George McGovern, an unabashed liberal voice, is dead

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- George Stanley McGovern, a staunch liberal who served South Dakota in the U.S. Senate and House for more than two decades and who ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic Party nominee for president in 1972, died Sunday at the age of 90, his family said.

"Our wonderful father, George McGovern, passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by our family and life-long friends," his family said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/21/us/george-mcgovern-dead/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

---

R.I.P. sir. Yours was the first election that I followed in school when I was a kid in 6th grade...

[TahitiNut]

1. RIP, Mr. President (in my ideal world)

My condolences to his family and loved ones.

[lalalu]

89. Mine too

[Horse with no Name]

99. Can you imagine the country we would be today if that were so?

If only....

Going to give pause today for missed opportunities and praise to a man that tried to take us to an honorable place.

RIP Senator McGovern.

[jwirr]

139. Exactly. He was one of our bright shining moments.

[kenfrequed]

144. I think the world would have been a much saner place had he won.

Unfortunately there the Nixonites were fierce and dedicated and willing to resort to very dirty tricks to win.

Also unfortunate is that there were elements of the Democratic party that resisted and disliked his brand of people-powered populism and they actually worked against him after the nomination.

[LeftofObama]

2. RIP Senator!

You will be missed!

[Historic NY]

3. "Fair winds and fallowing seas" .

[allan01]

4. re:George McGovern, an unabashed liberal voice, is dead

silent key .

[Icunme]

5. R I P George McGovern

Sad news - a strong consistent advocate

[Astazia]

6. One of the fathers of the modern progressive movement, Senator George McGovern.

An American hero! Rest in peace Senator. You will always be remembered! Love & peace to your family. (mine too nt)

[LWolf]

100. I disagree.

The "modern progressive movement" is about centrism, corporatism, and "new" democrats using the term "progressive" to move further and further to the right.

George McGovern did not father that.

He IS a political hero, though. I remember him, and always will, as being the party I wanted to see.

[loudsue]

103. Yep. n/t

[Ken Burch]

122. Well put.

n/t.

[rjlobo422]

136. I think you may have missed the point.

Woff I think you have missed Astazia,s point. I grew up in the seventies. George McGovern was my first vote. Trust me compared to Richard Nixon or Hubert Humphrey he was real damn progressive. We can agree or disagree about the all too many intersections of progressivism centerism and corporatism but I think that few of us would disagree that the Senator was a leading figure at the start of the progressive movement and I think that was the intent of the post. RIP George.

[LWolf]

138. No, I think you missed mine.

Of course McGovern was...a true left-of-center liberal. I won't use the term "progressive," because it has been hijacked by the dlc/centrist/corporatist/"new" dems, who are further to the right than Nixon was.

To suggest that McGovern began the "modern progressive movement" which has manipulated the term "progressive" to mean anything but is to tarnish his record. THAT's my point.

I, too, grew up in the 70s, and am well aware of the politics of the time.

[Cooley Hurd]

7. I am profoundly saddened...

As a 7 year old, I stuffed envelopes for his presidential campaign. He was, by all metrics, a GREAT American.

Cross gently, my hero.

[DeeDeeNY]

8. I cast my first Presidential vote for him

He was also the speaker at my college graduation in 1970. He was a good man and a true hero.

[mountain grammy]

53. Me too! I turned 21 the end of November, 1968 (the voting age back then)

remember? (We can draft your ass and send you to Vietnam but you can't vote!) I voted for McGovern in 72. Kept the McGovern bumper sticker on my 65 volkswagen beetle until it fell apart (the bumper sticker, the beetle is probably still alive somewhere.)
Oops, forgot to add: Rest in Peace, Senator! You inspired so many of us to stay involved in politics and we will never forget you!

[DiehardLiberal]

131. Me 3!! I was proud to cast my 1st vote for him.

And spent Election night in Massachusetts - the only state that went for him. I remember traveling across country from California that fall and seeing so many signs and bumper stickers for him that I was sure he was going to be elected. I was truly shocked that he lost - so naive then and I probably haven't changed... He was a good man and a role model for my generation. Whatever happened to idealism???

