Humphrey Remembered

Hubert Humphrey is something of a fading demigod in these parts. His name is stamped on sports stadiums and academic institutions, but a growing number of Minnesotans probably only have the vaguest idea of who he is. Humphrey would have turned 100 and Rick Perlstein commemorates the occasion in the Times with a clear-eyed yet admiring analysis of Humphrey’s legacy. Humphrey was the perfect embodiment of Minnesota-style progressivism: humble, sincere, resolute, and egalitarian. That kind of progressive spirit has been in retreat in Minnesota over the last several years, but it hasn’t completely disappeared. There will never be another Hubert Humphrey, but we can strive to realize his vision of a better Minnesota and a better country.