{"id":610,"date":"2017-12-29T00:39:48","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T00:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=610"},"modified":"2018-01-16T04:13:02","modified_gmt":"2018-01-16T04:13:02","slug":"on-george-mcgoverns-kma-buttons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=610","title":{"rendered":"On George McGovern’s “KMA” buttons…"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Unlike many Republicans – past and present –\u00a0George McGovern<\/a>\u00a0actually served his country…<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

It’s the Thursday after Christmas Day.\u00a0 So those<\/em><\/strong> holidays are over, and the end of 2017 is near.\u00a0 Which means it’s time to look back at 2017.\u00a0 And for me especially, that<\/em> <\/strong>means looking back at some draft blog-posts that I started this past year, but never got around to finishing.<\/p>\n

One of the posts was on\u00a0George McGovern<\/a>\u00a0and his famous “KMA” buttons.\u00a0 But first a note:\u00a0 In the\u00a01972 presidential election<\/a>, only about four people in America – including me – voted for McGovern.\u00a0 Richard Nixon won in a landslide, but neither he nor Vice-president Spiro Agnew served out their terms of office.\u00a0 (Agnew<\/a>\u00a0resigned in less than a year over allegations he took bribes as\u00a0Governor of Maryland<\/a>.\u00a0 Nixon resigned over the\u00a0Watergate Scandal<\/a>\u00a0in August 1974, illustrated above right.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Which means that my vote for McGovern in 1972 is one of the proudest moments of my life<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In case you’ve forgotten, that election in 1972 was famous for\u00a0Republican dirty tricks<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0(Including but not limited to the infamous “Canuck letter<\/a>” that led to\u00a0Ed Muskie\u2019s tears of anger<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

But since then I’ve gotten used to underhanded Republican campaign tactics.\u00a0 Like the fact that some stay-at-home conservatives in 1972 also<\/em><\/strong> took issue with McGovern’s service in World War II.\u00a0 And just for the record, McGovern served in combat with the the 741st Squadron of the\u00a0455th Bombardment Group<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Fifteenth Air Force<\/a>, stationed\u00a0near\u00a0Cerignola<\/a>, Italy.<\/p>\n

He was commissioned a pilot in the Army Air Forces<\/a>\u00a0and flew 35\u00a0missions over enemy territory.\u00a0 He piloted a B\u201124 Liberator that he named “the Dakota Queen,” in honor of his wife Eleanor.\u00a0 (And won the\u00a0Distinguished Flying Cross<\/a>.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

But my favorite story about George McGovern came much later in his life.\u00a0 It happened late in the 1972 campaign and involved his confronting a heckler from the Richard Nixon camp.\u00a0 (Though it was not<\/strong>\u00a0Donald Segretti<\/a>)<\/em>:<\/p>\n

McGovern was giving a speech and a Nixon admirer kept heckling him.\u00a0 McGovern called the young man over and whispered in his ear, “Listen, you son-of-a-bitch, why don’t you kiss my ass?<\/strong>”\u00a0 The heckler confirmed this to an inquiring journalist and the remark was widely reported.\u00a0 By the following night, “KMA” buttons<\/strong> were being worn by people in the crowds at McGovern rallies.\u00a0 Several years later, McGovern observed Mississippi<\/a> Senator James Eastland<\/a> looking at him from across the Senate floor and chuckling to himself.\u00a0 He subsequently approached McGovern and asked, “Did you really tell that guy in ’72 to kiss your ass?”\u00a0 When McGovern smiled and nodded, Eastland replied, “That was the best line in the campaign<\/strong>.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

See McGovern presidential campaign, 1972 – Wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0And again just for the record, Senator James Eastland was a Democrat – like McGovern – but who supported the\u00a0Conservative coalition<\/a>, and was “known nationally as a symbol of Southern support for\u00a0racial segregation<\/a>.”\u00a0 But this was when Southern Democrats were effectively Republicans:<\/p>\n

Mississippi was effectively a one-party state, dominated by conservative white Democrats since the\u00a0disfranchisement of African Americans<\/a>\u00a0with the passage of the 1890 state constitution.\u00a0 The state used\u00a0poll taxes<\/a>,\u00a0literacy tests<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0grandfather clauses<\/a>\u00a0to exclude African Americans from the political system.\u00a0 Therefore, winning the Democratic nomination was tantamount to election.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But this was also a time when political rivals could “sup with their enemies.”\u00a0 In the photo at right, Eastland shared a moment with noted northern liberal – and a very young – Ted Kennedy.<\/p>\n

