Several thousand protesters gathered outside the Democratic National Convention in Denver this past week, some calling themselves Recreate 68, and all those with long memories heaved little sighs of relief because these demonstrations included no particular spilling of blood.

In today’s momentary pause between political gatherings, the ghost of Hubert H. Humphrey must be wondering about this. Where were these gentle protesters 40 years ago, when the Democratic Party gathered in Chicago and such nightmarish riots ensued that they doomed Humphrey’s campaign for president, and gave us Richard Nixon and helped transform a generation of voters into conservative Republicans?