Thanks, George for all the inspiration and contributions. You did well!!

[DeeDeeNY]

137. I think the election was affected by Eagleton having to be replaced as VP candidate.

And yet after Watergate, it was hard to find anyone who would admit they voted for Nixon!

[AnneD]

142. I have always owned up to the fact...

that my first presidential vote was for Nixon. It was the age before computers, and the rumours of Nixon's campaign had not fully surfaced. I liked McGovern enough, but I just wasn't sure. I have always regretted that vote and it was the last mistake I ever made in a Presidential election. I have always voted my conscious since then-without hesitation.

[Whovian]

9. The good don't always die young.

RIP George.

[cyclezealot]

12. But, His Speech, 'Come Home America ' lives on..

If only we had listened.. One of the most eloquent speech for America during its 20th century.. Considering we faced WaterGate, Iraq and outrageous Military spending, his defeat has been a disaster for America.



ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
OF
SENATOR GEORGE MCGOVERN
Democratic National Convention
Miami Beach, Florida
July 14, 1972

http://www.4president.org/speeches/mcgovern1972acceptance.htm

[Nay]

70. Yes, his defeat WAS a disaster for America. I'm sure it broke his heart to see the shit

that's going on these days. I'm sure he felt it was the last days of a country that could have been a true leader instead of the same old plunderer.

RIP, sir, I voted for you (my first presidential vote) and I'm ashamed of what this country is today.

[cyclezealot]

88. Many are disappointed in the way the Boomers

have governed the country.. ( As if our electoral system is representative of who we'd actually elect) Boomers are thought to be selfish, blah, blah..
George McGovern 's candidacy was the Boomers' greatest accomplishment and the Nations' greatest failure in not following the Hearts of the Boomer generation in giving the Nation George McGovern.

[Whovian]

112. Truer words...

[calimary]

111. That's certainly true. We're lucky he came our way for as long as we had him.

Safe passage, dear Senator. You lit the way for so many. And you should have been President.

[Jim Lane]

10. Belated admission: McGovern was right and I was wrong.

During the 1972 campaign, I read a piece criticizing McGovern for something he said about the corruption of the Nixon Administration. The writer said that McGovern should "stop saying things that only seventeen Yippies and The New York Review of Books will take seriously" and should instead stick to more restrained but still valid attacks. I agreed. I voted for him (my first election) anyway.

Of course, as we later learned, wild accusations that couldn't possibly be true were, in fact, true. It was McGovern who saw it.

Incidentally, I read a thread on FR a couple days ago, occasioned by the news of his imminent end. There were even several Freepers who said that, yes, he was a liberal and that's terrible, but he put his butt on the line for his country flying bombing missions in World War II, and that at least should be respected.

Farewell to a great American.

[Glorfindel]

11. A great man, a true American hero, and a teller of the truth

Here's to him and those like him.

Damn few left.

[cyclezealot]

14. As much as McGovern is viewed as anti War

He was a gunner during WW II.. He was America's conscience.. Remember compared to Nixon, when asked if he had to drop the bomb if absolutely necessary ; he said yes.. Nixon Hedged. Yet, Nixon considering dropping a Nuke on Cambodia.

[alterfurz]

13. Bobby Kennedy called him "the most decent man in the Senate."

Of all my 11 presidential votes, still the one I feel best about.
What history might have been, had the country chosen wisely in '72...
R.I.P. George McGovern, the best president we never had.

[Tigress DEM]

93. That's quite an endorsement. Bobby Kennedy was a good guy himself.

[Norbert]

15. Godspeed Good Soldier.

[PurityOfEssence]

26. A true war hero and a steadfast footsoldier for good

Unlike the Nixons of the world running poker games for profit in the backwaters of the war effort, McGovern was a B-24 pilot flying extremely dangerous long-range missions over such places as Ploesti, Romania. He literally built the Democratic Party in South Dakota by driving endless hours to put together a coalition where none had existed.

Morally, ethically and personally, he was one of the greatest American Politicians ever.

He was very successful for our cause, and I send my condolences to those of us who survive and mourn this.

