We lost a great American when Gene McCarthy died today. His career was another example of how people can surprise you. He was just another Senator until he took up the gauntlet and tried to change America. He spoke with clarity and honesty the things that needed saying in that difficult time of the late '60s.
He was able to galvanize the youth of this country so that they had a real voice in running the country. His campaign was one of the reasons why Johnson did not run in 1968. It also led to our disengagement from another shameful war.
His was not a typical programmed campaign. He was spontaneous and had interesting ideas. He was the first candidate that I can recall who actually told us during the campaign who he would like to have in his cabinet.
If Bobby Kennedy had not been in the campaign, I wonder whether McCarthy might have been able to wrest the nomination from Humphrey.
1 comment:
Minnesota produces some of the most interesting thinkers -Eugene McCarthy, Paul Wellstone, Jesse Ventura, Walter Mondale, Al Franken, Garrison Keillor, Bob Dylan - who are not afraid to stand up and speak their minds. We need another Eugene McCarthy right now, I think.
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