Eugene McCarthy
Eugene McCarthy | |
---|---|
Edward John Thye | |
Succeeded by | Hubert Humphrey |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 4th district | |
In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1959 | |
Preceded by | Edward Devitt |
Succeeded by | Joseph Karth |
Personal details | |
Born | Eugene Joseph McCarthy March 29, 1916 Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
Spouse | |
Children | 5 |
Military Intelligence Division | |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916 – December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. McCarthy sought the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1968 election, challenging incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson on an anti-Vietnam War platform. McCarthy unsuccessfully ran for U.S. president four more times.
Born in Watkins, Minnesota, McCarthy became an economics professor after earning a graduate degree from the University of Minnesota. He served as a code breaker for the United States Department of War during World War II. McCarthy became a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (the state affiliate of the Democratic Party) and in 1948 was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served until being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1958. McCarthy was a prominent supporter of Adlai Stevenson II for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960, and was himself a candidate for the Democratic vice-presidential nomination in 1964. He co-sponsored the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, though he later expressed regret about its impact and became a member of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
As the 1960s progressed, McCarthy emerged as a prominent opponent of Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War. After
McCarthy did not seek reelection in the
Early life
McCarthy was born in
McCarthy grew up in Watkins with his parents and three siblings. He attended St. Anthony's Catholic School in Watkins, and spent hours reading his aunt's
While at St. John's, he coached the hockey team for one season.[6]
In 1943, considering the contemplative life of a monk, he became a Benedictine novice at Saint John's Abbey.
U.S. House of Representatives
McCarthy became a member of the
In 1952 he engaged Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy (no relation) in a nationally televised debate in which he parodied the Senator's arguments to "prove" that General Douglas MacArthur had been a communist pawn.[10] In 1958 he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Senate
He served as a member of (among other committees) the powerful
McCarthy voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1960,[12] the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,[13] the Civil Rights Act of 1964,[14] the Voting Rights Act of 1965,[15] and the Medicare program.[16] He did not vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1968[17] or on the confirmation of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court.[18]
Along with
McCarthy met with
1968 presidential campaign
McCarthy challenges Johnson
In 1968,
McCarthy's decision to run arose partly as an outcome of Oregon Senator Wayne Morse's opposition to the war. Morse was one of two senators to vote against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of August 1964. He gave speeches denouncing the war before it had entered most Americans' awareness. Thereafter, several politically active Oregon Democrats asked Kennedy to run as an antiwar candidate. McCarthy also encouraged Kennedy to run.[24] After Kennedy refused, the group asked McCarthy to run, and he responded favorably. After Kennedy entered the race and Johnson withdrew, however, McCarthy shifted his focus toward Kennedy.[24]
McCarthy declared his candidacy on November 30, 1967, saying, "I am concerned that the Administration seems to have set no limit to the price it is willing to pay for a military victory." Political experts and the news media dismissed his candidacy, and he was given little chance of making any impact against Johnson in the primaries.[25] But public perception of him changed following the Tet Offensive (January 30 – February 23, 1968), the aftermath of which saw many Democrats grow disillusioned with the war, and quite a few interested in an alternative to Johnson. McCarthy said, "My decision to challenge the President's position and the administration's position has been strengthened by recent announcements out of the administration. The evident intention to escalate and to intensify the war in Vietnam, and on the other hand, the absence of any positive indication or suggestion for a compromise or for a negotiated political settlement."[26]
On December 3, 1967, McCarthy addressed the Conference of Concerned Democrats in Chicago, accusing the Johnson administration of ignoring and bungling opportunities for bringing the war to a conclusion.[27] Eight days later it was reported that he had suggested abandoning some areas of South Vietnam to the Viet Cong.[28] On February 17, 1968, it was reported that McCarthy's campaign had raised only a quarter of the funds it had hoped to raise nationally.[29] In May, Kennedy attacked McCarthy's civil rights record.[30] On June 23, 1968, Hubert Humphrey defeated McCarthy, securing significant delegates in their shared home state of Minnesota.[31][32][33]