[Bluenorthwest]

16. He was one of the good ones...

nt

[hobbit709]

17. He was the first person I voted for President

[HeeBGBz]

18. RIP George McGovern

My first political hopeful and first vote.

[Jim__]

19. RIP.

[The Wizard]

20. RIP to a great man

and true American hero. I proudly cast my first vote ever in 1972 for George McGovern because of his unequivocal opposition to war for profit.
The world is a lesser place for his passing but greater for his presence.

His life was gentle, and the elements
So mix’d in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’
(Julius Caesar, Act V, sc. v, ll 81 - 83)

[PSPS]

21. Nice going, CNN. Unabashed? Is that noteworthy because "liberals" should be "abashed?"

Beyond the confines of the corporate media propaganda bubble, it is becoming more and more clear to people that it isn't "liberal" and "conservative" as much as it is "american" and "unamerican."

[gademocrat7]

22. Rest in Peace, Sir.

[tomg]

23. I am proud that the first vote I ever cast

was for George McGovern. Awarded the Distinquished Flying Cross in World War II, he returned home where he worked for peace and social justice throughout the rest of his life. My youngest son cast his first vote - an absentee ballot - on Friday for President Obama. I hope that his first vote goes better than mine, but, more, I hope that 40 years from now, he is able to look back on the person for whom he first voted with the same respect and affection that I feel for Senator McGovern. I hope he would still vote the same way. George McGovern said "I am a liberal and always have been"in 2001 when most other Democrats shied away from the term. It would be a fitting epitaph for that good man.

[Siwsan]

24. Another Hero is gone

I'll shed a few tears, today, that's for sure.

[BlueMTexpat]

25. My warmest condolences to his family.

He was a genuinely good and decent man. It is too bad that most of the nation didn't recognize that in 1972. We are all the poorer for that.

[HockeyMom]

27. He was my my first vote for President

RIP

[strongermessage]

28. The first presidential campaign I worked on was George McGovern's

[onehandle]

29. I had a McGovern sticker on my notebook in the 5th or 6th grade.

Caught some Hell from the rich punks I went to Catholic private school with.

Romney cannot win. He and his punk sons are the same types.

Godspeed, Senator.

[JackN415]

30. RIP Senator McGovern. n/t

[secondvariety]

31. I was too young

to vote in 1972, but I was old enough to be influenced for life by George McGovern.

God speed, Senator...

[life long demo]

32. RIP George McGovern

Another good man gone but not forgotten.

[Va Lefty]

33. Farewell to a great American

Safe passage my friend

[California Expat]

34. he fought the good fight

I am proud to say I voted for him with the first ballot I was able to cast, and worked on his campaign.

[dbackjon]

35. Rest in Peace to a great American

[FailureToCommunicate]

36. My first vote for President was for that shining knight. Alas for America, Nixon

continued his evil ways, and then Ford. The dark days starting in 1968 continued till Jimmy Carter when it felt like a nightmare was over. Little did we know of the dark days to come.

Requiescat in pace et in amore.

[rurallib]

37. Thank you Senator, for showing us good men do want peace.

[onenote]

38. RIP

[Faygo Kid]

39. My first presidential vote, and my best.

What a good and decent man. The seething hate we now face had no part in George McGovern's life.

[jdadd]

40. .....

[City Lights]

41. RIP, Senator McGovern.

Condolences to your loved ones.

[Donkees]

42. Peaceful Journey and Thank You

[otherone]

43. rip

[chuckstevens]

44. I voted for him in 1972

Last edited Sun Oct 21, 2012, 06:48 PM - Edit history (1)

As a second grader in 1972, I was the ONLY kid in my Republican dominated suburban public school to vote for you. I look back at that vote, as proudly as any real vote I would later cast in my life.

Thank you for trying to stop an ugly, needlessly violent war that accomplished nothing but the deaths of over 58,000 young Americans and probably 1 million Vietnamese civilians. It sickens me that the Nixon campaign got away with portraying you as a coward when you flew extremely dangerous bombing missions over Germany in WW II, while Nixon sat behind a desk in the navy. Republicans have gotten away with this same BS for 40 years, Max Clelllen, John Kerry, etc.

