February 04, 2004


McGovern For President

Yeah, okay it's a golden oldie. It was right before I could vote. To this day, republicans who don't know any better laugh at George McGovern because he was a Dove in a time we were tearing ourselves apart over Vietnam. It mattered not to them that he stood and faced a fear flying Combat Bomber Missions over Europe in WWII that most of us will never know. He was excoriated by the right for his love of Peace, not his Love of War. Now he speaks again, and it's worth hearing his words.

I bested 16 other contenders in winning the nomination, with primary election victories in 11 states, including New York and California. Critics overlook the shooting of Gov. George Wallace of Alabama, who otherwise would have run as an independent, taking perhaps 20 million votes from Nixon. The formula for Nixon's landslide victory was the Wallace vote added to the Nixon vote. Critics also overlook my opponent's unprecedented campaign spending. Most of his negative television ads were designed to paint me as an extreme radical uninterested in the defense of the country. This even though I was a decorated combat bomber pilot in World War II, while Nixon was stationed far from battle.

I'm proud of my war service, but today I'm more interested in peace. I certainly don't want any more wars like the one in Iraq -- a country that posed no threat to us and had nothing to do with Sept. 11, 2001. There seem to be no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But here at home, 100,000 Americans die each year from alcoholism. Multitudes are suffering from clinical depression or obesity or other disorders. And in the world at large a child dies from hunger every five seconds. Those are the weapons of mass destruction that disturb my rest.
...
It has always seemed to me that the leaders who are the quickest to send our boys and our young to war are those who have never known war themselves.

McGovern is a true hero, a man who eclipsed the earth as he strode through the turbulence of the Vietnam years. The "men" of the current adminstration are not worthy to rest in his shadow, nor are the worthy of the respect or admiration of those of us who so bitterly disappointed in the direction they have taken our proud republic.

posted by Jo Fish on 02.04.04 at 11:19 PM





Comments:

McGovern flew B-24s from Italy. He had the maximum 35 missions and won the DFC.

Just like Max, he was smeared.

My Dad was a bombardier on B-24s in Italy.

It seems like it only takes about ten years for people to forget how terrible wars are.

It's a shame the Commander-in-Chief no longer leads the troops into battle.

posted by: Bryan on 02.05.04 at 01:17 AM [permalink]



I'll bet if the Commander-in-Chief actually had to lead troops into battle, i.e. stand in front of his men while they had loaded weapons, we wouldn't be seeing veterans' benefits being cut the way this coward has done.

posted by: Lurch on 02.05.04 at 07:35 AM [permalink]



We voters of Massachusetts can be proud that we voted for McGovern in 1972. Voters in the rest of the states should be reminded, and often, what happened a couple of years later. Mike Dukakis let Bush I and the media dump on him. Mike was and is a good man. In my view he was too honest to be a politician. Perhaps his Lt. Gov. John Kerry will get a chance to dump on Bush II this Fall. There will be no turning the other cheek this time. Here's a bumper sticker: THE FALL OF BUSH II.

posted by: Shag from Brookline on 02.05.04 at 08:04 AM [permalink]



Lurch: I'll bet that if the commander in chief actually had to lead troops in battle we woudn't see obscenities like the rush to invade Iraq, either.

posted by: Len Cleavelin on 02.05.04 at 02:10 PM [permalink]



I knocked on doors for McGovern, handed out flyers for McGovern, and proudly voted for McGovern. I've never once regretted it.

It was his choice to downplay his military record - a matter of principle for him. Unfortunately the Republicans rammed it down his throat. Most people didn't even know he'd served.

posted by: andante on 02.05.04 at 07:40 PM [permalink]



Before my time, thanks for the perspectives all. My support goes to Wes Clark right now, and GM has praised his run...care to join the Wes Clark campaign?

posted by: Mr.Murder on 02.05.04 at 11:09 PM [permalink]






Post a Comment:

Name:


Email Address:


URL:


Comments:


Remember your info?



















usdemvet -at- hotmail.com
or
usndemvet -at- usdemvet.com (coming soon)






All the original material © 2002-2003 Jo Fish
steal what you want, all I ask is an attribution of some sort
Thanks