McGovern loses youth support

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33064, 3 November 1972, Page 9

McGovern loses youth support

fN.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) WASHINGTON, Nov. 2. Spawned by the American anti-Vietnam war movement, nurtured by the organisational tales of liberal-leaning back-room political operators, and buoyed by the dream of a social transformation of America, the Presidential campaign team of George McGovern swept to success at the Democratic convention in Miami Beach last July.

His loosely-knit campaign organisation rose high in spirit in confidence. The November election would pose

the greatest choice in political philosophies and style of this century. And in its view, the integrity and openness of the Democratic candidate, riding the tide of opposition to United States involvement in Vietnam, would prove irresistible to a majority of American voters. But with less than a week to election day the dream has turned sour. Activist youth is apathetic when viewed against the background of its enthusiasm last spring. Middle America—the generalists’ term for medium income citizens—finds the candidate untrustworthy. The expected rallying of youth to his cause has not materialised. The nation is “turned off” by a candidate for the White House who in the style of a country preacher declares that only by accepting his

leadership can it regain domestic tranquillity. The candidate himself has not grown as a campaigner during the arduous weeks of stumping the country for votes. His pleas for support are often shrill. No magic touch of personality lifts his election drive above the ordinary. On the day after he received the nomination at Miami Beach the senator oozed confidence. Stylishly dressed in a pale blue suit and wide tie he gave promise of developing a strength of personality which would contrast favourably with the dull, uninspiring image of President Richard Nixon.

Today, as the public opinion polls tell the story, America finds Nixon—“tricky Dick” of the early sixties—a preferred choice.

Ironically, in spite of the charges of corruption and dirty dealing which have been levelled at the White House, the President is considered more trustworthy than Senator McGovern. Accusations of indecisiveness, softness toward Vietnam war draft evaders and welfare applicants have been more harmful to Senator McGovern than the Washington scandals to President Nixon.

It is pertinent that when the senator talks of cutting back the size of American forces, thousands of Americans fear for their jobs at defence bases and in factories dependent on Pentagon contracts. Unease is apparent

that American power would be markedly weakened. The Senator lost a good deal of his youth support when he dropped Senator Thomas Eagleton as his VicePresidential running-mate. Fire went out of the anti-war movement among the young as the Administration cut back American ground involvement.

Senator Hubert Humphrey’s bitter attacks on the McGovern positions concerning defence, welfare and taxation sowed seeds of doubt which the candidate has never removed.

The Humphrey criticisms were ones Republican strategists planned to make. They determined the President could stay for much of the campaign time in the White House while surrogate Republican spokesmen ensured the public remembered these doubts clouded the McGovern positions.

The flurry of Vietnam peace negotiations involving Dr Henry Kissinger were like a nail in the coffin of the McGovern campaign. Around the country trade unionists, housewives, blacks, and faithful Democrats who turn out to McGovern rallies express with regularity the question: “Why isn’t Senator Edward Kennedy the candidate?”

The heir to the Kennedy political fortune has decided the time was not right to run for the nation’s highest office. But the implication in the last

days of Democratic campaigning is that if domestic reform is to be the issue, as McGovern has tried to make it this year, Senator Kennedy is the politician likely to benefit most. Senior aides in the McGovern campaign dispute the finding of opinion polls. They claim their private polls show Senator McGovern closing the gap and hope for a majority of Electoral College votes, if not a majority of the popular vote. Odds suggest, however, that on Tuesday the dream of Miami Beach will be finally shattered. Senator McGovern provides a political outlet for the war protesters, but not sufficient stature to bind together behind him those Americans who want a better health system, more equitable distribution of wealth, and economic justice for the aged.