Reply #9: "The Conservative as Insurgent" [View All]

[H2O Man]

There is an early chapter in the book "An American Melodrama: The Presidential Campaign of 1968" (Chester, Hodgson, & Page) about Senator Eugene McCarthy that is interesting. In "Act 3; Chapter II," the authors show that Eugene McCarthy was a strange mix of liberal and conservative when he decided to run against LBJ in late '67.

He was raised on a rural farm, outside a small village. His father retired from farming in '67, at the age of 92. McCarthy was from an Irish-German family, that believed in hard work and education. Before his career in politics, Eugene had taught at a couple colleges. He had also served in military intelligence. Liberal and conservative.

After going from the House to the Senate, he developed a dislike for John Kennedy. In the 1960 democratic convention, he famously told people not to turn their backs on Adlai Stevenson when he nominated him; a few hours later, he told reporters that his first choice was LBJ, followed by Adlain, and that he viewed JFK as a "nothing."

After JFK's death, the two top candidates for the VP spot became McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey. Unwilling to humiliate himself to LBJ's cruel tactics, he withdrew his name from consideration.

In '67, the liberal wing of the party hoped to get either RFK or George McGovern to challenge the president in the upcoming primary. McCarthy, who was considered "aloof, indolent, arrogant, and annoying" by liberals, was not originally considered as a potential challenger. McGovern then suggested that Allard Lowenstein approach McCarthy, and the rest is history.

Over the next 40 years, memories of McCarthy have transformed him into an almost entirely liberal insurgent. In '68, that really was not true; later, he became far more liberal. Those who worked the closest with him often came away frustrated, because McCarthy had an emotional detachment from the movement that was backing him. He was an odd mixture. Your post reminded me of how curious politics can be!