As his volunteers (led by youth coordinator Sam Brown) went door to door in New Hampshire, and as the media began paying more serious attention to the senator, McCarthy began to rise in the polls. When he received 42% of the vote to Johnson's 49% in the March 12 New Hampshire primary (and 20 of New Hampshire's 24 delegates to the Democratic convention), it became clear that there was deep division among Democrats about the war. By this time, Johnson had become inextricably defined by Vietnam, and this demonstration of divided support within his party meant his reelection (only four years after winning the highest percentage of the popular vote in modern history) seemed unlikely. The folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary released a record "Eugene McCarthy For President (If You Love Your Country)", endorsing McCarthy, who they said had stood alone against Johnson over "more timid men" now echoing him.[34]
Kennedy enters the race
On March 16, Robert F. Kennedy announced that he would run; many Democrats saw Kennedy as a stronger candidate than McCarthy. On March 31, Johnson surprised the world by announcing that he would not seek reelection. After that, McCarthy won in Wisconsin,[35] where the Kennedy campaign was still getting organized. McCarthy also won in Oregon against a well-organized Kennedy effort; it was considered his first official victory over Kennedy.[24]
McCarthy styled himself as a clean politician, but criticized his opponents. Known for his wit, when asked if Michigan Governor George Romney's comment that Romney had been "brainwashed" about the Vietnam War had ended Romney's presidential hopes, McCarthy remarked, "Well... no, not really. Anyway, I think in that case a light rinse would have been sufficient."[36] He mocked Kennedy and his supporters. A major gaffe occurred in Oregon, when McCarthy called Kennedy supporters "less intelligent" than his own and belittled Indiana (which had by then gone for Kennedy) for lacking a poet of the stature of Robert Lowell—a friend of McCarthy's who often traveled with him.[37]
Some of those who joined McCarthy's effort early on were Kennedy loyalists. Now that Kennedy was in the race, many of them jumped ship, urging McCarthy to drop out and support Kennedy.[citation needed] McCarthy resented that Kennedy had let him do the "dirty work" of challenging Johnson and entered the race only when it became apparent that Johnson was vulnerable.[citation needed] As a result, while he initially entered the campaign with few illusions of winning, McCarthy now devoted himself to beating Kennedy (and Humphrey, who entered the race after Johnson withdrew) and gaining the nomination.[24]
Humphrey, long a champion of labor unions and of
Kennedy, like his brother John in 1960, planned to win the nomination through popular support in the primaries. McCarthy and Kennedy squared off in California, knowing that the result there would be decisive. They both campaigned vigorously up and down the state, with many polls showing them neck-and-neck, and a few predicting a McCarthy victory.[citation needed]
A televised debate between them began to tilt undecided voters away from McCarthy. He made two statements many found ill-considered: that he would accept a government including Communists in South Vietnam, and that only the relocation of inner-city blacks would solve the urban problem. Kennedy pounced, portraying the former idea as soft on communism and the latter as a scheme to bus tens of thousands of ghetto residents into white, conservative
Despite strong showings in several primaries—he won more votes than any other Democratic candidate—McCarthy garnered only 23% of the delegates at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, largely due to the control of state-party organizations over the delegate-selection process. After Kennedy's assassination, many Kennedy delegates, remembering his bitter war of words with McCarthy, chose to support George McGovern rather than McCarthy.[citation needed] Moreover, although Humphrey was not clearly an antiwar candidate, some antiwar Democrats hoped that as president he might succeed where Johnson had failed and extricate the United States from Vietnam. Before election day, McCarthy confirmed that he would personally vote for Humphrey, but said that he would go no further than that, stopping short of endorsing him.[citation needed] Although McCarthy did not win the Democratic nomination, the antiwar "New Party", which ran several candidates for president that year, listed him as its nominee on the ballot in Arizona, where he received 2,751 votes, and in Vermont, gaining 579 votes. He also appeared on the Oregon ballot as the New Party choice. He received 20,721 votes as a write-in candidate in California.[citation needed]
Despite McCarthy's anti-Vietnam War stance, North Vietnam's Communist government had a cynical attitude toward him, largely because the lack of money in his campaign made it highly skeptical of what he could achieve, describing McCarthy as "a second-rate politician with little experience or money" in its analysis of the presidential election published in their Army Newspaper dated August 10, 1968.[38]
Politics after the Senate
1972 presidential campaign
McCarthy returned to politics as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972, but he fared poorly in New Hampshire and Wisconsin and soon dropped out.
Illinois was the only primary in which McCarthy actively participated. He got 38% of the vote to the then leading contender Edmund Muskie's 59%, but the media ignored McCarthy's Illinois campaign.
