Wonderful post--thank you! I proudly cast my first presidential vote, for McGovern, in "don’t blame me, I’m from Massachusetts," where I was a college student. I had already been a volunteer in 1968 for Eugene McCarthy's campaign, gathering petition signatures to get him on the ballot in my home state, Maryland. I was also put to work at the national headquarters of Scientists and Engineers for McCarthy, in Baltimore, which was run mostly by students from Johns Hopkins University. My job was processing donations, in those days arriving as mailed-in checks. I was a 17-year-old high-school student! (But very diligent and scrupulously honest!)
That was a much more innocent time politically in my country, before Watergate permanently darkened the landscape. Although unsuccessful, the 1968 and 1972 Democratic campaigns trained a generation of young liberal volunteer activists, who have remained involved into our senior years. Our moment has come again in 2024, when democracy itself is on our presidential ballot. And we are out in force for Harris-Walz. I await the delivery of 1000 postcards, which I will address and send to voters in swing-state Pennsylvania in October.
I worked for the McG campaign in NYC, but all I got for my pains was a ticket to a rally at Madison Square Garden. I rode the elevator with Mary of Peter Paul and Mary, but no words were exchanged.
As you may know, Bill and Hillary Clinton were in charge of the McG campaign in Texas. Bill was quite furry at that time, with beard and longish hair, so he could have done nothing but contribute to the defeat.
Absolutely fascinating, thank you. I suppose Miami Beach must have seemed a bit ho-hum compared to Spanish City… The Democratic campaign in 1972 does seem almost to have been an exercise in how to lose an election catastrophically (I think Nixon’s win was the third-biggest ever?). That even South Dakota voted against McGovern is instructive. It’s also amazing how in thrall to the Kennedys the party was. Two brothers down, so try to get Teddy on the ticket, even though it was barely three years after Chappaquiddick. When he won’t play ball, move to the next circle out and get Shriver, who’s at least a Kennedy-in-law.
This sent me back to Mailer’s book about the 1972 conventions. I note he reports the elevator trip up to see McGovern but doesn’t mention your conversation.
Fantastic read, thank you. I've made almost the same Greyhound trip, a little shorter, just shy of Jacksonville, at a similar age. As a previous poster said, that is as much a window into the American journey as any political convention!
I’m sorry your wife is bored with the story, but this made my day; thank you for sharing.
Me too! Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful post--thank you! I proudly cast my first presidential vote, for McGovern, in "don’t blame me, I’m from Massachusetts," where I was a college student. I had already been a volunteer in 1968 for Eugene McCarthy's campaign, gathering petition signatures to get him on the ballot in my home state, Maryland. I was also put to work at the national headquarters of Scientists and Engineers for McCarthy, in Baltimore, which was run mostly by students from Johns Hopkins University. My job was processing donations, in those days arriving as mailed-in checks. I was a 17-year-old high-school student! (But very diligent and scrupulously honest!)
That was a much more innocent time politically in my country, before Watergate permanently darkened the landscape. Although unsuccessful, the 1968 and 1972 Democratic campaigns trained a generation of young liberal volunteer activists, who have remained involved into our senior years. Our moment has come again in 2024, when democracy itself is on our presidential ballot. And we are out in force for Harris-Walz. I await the delivery of 1000 postcards, which I will address and send to voters in swing-state Pennsylvania in October.
Taking a Greyhound from NJ to Miami would have made you more of an expert on America than 90% of the native population!
I worked for the McG campaign in NYC, but all I got for my pains was a ticket to a rally at Madison Square Garden. I rode the elevator with Mary of Peter Paul and Mary, but no words were exchanged.
As you may know, Bill and Hillary Clinton were in charge of the McG campaign in Texas. Bill was quite furry at that time, with beard and longish hair, so he could have done nothing but contribute to the defeat.
Absolutely fascinating, thank you. I suppose Miami Beach must have seemed a bit ho-hum compared to Spanish City… The Democratic campaign in 1972 does seem almost to have been an exercise in how to lose an election catastrophically (I think Nixon’s win was the third-biggest ever?). That even South Dakota voted against McGovern is instructive. It’s also amazing how in thrall to the Kennedys the party was. Two brothers down, so try to get Teddy on the ticket, even though it was barely three years after Chappaquiddick. When he won’t play ball, move to the next circle out and get Shriver, who’s at least a Kennedy-in-law.
Lovely stuff! A great read.
Title borrowed from Spike Milligan? ;)
Thanks, a fabulous read, especially for someone not at all expert in US political history
This sent me back to Mailer’s book about the 1972 conventions. I note he reports the elevator trip up to see McGovern but doesn’t mention your conversation.
Another chance for immortality missed!
Fantastic read, thank you. I've made almost the same Greyhound trip, a little shorter, just shy of Jacksonville, at a similar age. As a previous poster said, that is as much a window into the American journey as any political convention!