George McGovern

I just read a search engine headline that relayed that George McGovern is no longer responsive and is nearing the end of his life.

It's difficult to comment about someone whom I've never met and who I only know from media representations.  That written, I've always thought of McGovern as a mensch who stayed true to his conscience regardless of the politics involved.

 I voted for McGovern in 72 and will never forget the acceptance speech he delivered at the convention.  (Unfortunately, it was in the middle of the night, and therefore many Americans did not hear it).   McGovern was snakebit in that campaign, losing his vice presidential candidate half way through the election and then not being able to convince others to take the second spot for fear that Nixon's lead was insurmountable--which it turned out to be.  He was also a victim of what Donald Segretti later admitted to as "dirty tricks"--perpetrated by Nixon supporters.

I always thought McGovern handled himself with class and spoke from the heart.  He lost the election in 1972, but he was a good citizen of the country, and someone willing to fight for ideals even when they were unpopular.  We are about to lose an American hero.