I am Republican Because of George McGovern

Senator George McGovern has passed away. He changed my life. I was the news director of my college radio station in 1972, and had a front row seat to political history in Massachusetts.

I was the news director of WLTI in Lowell, MA during the 1972 presidential campaign, both during the primary and the general election. I found myself following McGovern around on two campaign swings through Lowell.

In 1972 Richard Nixon won the election as President in the biggest landslide in history. His opponent was McGovern, who was able to win only D.C. and the state of Massachusetts, where I lived and had grown up.

I was a young reporter filled with enthusiasm, and came from a family filled with working class Kennedy Democrats. I was a Democrat simply out of family loyalty.

I met George McGovern twice during his campaign. Interestingly, that is also when I first met John Kerry, who was running for his first election after serving as the president of the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War. But that’s another story for another day.

I learned a lot by tagging along very closely with McGovern. I learned a lot in a short period of time. McGovern said he was opening the doors to the Democratic Party. Well, he opened my eyes, and the result was that I went out the doors that he opened and became a Republican.

McGovern was perhaps the most liberal Democrat who ever lived. Sadly, even Democrats stayed as far away from him as they could get.

However, politics aside, he was a nice guy who cared about people. He was a World War II hero who won the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving all the men in his B-24 that was badly damaged in battle.

In his recent book, “What It Means to Be a Democrat,” he explained that “Above all, being a Democrat means having compassion for others.”  Well, that describes Republicans too. Unfortunately the two parties have not been able to agree on how compassion translates into what the government does, and doesn’t do.

I respected him because in spite of his defeat, and the rejection from his own party, McGovern never backed down from his beliefs and goals. He wanted good things, but the way he wanted to accomplish them was the problem.

Never-the-less, he was a good guy who wanted the best for everyone. I never agreed with him, but I respected him, and I honor him for his service to our nation in a time of war and for his elected service. Rest in peace Senator.