From Wikipedia:
In 1972, Richard Nixon appeared unbeatable. When Senator George McGovern won the Democratic nomination for President, virtually all of the high-profile Democrats, including Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie and Birch Bayh turned down offers to run on the ticket. Having been declined by the “name” Senators, McGovern turned to lesser-known candidates, and Thomas Eagleton, who had opposed the Vietnam War, was selected on July 14 with only a minimal background check.
(Unknown to McGovern) between 1960 and 1966, Eagleton checked himself into the hospital three times for physical and nervous exhaustion, receiving electric shock treatments twice. Eagleton made no mention of his earlier hospitalizations. Newspapers soon revealed them.
McGovern said he would back Eagleton “1000%”, but on August 1, Eagleton withdrew at McGovern’s request and, after new search by McGovern, was replaced by Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver.
Given the news of the last several days, it appears that the ghost of the late Senator Eagleton has been visiting the Republicans in the form of Alaska Governor Palin and has inflicted his vengeance. May he rest in peace.
I am still undecided. Personally, after a brief period considering voting for Obama, largely as a negative vote against the Bush administration’s cynical embrace of big government, I am leaning toward McCain. I am sure that the results of the electorial college will be a complete landslide for Obama, whatever my vote (see here). And I’m not sure that an Obama presidency would be a bad thing, though he appears to be against any meaningful education reform and may set the dial back on economic development for years. (Shrugs shoulders) It could be worse.
