As the South Dakotan moved closer to the nomination, an “Anybody But McGovern”–ABC–movement sprung up. It was lead by labor unions, southern politicians (including the Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter) and more conservative Democrats who were in disarray following the assassination attempt on Wallace that Spring that left him paralyzed. They tried to block McGovern’s winner-take-all victory in California and get the delegates awarded to former Vice President Hubert Humphrey who had entered the race. At the convention, Carter gave an impassioned speech for “Scoop” Jackson. AFL-CIO Boss George Meany made it clear he wouldn’t back McGovern. In the end, through some deft parliamentary maneuvers, McGovern sealed the deal at the convention in Miami Beach and then was crushed by Richard Nixon that fall. McGovern carried only one state, Massachusetts, although the Watergate scandal made many McGovern voters proud. A popular bumper sticker at the time: “Don’t Blame Me, I voted for McGovern.” .

McGovern showed that in a modern party convention, it’s still very hard to stop the leader. Ronald Reagan trailed in 1976 behind incumbent president Gerald Ford and was never quite able to make it over the top. The idea that a convention will suddenly elevate a third place finisher or some White Knight outsider like a Mitt Romney is romantic but unrealistic. Were Trump to lose lots of the late primaries that might shake confidence. But all that happened on Tuesday is that he lost Ohio to a popular governor of the state. Otherwise, he destroyed Marco Rubio in Florida, took home Illinois and, at the time of this writing, very competitive in Missouri and North Carolina. If his juggernaut continues the mogul will handily defeat #NeverTrump, Stop Trump, Anybody but Trump or whatever you want to call it.