1976 presidential campaign
After his 1972 campaign, McCarthy left the Democratic Party, and ran as an
His numerous legal battles during the election, along with a strong grassroots effort in friendly states, allowed him to appear on the ballot in 30 states and eased ballot access for later third-party candidates. His party affiliation was variously listed on ballots as "Independent," "McCarthy '76," "Non-Partisan," "Nom. Petition," "Nomination," "Not Designated," and "Court Order". Although he was not on the California and Wyoming ballots, he was recognized as a write-in candidate in those states. In many states, he did not run with a vice-presidential nominee, but he came to have a total of 15 running mates in states where he was required to have one. At least eight of his running mates were women.[41]
Nationally, McCarthy received 740,460 votes, 0.91% of the total, finishing third in the election.[41] His best showing came in Oregon, where he received 40,207 votes, 3.90% of the vote.[41]
Further activism
McCarthy opposed Watergate-era campaign finance laws, becoming a plaintiff in the landmark case
In 1980, dismayed by what he saw as the abject failure of Jimmy Carter's presidency (he later said that "he was the worst president we ever had"),[43] he appeared in a campaign ad for Libertarian candidate Ed Clark and wrote the introduction to Clark's campaign book.[44] He eventually endorsed Ronald Reagan for president.[45]
Final campaigns
In 1982, McCarthy
In the
In 1992, returning to the Democratic Party, he entered the New Hampshire presidential primary and campaigned for the Democratic nomination, but was excluded from the first televised debate. Along with other candidates who had been excluded from the 1992 Democratic debates (including two-time New Alliance Party presidential candidate Lenora Fulani, former Irvine, California mayor Larry Agran, Billy Jack actor Tom Laughlin, and others), McCarthy staged protests and took unsuccessful legal action in an attempt to be included in the debates. Unlike the other excluded candidates, McCarthy was a longstanding national figure and had mounted credible campaigns for president in previous elections. He won 108,679 votes in the 1992 primaries. In his campaign for the Democratic nomination, McCarthy proposed the use of import fees to help Japan and Western Europe pay for military security and raise taxes on the wealthy in order to eliminate the national debt.[48][49]
Publishing
After leaving the Senate in 1971, McCarthy became a senior editor at
Personal life
McCarthy and his wife, Abigail Quigley McCarthy, had five children, Christopher Joseph (April 30, 1946 – April 30, 1946), Ellen Anne, Mary Abigail (April 29, 1949 – July 28, 1990), Michael Benet, and Margaret Alice. [51]
In 1969, McCarthy separated from his wife after 24 years of marriage, but the two never divorced. The children stayed with their mother after the separation.[52] According to McCarthy biographer Dominic Sandbrook, McCarthy was involved in a romantic relationship with CBS News correspondent Marya McLaughlin[53] that lasted until McLaughlin's death in 1998.[54]
Death and legacy
McCarthy died of complications from
Following his death the
In 2009, his alma mater, St. John's University, honored McCarthy by establishing the Eugene McCarthy Distinguished Public Service Award.[57]
McCarthy's files as U.S. congressman (Democratic Farmer-Labor) from Minnesota's 4th district (1949–1959) and as U.S. senator from Minnesota (1959–1971) are available at the Minnesota History Center for research. They include executive files, general files, legislative files, personal files, political and campaign (including senatorial, vice presidential, and presidential) files, public relations files, sound and visual materials (with photographs), and speeches.[58]
Presidential election results
McCarthy's presidential campaign results | |||
Election | Party | votes | % |
---|---|---|---|
1968 (primary) | Democratic Party | 2,914,933 | 38.7% |
1972 (primary) | Democratic Party | 553,352 | 1.7% |
1976 | Independent | 740,460 | 0.91% |
1988 | Consumer | 30,905 | 0.03% |
Books by Eugene McCarthy
- Frontiers in American Democracy (1960)
- Dictionary of American Politics (1962)
- A Liberal Answer to the Conservative Challenge (1964)
- The Limits of Power: America's Role in the World (1967)
- The Year of the People (1969)
- Mr. Raccoon and His Friends (1977; Academy Press Ltd., Chicago, IL); children's stories, illustrated by James Ecklund
- A Political Bestiary, by Eugene J. McCarthy and ISBN 0-380-46508-6
- The Ultimate Tyranny: The Majority Over the Majority (1980) ISBN 0-15-192581-X
- Gene McCarthy's Minnesota: Memories of a Native Son (1982) ISBN 0-86683-681-0
- Complexities and Contrarities (1982) ISBN 0-15-121202-3
- Up Til Now: A Memoir (1987)
- Required Reading: A Decade of Political Wit and Wisdom (1988) ISBN 0-15-176880-3
- Nonfinancial Economics: The Case for Shorter Hours of Work, by Eugene McCarthy and William McGaughey (1989) ISBN 0-275-92514-5
- A Colony of the World: The United States Today (1992) ISBN 0-7818-0102-8
- Eugene J. McCarthy: Selected Poems by Eugene J. McCarthy, Ray Howe (1997) ISBN 1-883477-15-8
- No-Fault Politics (1998) ISBN 0-8129-3016-9
- 1968: War and Democracy (2000) ISBN 1-883477-37-9
- Hard Years: Antidotes to Authoritarians (2001) ISBN 1-883477-38-7
- From Rappahannock County (2002) ISBN 1-883477-51-4
- Parting Shots from My Brittle Bow: Reflections on American Politics and Life (2005) ISBN 1-55591-528-0
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 9780399563140.
