Abortion in 1972
A note of historical interest. Hubert Humphrey tarred George McGovern as being soft on “amnesty, abortion and acid” in the rough and tumble 1972 Democratic party primaries. McGovern won the nomination but the charge stuck, and became a favorite of Richard Nixon’s less than savory reelection team. (For the record, the charge was hugely unfair: McGovern favored leaving abortion up the states, did not favor drug legalization and of course only a few years later general amnesty for Vietnam draft evaders was favored by leaders of both parties.)
Now columnist (and Catholic convert) Robert Novakreveals that Thomas Eagleton fed him the phrase in the spring of 1972. Eagleton did so because he thought “Catholic Middle America” would revolt against McGovern if he became tarred with these issues.
So: a pro-life Catholic Democrat (Eagleton) helps destroy George McGovern’s campaign through this phrase in the spring of 1972, and then agrees to become McGovern’s vice-presidential nominee after Ted Kennedy (Catholic, then pro-life) refuses the job. Once it is revealed that Eagleton underwent psychiatric treatment, he is forced to leave the ticket (now he would get free time on Oprah), pushing McGovern further back in the polls. McGovern then turns to a pro-life Catholic Democrat, Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver. But 1972 is still the first presidential election when a solid majority of Catholic voters choose the Republican candidate.
John,
Your facts are interesting but… McGovern was a worst campaigner than Gore and Kerry put together. I really doubt that abortion had anything to do with that election. McGovern had the right issues but failed to realize, as did Gore and Kerry, that security trumps over all when the public feels threatened.
The peace movement had great issues but too many of them lacked basic manners and cleanliness. When McGovern agreed to meet with a group of demonstrating hippies, who looked pathetic, I then knew the race was over. It is true that the Apostles may not have been that refined. But neither did Jesus run for office.
Most Americans approve of abortion for valid reasons. Clinton clearly proved that winning big.
Thanks, Professor McGreevy, for this posting. It was news to me. How sad and dispiriting!
I am surprised that this intrigueing thread did not provoke more comments. Further, I believe that the notion of amnesty and acid hurt McG. more. I would add another one “anarchy.” As much as people did not like Nixon they did not want chaos at any cost. Bush is very similar in campaign and criminality to Nixon. Anything to win. And when lies are believed……
I’ve actually been in a state of shock about this one since I read it.
1972 was the first election I was old enough to vote in.
If I remember correctly, one of the things that weakened McGovern was his pledge to stick by Eagleton when the shock treatment story broke. Then McGovern replaced him with Shriver. While most people thought that was a politically a prudent move that got McGovern a near-Kennedy as opposed to a nobody, it made McGovern look bad.
As I recall, nobody thought seriously Humphrey was ever going to live down having been Johnson’s VP, not even with after four years of the “new Nixon” who had failed to get us out of Vietnam but kept claiming he had a secret plan to do so.
I also remember that calls for an all-volunteer army seemed to be a far bigger issue among people my age (18-22) than a national abortion rights law.