Here's a surprise: Jimmy Carter was on George McGovern list for VP in '72

[book_worm]

I get Newspaper Archives and was looking up stories about the '72 campaign and I found this in the Gallup (NM) Independent dated August 1, 1972:

"Julian Bond, leader of the 'Blacks for McGovern' campaign quoted a high placed McGovern aide as saying Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter is being considered to replace Eagleton."

(This was after it was revealed that Sen. Tom Eagleton of MO, McGovern's original choice had shock treatments to deal with mental exhaustion. Ultimately McGovern selected Sargent Shriver for his second VP).

http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=80655790&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=6

I wonder how history would have been different if it had been McGovern/Carter in '72--would Jimmy have received the Dem nomination in '76?

[grantcart]

1. Well everyone was on that list and turned it down.

[book_worm]

2. That's true, except for Sarge Shriver.

But I thought it was interesting that Julian Bond was the one who leaked that.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. It rings a bell. Carter was fairly prominent at the 72 convention.

More or less as a spokesman for the "New South". He was carping on and off about McGovern and I remember him commenting on camera that the selection of Eagleton would do the ticket no good in the south.

He's probably lucky he didn't end-up on the ticket. It wouldn't have carried any southern states ... even if Robert E. Lee was veep. And Carter wouldn't have been able to run as the "outsider" in '72.