- ^ Post, Tim (January 24, 2006). "St. John's remembers Sen. Eugene McCarthy". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ISBN 9780307425775.
- ^ Roske, Peggy (2010). "Eugene McCarthy's Days at St. John's" (PDF). Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ a b "Former U.S. Senator and SJU Graduate Eugene J. McCarthy Dies", Newsroom, Saint John's University, December 10, 2005
- ^ "Saint John's Hockey All-Time Coaching Records" (PDF). GoJohnnies.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Eisele, Albert (December 13, 2005). "His time was then and now". TheHill.com. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ "Who is Eugene J. McCarthy? â€" CSB/SJU". www.csbsju.edu. College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- OL 6193934M.
- ^ a b c d Senator Eugene McCarthy obituary, telegraph.co.uk, December 12, 2005.
- Times of London. December 12, 2005. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ "HR. 8601. PASSAGE OF AMENDED BILL".
- ^ "S.J. RES. 29. APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION BANNING THE POLL TAX AS PREREQUISITE FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS".
- ^ "HR. 7152. PASSAGE".
- ^ "TO PASS S. 1564, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965".
- ^ "TO PASS H.R. 6675, THE SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1965".
- ^ "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION IN SALE OR RENTAL OF HOUSING, AND TO PROHIBIT RACIALLY MOTIVATED INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON EXERCISING HIS CIVIL RIGHTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES".
- ^ "CONFIRMATION OF THURGOOD MARSHALL, THE FIRST NEGRO APPOINTED TO THE SUPREME COURT". GovTrack.us.
- ISBN 978-0781801027
- ^ "A Personal Note on the Passing of Eugene McCarthy" (PDF). December 2005/January 2006 Immigration Report. Federation for American Immigration Reform. 2006. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Eisele, Al (March 25, 2009) "When Gene McCarthy Met Che Guevara", Huffington Post; retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ "Remembering Eugene McCarthy". NPR. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- ^ Get Clean For Gene: Eugene McCarthy's 1968 Presidential Campaign - George Rising
- ^ ISBN 9780307425775.
- ^ Marlow, James (December 1, 1967). "McCarthy Is Unlikely to Alter LBJ Policy". Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Associated Press. p. 4. Retrieved June 14, 2015 – via Google News Archive.
At this point it is not likely many people, including McCarthy, think he has a chance to get the nomination away from Johnson although, if he can generate enough heat, somebody else might.
- ^ "1967 Year In Review". UPI.com.
- ^ "Message of fear attributed to LBJ". Lewiston Morning Tribune. December 3, 1967 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "McCarthy urges letting Cong have some Southern Districts". Lewiston Morning Tribune. December 11, 1967 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ Allen, Robert S. (February 17, 1968). "Senate Ethics Committee Dragging Feed". The Lewiston Daily Sun – via Google News Archive.
- Lewiston Daily Sun. p. 3 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "HHH Given 3-1 Edge In Convention Delegates". The Winona Daily News. June 24, 1968. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nixon, Humphrey Add Delegates, Widen Leads". The Lewiston Daily Sun. June 24, 1968. p. 1 – via Google News Archive Search.