You can see this photo – or one much like it – at\u00a0Kennedy got Senate assignments in boozy meeting (N.Y. Daily News, 9\/30\/15<\/a>).\u00a0 At the time Eastland chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee:<\/p>\n

After he slammed three drinks, Kennedy staggered away with the three assignments he wanted the most…\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s quarter to eleven, and I\u2019m barely able to get up.\u00a0 So of course I go back to my office [and] walk in there smelling like a brewery.\u00a0 Here\u2019s our little senator, 30 years old; he\u2019s been down here two weeks, and he\u2019s stiff as a billy goat at 10 in the morning.\u201d\u00a0 Kennedy said Mississippi’s Sen. James Eastland poured him a drink as soon as he arrived to the 1963 meeting.\u00a0 \u201cBourbon or scotch?\u201d the chairman asked.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But of course Eastland’s legendary drinking – or Kennedy’s for that matter – is a whole ‘nother subject entirely.\u00a0 The point is that back in the good old days<\/a>, politicians still had a sense of humor.\u00a0 (Even to the point of chuckling over an arch-enemy’s “best line in the campaign<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n

And in a very big sense politicians as a group were eminently more likeable<\/a>\u00a0than they are today.\u00a0 (See also\u00a0On Reagan, Kennedy \u2013 and \u201cDick the Butcher<\/a>.”)\u00a0<\/em> But the main<\/em> <\/strong>point I’d like to make is that I wish George McGovern could have hung around long enough to run in the\u00a02016 presidential election<\/a>.\u00a0 That way he could have told someone else<\/em> <\/strong>to “kiss my ass!”<\/p>\n

For that alone,\u00a0George McGovern<\/a>\u00a0would have made a great<\/em><\/strong> president…<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

\"Donald<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

The upper image is courtesy of\u00a0George McGovern – Wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0 In other versions of the “KMA” story, McGovern\u00a0was appearing in Battle Creek, Michigan<\/a>, on November 2, when a Nixon admirer heckled him.\u00a0 McGovern told the heckler, “I’ve got a secret for you,” then said softly into his ear, “Kiss my ass.”\u00a0 The incident was overheard and reported in the press, and became part of the tale of the campaign.\u00a0 See also\u00a0“George, Heckler Exchange Words”<\/a>. The Spartanburg Herald<\/a>. November 3, 1972. p.\u00a0B8.\u00a0 For an account of his passing – by Fox News – see\u00a0<\/em>Former Senator George McGovern, ’72 Democratic presidential nominee, dies at 90<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"CampaignFor still other takes on the 1972 campaign, see\u00a0Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘7<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0by Hunter Thompson and illustrated at left,\u00a0The Boys on the Bus<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0and\/or\u00a0One Bright Shining Moment<\/a>.\u00a0 Also, reference was made to\u00a0Boller, Paul F., Presidential Campaigns: from George Washington to George W. Bush, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press<\/a>, 2004, ISBN 0195167163<\/a>, at page\u00a0340.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And for one of my<\/strong> takes on Southern Democrats like Eastland , see\u00a0Blue Dogs and the \u201cVia Media<\/a>.”\u00a0 For yet another take on the politicians of yesteryear, see\u00a0\u201cGreat politicians sell hope<\/a>.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The lower image<\/em>\u00a0is courtesy of\u00a0businessinsider.com\/donald-trump-has-been-fired<\/a>.\u00a0 I first used a smaller version in Reagan, Kennedy \u2013 and \u201cDick the Butcher<\/a>,\u201d but then used the photo as a “parting shot” in the December 15, 2017 post,\u00a0On \u201cPyrrhic victories<\/a>.”\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

(There seems to be a trend here…)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unlike many Republicans – past and present –\u00a0George McGovern\u00a0actually served his country… * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * It’s the Thursday after Christmas Day.\u00a0 So those holidays are over, and the end of 2017 is near.\u00a0 Which means it’s time to look back at 2017.\u00a0 And for me especially, that means looking back at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=610"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6919,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610\/revisions\/6919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}