The candidate George McGovern with 26 year old Bill Clinton, who worked on the Presidential campaign
Senator George McGovern exemplified everything that is decent about public service. He was a vehement peace candidate when he ran for President, and he was also a war hero in World War II, piloting a bomber in the European Theater. He performed various good works throughout his life, starting--I think--in a position dealing with hunger in America under JFK. He went on to serve in Congress and The Senate. In 1972 he challenged President Nixon and was slaughtered by the biggest election landslide in history. The Republicans stopped at nothing to sling mud and paint him as a Red and said he was the candidate of "Abortion-Amnesty-Appeasement." As it turned out, Richard Nixon left office in disgrace, and in such disgrace that we are in many ways still dealing with the fallout. After he left office, he worked tirelessly on hunger issues, and published a few books.
He drew a lot of people of my generation into politics and led us to believe that if you got involved you actually could make a difference. I remember going down to Oregon and doorbelling for him in 1972. I was eighteen. Eighteen year olds had just gotten the vote and we really did believe he could change the world. We slept on the floor in a church basement for four days and pestered voters in the greater Portland area. This is how I got wired into politics and it's never really left my system. I even ran for city council that year, I was so inspired.
Most importantly, George McGovern showed us that you could be a decent, loving, caring person and still run for office. I'd still like to think it's true. If you would like to read a book about what a caring and thoughtful man was like in the mire and muck of a hard-fought political campaign, track down a copy of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear And Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72. Rest in peace, Senator.
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