RIP George McGovern
George McGovern, the man Nixon trounced in 1972, has died at the age of 90.
McGovern was the first presidential candidate I ever voted for. Yes, he was a liberal, but of the more old-fashioned kind, without nastiness and with a fair amount of collegiality between the parties.
McGovern may have gotten his clock cleaned in 1972, but voters in Massachusetts—the only state that had gone for McGovern—got to display bumper stickers saying “Don’t Blame Me; I’m from Massachusetts” after the Watergate scandal.
And remember this?
RIP, George McGovern.
I didn’t vote for McGovern and didn’t have much use of his Pacifist policies.
At the time I was on active duty, and friends were still flying over North Vietnam. To me McGovern’s policies of peace at any cost, would have made all of the sacrifices meaningless. Ironically, I voted for Nixon and subsequent events made all of the sacrifices meaningless.
I respected McGovern as a bomber pilot in WWII. I have always been fascinated by the men who went to war in that way because I had an older cousin who was a B-17 crewman flying over Europe. Over the years I have tried to imagine how young men brought themselves to go back day after day in the face of horrendous losses. I wouldn’t be surprised if the experience did not color McGovern’s view of war, any war, as he experienced the great losses among his colleagues, and also became aware of the massive devastation that he helped inflict on target cities.
I never wanted McGovern as President, but I acknowledge his worth as a person.
. . . Definitely “the more old-fashioned kind”, as neo puts it. One could strongly disagree with the man and his vision without being dismissed as evil, selfish, racist, you-all-know-the-routine.
R.I.P., Senator McGovern.
The Anchoress (Elizabeth Scalia) checks in . . .
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2012/10/22/mcgovern-on-the-realities-of-a-market-economy/
McGovern on Realities of Market Economy and Sweeping Legislation
By Elizabeth Scalia 8 Comments
Patheos.com
October 22, 2012
We were a McGovern family – sign in the yard, button on the lapel. He was a sincere patriot, and a great Democrat from an era of great Democrats, now sadly passed.
I have no doubt he would have been appalled at the idea of ramming legislation through, unread, that was going to affect every aspect of American lives, from cradle to grave. I have no doubt he’d have found the HHS Mandate unconstitutional. You don’t fly 35 missions against a totalitarian regime only to suppress the rights of your own compatriots.
[ snip ]
Oldflyer’s ruminations reminded me of a story I heard a WWII bomber crewman tell once. The squadrons were quartered together. After big raids you’d come back exhausted and wait in the silent darkness for the other crews to come in. Sometimes you awoke to half-empty barracks, or worse.
I had the opportunity to ride in a B-17, and I took it. I had respect for the men and boys who flew them then, but now have much, much more.