God bless and I'm sure some of the 58,000 were there to greet and thank you when you arrived in heaven.

[Zen Democrat]

45. RIP Senator McGovern. My first vote ever for was you.

And I went to the polls with my five-day old son in my arms. He's now almost 40, career military, and a big supporter of President Obama.

I will always have love in my heart for George McGovern.

[glacierbay]

46. RIP Senator McGovern

and my deepest condolences to the family.

[CanSocDem]

47. He was a 'great white hope'...

...a surprise at first, because nobody I knew thought that 'the social revolution' had progressed to the point where we could elect a head of state.

Despite the fortuitous gift of Watergate, the growing national sentiment against the war in Vietnam and a real live opportunity to further the cause of social justice, the American public re-elected Nixon. To be honest, 'election fraud' never crossed my mind. A couple of years later, in a Education Foundations class, I was defending the still viable, liberal intent of the America 'democratic' system with McGovern as the example.

My prof, a hardened old communist from Wales, scoffed contemptuously saying that the real ruling class "picked" McGovern as the nominee, because they knew he was too far out of the mainstream to be taken seriously.

After the election, in a classic Better Late Than Never moment, we learned through the Watergate Investigation, of the institutionalized practice of "dirty tricks" and the very real possibility that the government of the USA was being run like a criminal enterprise.

"From military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation; come home, America.

From the entrenchment of special privileges in tax favoritism; from the waste of idle lands to the joy of useful labor; from the prejudice based on race and sex; from the loneliness of the aging poor and the despair of the neglected sick -- come home, America."

RIP Mr McGovern

.

[midnight]

48. On another thread for the Senator I remarked how when I saw him speak about two years

ago, he spoke about ending these senseless wars and having peace, and now I wish peace to both him and his family....

[cosmicone]

49. RIP George .. we'll miss you n/t

[Panasonic]

50. RIP McGovern - you were before my time...

But everyone considered you special....

[66 dmhlt]

51. God Speed

[Ninga]

52. I cried when he lost and I cried this morning. N/t

[Vidar]

54. RIP, Senator.You were for better than anything we have now.

[Bossy Monkey]

55. Goodbye Senator n/t

[DinahMoeHum]

56. Fellow Democrats: Let's win 2012 for the McGovern!!

A real patriot.

[leveymg]

57. A fine and good man. A rare, honest public servant. The best President we never had. RIP

[bemildred]

58. Rest in Peace Senator, you will not be forgotten. nt

[Odin2005]

59. RIP, Senator!

[Harriety]

60. RI-Peace! You dear man.....

[cyberswede]

61. I voted for him in 1st grade - he won in our school.

RIP to a great Liberal.

[LibDemAlways]

62. Probably the Presidential candidate I was most proud to

vote for. A true liberal who didn't run from the word. RIP, Senator.

[burrowowl]

132. I totally agree!

RIP, Senator and Hero.

[gopiscrap]

63. Rest in Peace!

Well done, good and faithful servant!

[wordpix]

64. I was a bit too young to vote for him, but he was inspirational. RIP, Sen. McGovern

[hunter]

65. Kicked and reccommended in memory of a good man.

He lived long and fought well.

[dhill926]

66. A great and brave man....

My first presidential vote.

[pismoclam]

67. Peace Be With You George

As a vietnam vet I still remember to this day how proud I was to cast my first presidential vote for this great American. George McGovern's vision for peace still remains in many hearts and minds. Imagine what a different country and world of peace we would be today if this great man had defeated Richard Nixon. Imagine all the lost lives that would have been saved from this great champion of world peace being elected. God bless this great American who was an advocate for us all. Bless him in his journey to his mansion in the sky and give his family the strength to move forward in their own journeys. Rest in peace George and thank you for your service to our great nation.

[Melinda]

73. And thank YOU for your service too, pismoclam. Welcome to DU.

We've lost another great champion. I too have often wondered what might have been.... especially if that war had never occurred. It's another sad chapter in the very long tale American history. Rich and powerful men, and now Citizens United...

