What did George McGovern represent in the '72 campaign?

[Liberté]

I was reading the transcript of the 1976 vice-presidential debate between Bob Dole and Walter Mondale when a quote by Dole popped out at me. It was on the subject of an embargo on American grain exports imposed by Gerald Ford and opposed by Dole himself. Dole suggested that George Meany was responsible for the embargo:

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Now this is extremely interesting to me. Of all the Democratic Presidential candidates of the past half-century or so, the consensus opinion on McGovern is that he was by far the most left-winged out of all of them. Yet is seems that McGovern alone of any of them was willing to completely break with organized labor and directly oppose one of their key issues.

This isn't the only way in which a public figure generally considered to be on the Right of the American political spectrum has praised McGovern. The American Conservative magazine ran a glittering profile of McGovern's career in 2006. The choicest quote:

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Richard Nixon has long been the subject of historical revisionism by his partisans: that he instituted mass desegregation of the school system and established the EPA is held up as proof-positive that he should never have been hated as much as he was by the 'Left'. Why, then, can't a narrative be constructed from the opposite perspective? That, in the 1972 campaign, George McGovern was the traditionally conservative candidate?

It doesn't fit perfectly, of course. McGovern wanted to institute a Minimum Guaranteed Income. But then, Nixon had made some overtures towards this in his campaign as well. On economic issues it seems to me a draw, though McGovern still looks better than the man whose foreign policy led to the oil crisis in 1973.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

McGovern is the greatest presidential candidate of the 20th century.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

From what I've read, later documents suggested that he was internally very conflicted on the issue of abortion.

[Liberté]

From what I've read, later documents suggested that he was internally very conflicted on the issue of abortion.

Hunter S. Thompson laments McGovern being smeared as the "triple-A" candidate in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. As I understand it from that book, McG was legitimately opposed to it on moral grounds, but did not think government had the authority to ban it. I myself think that McGovern would probably have made some moves to limit access to it on the Federal level, and though I'd have opposed that, it ironically would have been more than the pro-life position has ever gotten out of the Republican Party.

[President Mitt]

From what I've read, later documents suggested that he was internally very conflicted on the issue of abortion.

Hunter S. Thompson laments McGovern being smeared as the "triple-A" candidate in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. As I understand it from that book, McG was legitimately opposed to it on moral grounds, but did not think government had the authority to ban it. I myself think that McGovern would probably have made some moves to limit access to it on the Federal level, and though I'd have opposed that, it ironically would have been more than the pro-life position has ever gotten out of the Republican Party.

Of course, the GOP doesn't actually want to overturn Roe v. Wade, because it doesn't want to lose those pro-life single issue voters. Better to keep the issue alive. Same thing with Obama and the gays; Support them rhetorically, and toss them a bone here and there to keep them satisfied to keep the money and votes coming in.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Ugh, welcome back, Libertas

[Liberté]

Ugh, welcome back, Libertas

I'm not sure what you're getting at.

[tpfkaw]

Ugh, welcome back, Libertas

He's admitted to being Einzige, so I'm afraid you're rather inobservant.

[Liberté]

Regardless of who I 'am', I wonder whether or not someone can answer the question I've posed here: does McGovern's typical depiction as the candidate of the New Left, and only the New Left, hold true?

[tpfkaw]

Well, the modern Libertarian movement (and the Libertarian Party in particular) had much of its roots in the New Left, although the New Left had moved in a more socialist and less libertarian direction (hence the establishment of the Libertarian Party) - reflected in the shift from McCarthy to McGovern.  McGovern personally was certainly more open to free market principles (especially with regards to labor and regulations) than the modern Democratic Party, although that was somewhat true of the Democratic Party as a whole in the 70s (since the traditionalist 'liberal' LBJ-HHH wing was stagnant).  But yes, if you asked his supporters if they considered themselves left or right, I would guess >90% would say they were of the left and <10% would claim to be of the right (and most of those would be very stubborn Dixiecrats).

[Liberté]

Well, the modern Libertarian movement (and the Libertarian Party in particular) had much of its roots in the New Left, although the New Left had moved in a more socialist and less libertarian direction (hence the establishment of the Libertarian Party) - reflected in the shift from McCarthy to McGovern.  McGovern personally was certainly more open to free market principles (especially with regards to labor and regulations) than the modern Democratic Party, although that was somewhat true of the Democratic Party as a whole in the 70s (since the traditionalist 'liberal' LBJ-HHH wing was stagnant).  But yes, if you asked his supporters if they considered themselves left or right, I would guess >90% would say they were of the left and <10% would claim to be of the right (and most of those would be very stubborn Dixiecrats).

Asked and answered. And if you ever want to know what I'm doing when I post, I'm putting out feelers to try to re-build what existed at that time in some form or fashion.

[Dancing with Myself]

McGovern was the first real leftist Democratic candidate, he was the counterculture nominee. he also ran the first real primary campaign, Muskie focused on big states, McGovern focused on the other states and won. He was just too radical for the times, the Democrats would not help him and basically gave up chances of winning after the convention and Eagleton scandal

[All Along The Watchtower]

McGovern was the first real leftist Democratic candidate, he was the counterculture nominee. he also ran the first real primary campaign, Muskie focused on big states, McGovern focused on the other states and won. He was just too radical for the times, the Democrats would not help him and basically gave up chances of winning after the convention and Eagleton scandal

McGovern was a fairly typical liberal Northern Democrat of the time. He wasn't a radical, even though he did have some radical supporters.

What's interesting is that the modern Democratic Party liberal base of professionals, minorities, students, and well-educated people comes largely from McGovern's 72 campaign. Also, ultra-liberal third parties like the Greens and Peace and Freedom owe a lot to the McGovern campaign, too.

[Dancing with Myself]

McGovern was the first real leftist Democratic candidate, he was the counterculture nominee. he also ran the first real primary campaign, Muskie focused on big states, McGovern focused on the other states and won. He was just too radical for the times, the Democrats would not help him and basically gave up chances of winning after the convention and Eagleton scandal

McGovern was a fairly typical liberal Northern Democrat of the time. He wasn't a radical, even though he did have some radical supporters.

What's interesting is that the modern Democratic Party liberal base of professionals, minorities, students, and well-educated people comes largely from McGovern's 72 campaign. Also, ultra-liberal third parties like the Greens and Peace and Freedom owe a lot to the McGovern campaign, too.

I don't guess you consider putting half of the country on welfare radical do you?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Amnesity, Acid, and Abortion, duh!

[Username MechaRFK]

A true progressive/liberal in the American sense of the word campaign that was too much for middle america against Richard M Nixon, just like Barry Goldwater conservativeism/libertarianism was too much for that crowd back in 1964 against Lyndon B Johnson. Funny enough, many libertarians like the guy and McGovern views on labour were't what you'll call "progressive". Most of the other New Left members such as McCarthy, Church and Gravel are now beloved by many libertarians. And what frighting is the love Richard Nixon gets from progressives as well as Lyndon Johnson. I think there better men to honor for progressiveism then crocks such as Nixon.