Eugene McCarthy: His Campaign for President in 1968 Forced a President From Office
Written by Shelley Gollust
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VOICE ONE:
I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Barbara Klein with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about Eugene McCarthy. His campaign for the presidency in nineteen sixty-eight increased popular opposition to the war in Vietnam. And it changed American history.
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VOICE ONE:
Eugene McCarthy was a quiet and mentally-gifted lawmaker from Minnesota. As a young man, he was interested in being a religious worker – or a baseball player.
Later, he was a college professor. He wrote poetry. He also became active in Democratic Party politics.
In the nineteen sixties, he was one of the first Democrats in the United States Congress to oppose the party leadership. He expressed opposition to the war Americans were fighting in Vietnam. And he forced a president from office.
VOICE TWO:
Eugene McCarthy was born in nineteen sixteen in the town of Watkins, Minnesota. His father’s parents came from Ireland. His father bought farm animals and was a storyteller. His mother raised four children.
Eugene completed a study program at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He continued his education at the University of Minnesota. There, he completed study programs in economics and sociology.
McCarthy taught social sciences in public high schools for a few years. Then he taught economics, education and sociology at two colleges in Minnesota. He married another teacher, Abigail Quigley. They would later have four children.
VOICE ONE:
During World War Two, Eugene McCarthy worked as a technical aide for a military intelligence office of the War Department. He became active in the Democratic Party after the war.
In nineteen forty-eight, he became head of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Ramsey County, Minnesota. That year he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served five terms.
In nineteen fifty-eight, McCarthy defeated a Republican Party Senator and won a seat in the United States Senate. Two years later, he became famous by speaking at the Democratic Party’s national nominating convention. He nominated Adlai Stevenson for president. But the Democrats chose John F. Kennedy as their candidate.
In nineteen sixty-four, McCarthy easily won re-election to a second term in the Senate. He served in the Senate for a total of twelve years.
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VOICE TWO:
In nineteen sixty-seven, opposition to the war the United States was fighting in Vietnam was growing. It had begun to harm President Lyndon Johnson’s popular and political support. In October, thousands of demonstrators marched in Washington, D.C. to protest the increasing conflict.
Eugene McCarthy was a leader of the anti-war movement. McCarthy announced he would show his opposition to the war and to President Johnson. He asked Democrats for their support in the party’s presidential primary elections in nineteen sixty-eight. “There is only one thing to do – take it to the country!” he declared.
VOICE ONE:
McCarthy made political campaign stops across the country. He said the American people were against the war for military, economic, diplomatic and moral reasons. And he said they wanted a change. He said: “Party unity is not a sufficient excuse for silence.” He also said: “We do not need presidents who are bigger than the country, but rather ones who speak for it and support it.”
Many young peace activists and college students worked on McCarthy’s presidential campaign. During the nineteen sixties, many students wore long hair and unusual clothing. But the students who worked for the McCarthy campaign changed their appearance. They cut their hair and wore nicer clothing.
The media said these students became “Clean for Gene.” His campaign for president was also called a “Children’s Crusade” because of the many young people involved.