Welcome back once more, and welcome to DU.

[blaze]

110. ty

[FailureToCommunicate]

129. Beautifully expressed. Welcome to DU.

[Melinda]

68. When I was 18, You earned my very first vote Sen. McGovern. I will never forget you.

You reinforced my fledgling liberal beliefs, and taught me so much. RIP dear man, and thank you for your service.

It's a sad day in America.

[wundermaus]

118. RIP Senator McGovern. Bless your soul.

In 1972, I was 18 yrs old & going to vote for the first time for RFK.
Then MLK jr and RFK were murdered.
So I voted for McGovern.
Then the sadness lasted a long time...

[Melinda]

119. The sadness never goes away, does it.

I was 14 when Bobby and Dr. King were murdered; you and I are about the same age. And I am certain you recall JFK's assassination too. Some things help to form us, and then they leave lasting effects on us, don't they...

A belated welcome to DU, wundermaus.

[The Second Stone]

69. Peace to his family. Our country and the world are better

for his passing through it.

[senseandsensibility]

71. RIP, sir.

We need more unabashed liberal voices like George McGovern.

[progressivebydesign]

72. RIP Sir. You were the reason i became obsessed with the just side of politics. nt

[Aristus]

74. Safe journies, Senator.

And Godspeed...

I want to cry...

[hifiguy]

75. George McGovern was a great American.

Rest in peace, sir.

[Tippy]

76. RIP Mr. President

[NoPasaran]

77. To quote the Senator

"It hurts too much to laugh but I'm too old to cry."

Our world just got a little bit smaller.

[triplepoint]

78. Another Tribal Fire Tender Has Departed

Last edited Sun Oct 21, 2012, 11:56 PM - Edit history (2)

Now, our tribe of dreamers and schemers must plod on without its conscience. We are aboard a Ship of Fools, rudderless in a zombie ocean...drifting ever closer to our event horizon. Fair Seas and Following Winds George. We'll miss you and your ability to speak truth to rabidly corrupted power.
.
.
.

.
.
.

My Dream Democrat Ticket for the '72 Presidential Election:

George McGovern and Gene McCarthy
Could this have EVER been possible?

[struggle4progress]

79. I'm sorry to see him go

[eringer]

80. George McGovern -- WWII War Hero and Anti-War Presidential Candidate

Last edited Sun Oct 21, 2012, 08:17 PM - Edit history (1)

I saw George McGovern when he spoke at the National Republican Capitol Hill Club back in the late 1990s. Needless to say, it was not a full house. He was accompanied by one of his daughters. Because of the small disinterested crowd, I was able to speak to him briefly after the luncheon and he smiled when I used that opportunity to let him know that I voted for him in 1972.

Obama recalled McGovern's life today: "George McGovern dedicated his life to serving the country he loved. He signed up to fight in World War II, and became a decorated bomber pilot over the battlefields of Europe. When the people of South Dakota sent him to Washington, this hero of war became a champion for peace. And after his career in Congress, he became a leading voice in the fight against hunger."

[Jackpine Radical]

81. His passing was noted with great sorrow in church this morning.

[Douglas Carpenter]

82. A few eloquent words from the closing of his 1972 acceptanced speech at the Democratic National Conv

From secrecy and deception in high places; come home, America

From military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation; come home, America.

From the entrenchment of special privileges in tax favoritism; from the waste of idle lands to the joy of useful labor; from the prejudice based on race and sex; from the loneliness of the aging poor and the despair of the neglected sick -- come home, America.

Come home to the affirmation that we have a dream. Come home to the conviction that we can move our country forward.

Come home to the belief that we can seek a newer world, and let us be joyful in that homecoming, for this “is your land, this land is my land -- from California to New York island, from the redwood forest to the gulf stream waters -- this land was made for you and me

So let us close on this note: May God grant each one of us the wisdom to cherish this good land and to meet the great challenge that beckons us home.


