29 min listen
One of the Great Train Wrecks of All Time
One of the Great Train Wrecks of All Time
ratings:
Length:
33 minutes
Released:
Jun 10, 2015
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
In this episode of Slate's podcast about presidential campaign history, chief political correspondent John Dickerson examines George McGovern's hasty selection of a vice-presidential running mate during the 1972 campaign.
Dickerson describes how McGovern tapped Missouri Sen. Tom Eagleton for the ticket with minimal vetting. Then, after Eagleton was compelled to reveal his history of hospitalizations and electroconvulsive therapy.
McGovern vowed to back his running mate "one thousand percent," but Eagleton withdrew after just 18 days. Described by McGovern strategist Bob Shrum as "one of the great train wrecks of all time," the so-called Eagleton Affair left its mark on liberal politics for generations to come.
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Email: whistlestop@slate.comLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dickerson describes how McGovern tapped Missouri Sen. Tom Eagleton for the ticket with minimal vetting. Then, after Eagleton was compelled to reveal his history of hospitalizations and electroconvulsive therapy.
McGovern vowed to back his running mate "one thousand percent," but Eagleton withdrew after just 18 days. Described by McGovern strategist Bob Shrum as "one of the great train wrecks of all time," the so-called Eagleton Affair left its mark on liberal politics for generations to come.
Love Slate podcasts? Listen longer with Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, ad-free versions, exclusive podcasts, and more. Start your 2-week free trial at slate.com/podcastplus.
Email: whistlestop@slate.comLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Released:
Jun 10, 2015
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (90)
Vote for Muskie or He'll Cry: John Dickerson remembers the tears that washed away the presidential ambitions of Edmund Muskie, Democratic senator from Maine, in 1972. by Whistlestop: Presidential History and Trivia