

@multicolors725 Жыл бұрын

No, there was a sort of draft movement to get him nominated, but at this point I think Humphrey knew he was terminally ill with cancer so he was against running for it again.

@fshoaps Жыл бұрын

@@multicolors725 Odd. Poor guy should’ve gotten it in 1972.

@MAURICO2 Жыл бұрын

@@fshoaps It’s worth a revisit of history to find out how McGovern got the nomination in 1972. Perhaps it was because after Humphrey’s loss in 1968 the Democratic Party view was to give someone else a chance. But after McGovern’s trouncing in 1972 the party would have been ready to return to Humphrey, but by then his illness was evident to him and perhaps disclosed to others who mattered in his political decisions.

@brettsinger9565 6 ай бұрын

No but believe it or not after the 1976 election, he was contemplating running in 1980. He just didn't make it.

@irocitZ 2 ай бұрын

He should have won in 68 as well.