Most politicians are charming people; that's how they are able to succeed as politicians. Not many are miserable sonofabitches.
That said, McGovern was totally deluded in 72 and the people who write this newspaper are barking mad.
Many of our troubles in the last quarter of the Bloody Twentieth (century) and many of our troubles today stem from not following through with JFK's insight, "We need to make our power credible... and it looks like Vietnam is the place."
McGovern would have surrendered; and indeed, in the Senate, he took part in decisions that were tantamount to surrender. Appeasement, surrender and collaboration have been the hallmark of his party ever since. George McGovern and Gene McCarthy destroyed the Democratic party, starting the decline that has driven the party's patriots out, leaving only peace-at-any-price appeaseniks and I'll-give-you-my-neighbour-if-you-eat-me-last cowards.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
You're right, of course. Although I was too young to vote in '72 I knew even then that McGovern would have been a disasterous president, as did the country as a whole. Still, it was interesting having dinner with him.
BTW, the only other prominent politician I ever spent any time with was Jimmy Carter in '75. He was a surprisingly charismatic, compelling and intelligent-seeming person one-on-one, which allowed him to win the Dem nomination. I had very high hopes for him and was stunned at how dreadful he was as President.
Geez, at least somebody gets it right about McGovern.
Congrats!