Eugene McCarthy, RIP

The Judge Report ^ | 12/10/05 | Robert N. Going

[Cincinnatus]

Former Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy has died at the age of 89. Back in 1968, when I was a junior in High School, he ran a quixotic campaign for president, challenging Lyndon Johnson in the early primaries. At a time when the really scummy look was becoming popular, "Keep Clean with Gene" was the slogan of his student volunteers.

He is often credited with having driven Johnson from the presidency. I don't believe he ever actually won a primary, but he beat the expectations game. He was on the ballot in New Hampshire and Johnson wasn't. Johnson's 55% of the vote came on write-ins. Still, McCarthy's 45% was astonishing. In April he finished strong in Wisconsin as well.

His success proved to be his undoing. Bobby Kennedy, suddenly realizing that Johnson was vulnerable, hastily announced his own candidacy, probably four years ahead of his previous game plan.

In an amazing week or so in April of 1968, Johnson got hammered in Wisconsin, Martin Luther King was assassinated (with the accompanying riots in numerous cities), Johnson announced the beginning of the Paris Peace Talks, and oh, by the way, I've decided not to seek or accept a renomination.

The whole game changed overnight. McCarthy now had to face not only another anti-war liberal in Kennedy, but also a traditional liberal and fellow Minnesotan, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey. If enough wasn't already happening, Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed right after winning the California Primary in June.

While there was some talk of drafting 36 year old Ted Kennedy, who had given a stunning and emotional eulogy at his brother's funeral, McCarthy was really the only one left to carry the anti-war banner at the Chicago convention. The less-than-clean rioting demonstrators disrupted the affair and split the party wide open. The old pro-American wing never recovered. Their last gasp was Humphrey's nomination. The hate-America-first crowd took over for good in 1972, but their nominee was George McGovern, not McCarthy, for just as quickly as McCarthy rose, he faded away.

Eight years after his brief fame, as Spring ended in a year when Ronald Reagan still had a chance to dethrone President Ford at the Republican Convention, McCarthy gave the baccalaureate address the night before my brother Tim's graduation from RPI. At the reception afterwards, I noticed him just standing around, alone. I slipped my Reagan button into my pocket and went over to chat.

He was kind, gracious, witty, unassuming. I liked him.

Unlike many of the wackos who followed him, I think McCarthy was a sincere man, who opposed the Vietnam War for honorable reasons. There weren't too many guys like him, and way too many of the John Kerry types. It's sad that ultimately his legacy is wrapped up in his political progeny.

Rest in Peace, Senator. You never would have had my vote, but you earned my respect.

[atomicpossum]

The hate-America-first crowd took over for good in 1972

Destroyed their party then, destroying it now.

[nsmart]

McCarthy was against campaign finance reform, too. Today a candidate cannot run as a dissident against their own party's platform. He had some deep-pockets donors who remained anonymous. Current politicians now know donates and they can 'punish' them or their industry with harsh bills.

"It's not surprising that incumbents hardly ever lose. By violating constitutional restrictions on the size and scope of government they are able to dispense favors and impose punishments like Mafia Godfathers running a protection racket.

Incumbent politicians use their ability to bestow government handouts and pass harmful legislation to subtly coerce people into financing their campaigns.

As a result, many businesses, wealthy individuals, and special interests contribute preferentially to incumbents, even if they prefer a challenger's stands on the issues. For many contributors with vested interests it is vitally important to not offend the incumbent office holder lest government favors be denied, or harmful legislation passed.

Worse still, even though most of the money goes to incumbents, many contributors "hedge their bets" by giving to both major parties, even though these parties are supposed to represent polar opposites. As a result, political contributions have become a form of insurance, instead of an expression of deeply held convictions.

By contrast, challengers have no ability (and often no desire) to use government power to reward friends and punish enemies. As a result, they have less ability to raise money."

http://www.realcampaignreform.org/what_you_should_know.htm