Populist Reform of the Democratic Party
In reply to the discussion: This Ain't 1972 [View all]Gothmog
(154,050 posts)The reason that McGovern lost are the same factors facing Sanders such as (a) not being in the mainstream, (b) not being well financed, (c) having a message that is easy to attack in negative ads and (d) facing a candidate with more resources. McGovern had a great deal of passion from the anti-war people who were worried about Vietnam. That passion reminds me of the passion of the passion of the Sanders supporters on the issue of income inequality.
Passion by itself is not sufficient. McGovern was the candidate that Nixon selected to run against and Howdy Gowdy and company are trying the same trick in this election. McGovern was to the left of the country according to the polling and so it was easy for Nixon to brand him as a lefty who was not in the mainstream. Sanders is a proud socialist but that term polls poorly and it is not hard to make that term radioactive with enough negative ads. McGovern ran as an outsider and so is Sanders. That campaign does not work so well in the 1972 general election and I am not comfortable with that campaign given the stakes in this race.