-------------

One Bright Shining Moment - the Forgotten Summer of George McGovern:

[ChazInAz]

83. "May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

He was my first Presidential vote.
After years of protesting Viet Nam lunacy, Richard Nixon, and getting the snot beaten out of me in Grant Park in 1968, I thought we had finally reached the turning point. The memory is still painful and bitter.
George, you fought the good fight. Thank you. Sleep well...you deserve it.

[donal dubh]

84. ...RIP

Condolences and much respect to his family and friends. A good man.

I read Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail many years ago and learned much of the U.S. gov't from that book, especially campaigning and electioneering. McGovern always seemed too decent and respectable for the grisly battles of the political world but I don't think Thompson softened the portrait - I believe he won his terms as Senator and world-respected statesman by appealing to common goodness still to be found in the vast majority of people. I can only hope his vision for the current president proves true.

"I think Barack will emerge as one of our great ones," he said in a 2009 interview with The Associated Press. "It will be a victory for moderate liberalism."

[LoisB]

85. A really great loss; a TRUE liberal.

[fishwax]

86. RIP

[Zorra]

87. George McGovern was a totally awesome Democrat and human being.

I suspect that if Senator McGovern had defeated Richard Nixon in 1972, we would all be living in a much kinder, compassionate, and all around better country and world right now.

[bucolic_frolic]

90. Playing fast and loose with history

My guess is most Americans, even those who voted for him,
didn't realize he was against the corporate agenda.

The Cold War, and the corporate interests in the Vietnam War,
were huge barriers to McGovern being taken seriously by
most Republicans, Corporate leaders, and even the mainstream press.

If he had run in the 1990s, he may well have been elected.
It would have been a Humphrey-McGovern-Dukakis blend.

But he will be remembered in the mold of the great liberal
politicians who didn't make it: William Jennings Bryan, for
example.

All hail to George McGovern and his family.

[Zorra]

105. ? ~ I'm totally aware that Senator McGovern was against the corporate agenda.

That's one of the primary reasons that I voted for him.

It's also one of the reasons that I posted that he was an awesome Democrat. There's all too few Democrats like him, he stood out at the top of the heap.

That's also why I posted that I believe we would have a kinder, more compassionate country if he had been elected instead of Nixon.

How is that playing fast and loose with history? I don't understand.

[Darth_Kitten]

91. RIP

My condolences to his family.

[OregonBlue]

92. McGovern was a kind and wonderful human being. I am glad he had such a longer and happy life.

He was a true humanitarian.

[Gregorian]

94. The first election I paid attention to. George McGovern meant something to me. He touched my soul.

I was probably 14. I only remember that he won Massachusetts. But why was I so impressed that I remember this man.

[BumRushDaShow]

97. I remember there was a special "Weekly Reader"

issue on the 1972 election, with one page devoted to him and the other to Nixon.

Today is a sad day but hopefully we will always remember him fondly.

[Douglas Carpenter]

95. "Above all, being a Democrat means having compassion for others. ... It means standing up for people

who have been kept down ..." - George McGovern

guWWUTAUCcVQXXg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD02MTI7cT04NTt3PTQ3Mw--/

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QG5hXcD87Sl6NUgV8NTSFg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9NzIwO2NyPTE7Y3c9ODE4O2R4PTA7ZHk9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD00NzI7cT04NTt3PTUzNw--/
Associated Press - FILE - In this June 1960 file photo, U.S. Rep. George McGovern, joins Sen. John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail in Sioux Falls, S.

[progressoid]

127. Nice pics.

Here is a shot of him with a campaign aid named Bill Clinton.

[Swede Atlanta]

96. RIP Mr. McGovern....

you were always a champion for those with little voice. My thoughts and prayers with your family and friends as well as for the nation. A great voice has been silenced.

[patrice]

98. In '68 after Robert Kennedy was shot I didn't vote. George McGovern helped me hope again.

Thank you George. God speed.

[adirondacker]

101. I was much too young to vote for him, but have a strong admiration for his kind.

A good friend had met him during a convention several years ago and said he was a genuine nice person, intelligent, thoughtful and sincere. Best wishes to his family and loved ones. He'll be Greatly missed.

[mzmolly]

102. Extending my sympathy to

the good man and his family.

