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McGovern: A Biography
A Biography
303 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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March 7, 2009
To a liberal growing up in South Dakota, it's pretty much impossible not to idolize George McGovern. McGovern and Daschle were two politicians I considered to be sort of heroes growing up, and I continue to admire both of them as an adult, but especially McGovern. This biography was written in conjunction with the 1972 campaign, and is not completely independent, but it is critical at times and I don't feel like Anson put on kid-gloves to write about McGovern.
The major problem with the book, and the reason it's not nearly as useful as one might hope, is that it ends before the 1972 campaign has really even gotten into full swing. The book does not contain any addendum to describe the election or to describe the remainder of McGovern's political career after his landslide presidential defeat. The story I think I'd really like to hear is of his Senate race in 1980.
However, this book did teach me a lot I did not know about McGovern and gave me some insight behind the media narrative that he was some kind insane leftist that somehow got nominated for president by the Democratic Party and then self-destructed. There's a lot more to McGovern that the two second explaination one is accustomed to seeing on TV. Like any politician, McGovern straddled the fence between advocating for issues he was passionate about and trying to not alienate his constituents back home, in this case in the conservative state of South Dakota. For those looking to know more about how McGovern was originally elected and how he came to decide he needed to run for president, this book is a good place to start, even though the later chapters of McGovern's life are nowhere to be found.
The major problem with the book, and the reason it's not nearly as useful as one might hope, is that it ends before the 1972 campaign has really even gotten into full swing. The book does not contain any addendum to describe the election or to describe the remainder of McGovern's political career after his landslide presidential defeat. The story I think I'd really like to hear is of his Senate race in 1980.
However, this book did teach me a lot I did not know about McGovern and gave me some insight behind the media narrative that he was some kind insane leftist that somehow got nominated for president by the Democratic Party and then self-destructed. There's a lot more to McGovern that the two second explaination one is accustomed to seeing on TV. Like any politician, McGovern straddled the fence between advocating for issues he was passionate about and trying to not alienate his constituents back home, in this case in the conservative state of South Dakota. For those looking to know more about how McGovern was originally elected and how he came to decide he needed to run for president, this book is a good place to start, even though the later chapters of McGovern's life are nowhere to be found.
Displaying 1 of 1 review