- ^ Nathanson, Iric (May 25, 2011). "Two favorite sons: the Humphrey-McCarthy battle of 1968". MinnPost. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ "1968 45-RPM Eugene McCarthy Campaign Recording: Peter, Paul, & Mary". YouTube. September 4, 2010. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- ^ "1968 Democratic winner: Eugene McCarthy". madison.com. March 29, 2016.
- ISBN 9780670119912. Retrieved May 15, 2013.. Media Myth Alert. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
as cited in: Campbell, W. Joseph (September 4, 2012). "Recalling George Romney's "brainwashing" and Gene McCarthy's "light rinse" retort" - ^ a b c Greenberg, David (June 4, 2008). "After the Assassination: How Gene McCarthy's response to Bobby Kennedy's murder crippled the Democrats". Slate.com. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ The President's Daily Brief August 13, 1968. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ Walker, Jesse (November 1, 2009) "Five Faces of Jerry Brown", The American Conservative, November 1, 2009.
- ^ "Eugene McCarthy for President 1976 Campaign Brochure". 4president.org. September 22, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- ^ a b c Leip, David (2005). "1976 Presidential General Election Results". Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ^ "Campaignfinancesite.org". Archived from the original on July 17, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2006.
- ^ Hitchens, Christopher (May 21, 2007). "The latest absurdities to emerge from Jimmy Carter's big, smug mouth. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine". Slate.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
- Reason
- ^ "Remembering Eugene McCarthy". Newshour with Jim Lehrer. PBS. December 12, 2005. Archived from the original on February 18, 2006.
- ^ a b Cline, Francis X. (December 11, 2005). "Eugene J. McCarthy, Senate Dove Who Jolted '68 Race, Dies at 89". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Leip, David (2005). "1988 Presidential General Election Results". Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ^ Leip, David (2016). "1992 Presidential General Election Results". Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ^ "MINNESOTA`S OLD POLS JUST KEEP RUNNING AND RUNNING AND RUNNING".
- ^ "Eugene J. McCarthy: An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ "Abigail McCarthy Dies at 85". The Washington Post. February 3, 2001. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ISBN 9780307425775.
- ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths MCLAUGHLIN, MARYA - The New York Times". The New York Times. September 16, 1998. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- ^ "Marya McLaughlin Dead At 68". CBSNews.com. September 16, 1998. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ "The Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement". College of Saint Benedict. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
- ^ "Dems Confuse Joe, Eugene McCarthy". NPR.org. August 27, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
- ^ "Eugene McCarthy Public Service Award". The Eugene J. McCarthy Center. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ Eugene J. McCarthy Papers at Minnesota Historical Society; accessed June 14, 2017.
Sources
- Dominic Sandbrook, Eugene McCarthy and The Rise and Fall of American Liberalism (2005).
External links
- United States Congress. "Eugene McCarthy (id: M000311)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Eugene J. McCarthy (1916–2005): The Legacy of the Former Senator and Anti-War Presidential Candidate
- Minnesota senator shook world in '68 — Star Tribune of Minneapolis
- FBI file on Eugene McCarthy
- Gentle Senator, Presidential Hopeful Empowered U.S. Antiwar Movement — The Washington Post
- Eugene Joseph McCarthy, a maverick presidential candidate, died on December 10, aged 89 — The Economist
- Some poems by Eugene McCarthy
- "Eugene McCarthy: Candidacy inspired antiwar movement" Los Angeles Times, 11 December 2005
- "No Success Like Failure." by Jon Wiener. The Nation, May 3, 2004, 50–53.
- Ron Schuler's Parlour Tricks: Eugene McCarthy from 1916 to 2005
- Eugene McCarthy's 1968 announcement speech
- A 1968 McCarthy for President brochure
- "Gene McCarthy" Article by The Nation, (December 15, 2005)
- Saint John's University Archives Presentation on McCarthy's University Days created by Peggy Roske, University Archivist, 2010
- Obituary from the National Catholic Reporter
- Eugene McCarthy reads poetry and talks politics with Robb Mitchell, Northern Lights Minnesota Author Interview TV Series #38 (1988): [https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll38:12#/kaltura_video]
- Eugene McCarthy discusses his latest book A Colony of the World with Hennepin County Library Director Robert H. Rohlf, Northern Lights TV Series #268 (1993): [https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll38:49#/kaltura_video]