Reply #59: but failed

[wyldwolf]

The McGovern commission, chaired first by Senator George McGovern and then Congressman Don Fraser of Minnesota, ended the old boss system of choosing presidential nominees and helped create the modern presidential primary system. This led to a class shift in each party, as affluent liberals gained more power in the Democratic Party while working-class conservatives won more say in the GOP.

Perhaps most importantly, the commission changed the rationale for choosing presidential nominees: Picking a candidate who was likely to win became less important than choosing one who represented the views of primary voters and special-interest groups.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/11/23/primary_colors?mode=PF

Robert Strauss was the DNC chair from 72 to I believe '77. The McGovern-Fraser commission put their changes into effect in 1968, leading to the McGovern nomination in 1972 - a point at which grassroots-progressive had already established a strong hold on DNC affairs.

The reason I said this wasn't a valid comparison is because after McGovern's defeat in '72, liberal activivists were NOT marginalized as the far right was after Goldwater's defeat. The rules had been changed in the party to in favor of the left.