I neglected to mention, the changes to the party rules actually occurred after the 1968 "the whole world is watching" convention in Chicago.

After the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party made changes in its delegate selection process, based on the work of the McGovern-Fraser Commission. The purpose of the changes was to make the composition of the convention less subject to control by party leaders and more responsive to the votes cast during the campaign for the nomination.

The Fraser on the commission was the former mayor of Minneapolis.

There were tons of party hacks who refused to to work for the ticket in 1972 (just like the current Blue Dogs are doing to the Democration Congressional Campaign Committee today)--really prominent, as in mayors from Detroit, Philly, LA and I forget where all--refused to show up and be counted.

For awhile, it looked like the party was going to sink under it's own weight. But instead, what happened is they haven't been able to elect many presidents (just Carter and Clinton) in the years since that convention.

And lots of folks will tell you the only reason Carter won is because the Republicans were so detested in the post-Nixon, post-Watergate era.

Jimmy Carter beat Nixon's second VP (after his first one was tried and jailed for corruption)--the one he made sure gave him a pardon before he climbed on Air Force One the last time & flew in the sunset.