Issues and strategies George McGovern presidential campaign, 1972

mcgovern speaking @ rally @ miller outdoor theatre in houston, texas, on october 16, 1972, during final weeks of campaign. sign behind him says houston mcgovern country .

mcgovern ran on platform of ending vietnam war , instituting guaranteed minimum incomes nation s poor. vietnam issue, remained 1 mcgovern passionate about, did not work him overall; majority of electorate thought nixon strong leader secure peace honor . mcgovern, in contrast, seen strident , tied radical elements of anti-war movement. 1972, nixon s strategy of vietnamization had resulted in withdrawal of u.s. troops, without appearing have given in communists, , popular dissatisfaction war did not accrue mcgovern s benefit.

nixon s so-called southern strategy of reducing pressure school desegregation , otherwise restricting federal efforts on behalf of blacks had powerful attraction northern blue-collar workers southerners. mcgovern called watergate burglaries kind of thing expect under person hitler.