Former Senator George McGovern has been making the rounds despite his age of 85 years. On March 6, 2008, the still spry man gave a speech and then an interview on the University of La Verne campus in Southern California. The senator from South Dakota commented on the political process in place today and the issues he continues to fight.
McGovern is currently an ambassador in the United Nations for the fight against world hunger. He has written several books on the topic of poverty and on the War in Iraq. But perhaps McGovern is still best known for losing the 1972 presidential election to Richard Nixon.
What McGovern Thinks of This Election
Today, the senator is still very involved in the political system. He has endorsed Hillary Clinton for this year's election, and he commented that he has known Hillary since she and Bill worked on his campaign in '72. He doesn't personally know Barack Obama, but all 10 of his grandchildren are working for Barack's campaign.
"This is one of the most educational elections in all of American history," McGovern said. "There are two intelligent, articulate, tough-minded candidates."
The strong Democrat also notes how significant this election is.
"I don't know which should be considered more of a breakthrough-a woman becoming President or a black man," McGovern noted.
McGovern's Run for PresidentWhen asked about his run for president in '72, McGovern still notes his slight bitterness over losing to a man who would become so infamous to the American public.
"Nixon never apologized for Watergate. In fact, he once remarked to me that his only regret was not burning the tapes," McGovern said, referring to the notorious Watergate recordings.
But when asked which war has been worse for America-Vietnam or the War in Iraq-McGovern posits that at least America knew why we were invading Vietnam. The senator refers to the Bush administration as completely "impeachable."
"They used the emotional moment of 9/11 to create a fear within the country that enabled them to convince everyone that Iraq was a danger," McGovern said.
Although he has disagreed with the current administration's abuse of executive power, McGovern does still have great faith in the United States' democratic system. He helped to develop the caucus system during the 1968 Chicago Democratic convention, and is thrilled by the number of people who are well informed about politics.
Above all of his political ideals, McGovern is a continuous inspiration for Americans. He also has an important message for the youth of today.
"Don't ever go into cynicism or indifference," McGovern said. "Every change in the world was brought about by somebody who didn't give up."