[loudsue]

104. Going off to join Andy and Kephra and all the DUers who have already

crossed over. McGovern was/is one of us, heart and soul.

[nolabear]

106. RIP to a good, good man. I wish he'd won.

[xxqqqzme]

107. I thank his family

for gently guiding us to this day with the news of the hospice care. And the second release of the loss of recognition. Even though we knew this was coming, it is still a blow and very sad. My heartfelt thanks to his family for their generosity.

[luv_mykatz]

108. Oh, no!

I wish we hadn't lost him, just like I wish he'd won the election back in the '70's.

R.I.P. and know that you are missed!

[AllyCat]

109. Godspeed Senator. Your race against Nixon when I was the 1st grade

is what got me thinking about politics and believing in progressive values.

[Faygo Kid]

113. I worked for him, and made out with an anchorwoman.

Yes, News 4 Detroit. I was 21 and she was . . . special.

Now, I am grateful to have shared space with both of them. Bless you, George, and the very young man I was then with a good heart.

[jimlup]

114. RIP George

[reACTIONary]

115. McGovern / Shriver '72

First election I was ever involved in! I will always thank McGovern for the foundation of my political sensibilities.

[Skittles]

116. there's something so sad about the timing

[hue]

117. “I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.”- George McGovern RIP

We have lost a gem!!

[montana_hazeleyes]

123. One of the best quotes ever.

RIP Senator McGovern

[Brewinblue]

120. Same here, but 8th grade.

I attended junior high in a heavily Jewish, upper middle class section of the San Fernando Valley. The day before the actual election we held a mock election at school. McGovern won by a greater than 9:1 margin. Boy was I bummed 24 hours later when the rest of the country went so foolishly in the other direction. To this day I have yet to ever vote for a republican.

RIP Senator, you influenced a whole generation of future liberal voters to oppose war and stand for peace with pride and dignity.

[Ken Burch]

121. In the sixth grade at my school(Brush College, West Salem, Oregon)

I was the only kid with a McGovern button.

Rest well, Senator...the nation now knows you were right.

You will always be the greatest president we never had.

[mother earth]

124. RIP Sen. McGovern & respect & condolences to his family. K & R for a good man.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

125. I shook his hand at a rally at the Alamo.

Back in the fall of '72.
I was in my first semester of college.
Couldn't vote yet, I was 17.

RIP, Senator

The rich kids at my college ripped my mcgovern stickers off my door .

[LeftTurnOnly]

126. RIP to a man with a beautiful message n/t

[NNadir]

128. I have always been proud to have voted for him.

Unfortunately, I couldn't have that bumper sticker that one saw, oh, say, about 1974, "Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts." (It featured an American flag with one star in the blue field.)

George McGovern was a very fine, and a very brave man, a combat veteran who knew that combat needed the greatest of justifications, and that neither Nixon nor Johnson had one.

I am glad he lived a long and happy life, and I hope he will rest in peace.

[Savannahmann]

130. Before my time, leading my mind.

[glinda]

133. RIP Sir.

[robbob]

134. I was 12 years old

I was 12 when McGovern lost to Nixon. Living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, my main view into American politics was the "Canadian edition" of Time magazine that we received every 2 weeks. After the election I read with great disbelief something that I heard again on NPR today in their eulogy of Senator McGovern; that he lost in a landslide to Nixon because he was against the war in Vietnam.

I had seen the graphic bloody images of the war in the pages of Time; what 12 year old wouldn't be simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by such imagery, and it was on reading this analysis of the Nixon victory that I had an early political epiphany that has followed me throughout my life; American politics and to some extent the American populace was/is completely fucked up.

It was beyond my comprehension how someone could lose an election by being AGAINST such a savage and terrible war. With the graphic evidence right in front of them, a majority of people voted to continue the march into madness. Even to a 12 year old boy it didn't make any sense.

R.I.P., Senator; history will vindicate you, even as it has already.

[Norrin Radd]

135. RIP and condolences.

[Rambis]

140. First presidential candidate I voted for in school

RIP

[Blue_Tires]

141. r.i.p.

[bobthedrummer]

143. RIP

n/t