Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1972

McGovern Eagleton

The shortest-lived button in the history of Presidential campaigns. 18 days to be exact.

In 1972 I was a volunteer in the McGovern campaign in Olympia, Washington, so you'll be seeing quite a few buttons endorsing the Senator from South Dakota.

George McGovern was an authentic WWII hero and a good and decent man. And he was right on many issues. But he was a horrible politician. In spite of that, I still admire McGovern to this day and am so happy I worked on his campaign. When he came to Seattle I went to see him speak, and realized he was far from charismatic, but the guy had a geeky sincerity I admired. We didn't win, in fact we were slaughtered, but in the history of Presidential elections there was never a clearer choice between Good and Evil. 

And 1972 America voted in fear and overwhelmingly chose Evil.

I also voted for George in the Whitman County, Washington caucus when he ran in 1984. He didn't get it, but the eventual nominee, Walter Mondale (another good and decent man), lost by even greater margin to old Ron the Con who brought us a huge economic deficit, Iran-Contra, and a long parade of convicted public officials who betrayed the public trust that outnumbered the Watergate number of convicted crooks. 

This in spite of the fact that during the 1984 debates Ron the Con was clearly suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Sometimes, you have to wonder about the wisdom of the electorate.

If you look back in the history of Presidential elections, George McGovern is now the senior living major party candidate, having outlived his opponents and all running mates. When George crosses to the Other Side, which will be soon, those of us left behind will carry the flame in our own fashion.

God bless you, George McGovern. Thank you.