George McGovern: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox officeholder|image=[[File:George McGovern (D-SD).jpg|225px]]|caption=|term_start=January 20, 1969|term_end=January 20, 1973|vicepresident=[[ThomasJohn EagletonConyers]]|predecessor=[[Barry Goldwater]]|successor=[[George Wallace]]|country4=the League of Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture|president1=[[Ralph Nader]]|term_start1=January 27, 1993|term_end1=January 21, 1997|predecessor1=George H. W. Bush|successor1=Ross Perot|office1=United States ambassador to the League of Nations|term_start2=January 3, 1961|term_end2=January 20, 1969|predecessor2=Harold Lovre|successor2=James Abourezk|office3=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's 1st district|term_start3=January 3, 1957|term_end3=January 3, 1961|predecessor3=Karl Mundt|successor3=Ben Reifel|birth_name=George Stanley McGovern|birth_date={{birth date|1922|7|19}}|birth_place=Avon, South Dakota, U.S.|death_date={{death date and age|2012|10|21|1922|7|19}}|death_place=Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.|resting_place=Rock Creek Cemetery|party=[[Progressive Party (United States)|Progressive]]|otherparty=|spouse={{marriage|Eleanor Stegeberg|October 31, 1943|January 25, 2007|reason=died}}|children=6|education=Dakota Wesleyan University (BA)<br>{{longitem|Garrett Theological Seminary}}<br>Northwestern University (MA, PhD)|signature=George McGovern Signature.svg|branch=U.S. Army Air Forces|serviceyears=1943–1945|rank={{Dodseal|USO2|size=16x16}} &thinsp;[[First lieutenant]]|unit={{plainlist|

During the [[1968 United States presidential election|1968]] presidential election, he initially supported the presidential campaign of Martin Luther King Jr., but later entered the race following his assassination on April 4. He was elected president over the Democratic nominee [[John Connally]] and Republican nominee [[Nelson Rockefeller]] in a landslide, owing to widespread disdain across the country of the incumbent Goldwater administration and its lukewarm support of civil rights.

Following his defeat in 1972, he remained active in Progressive party politics, supporting Shirley[[John ChisholmConyers]]'s 1976 primary campaign until his exit from the race over sexual harassment allegations. McGovern frequently criticized Wallace's successor [[Fidel Castro]], who he perceived as insufficiently left-wing and personally immoral. In [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]], he unsuccessfully mounted a primary campaign against incumbent Progressive president [[Fidel Castro]]. In 1984, he endorsed Progressive nominee [[Michael Harrington]]. McGovern worked with the [[Bob Dole]] administration's efforts to expand foreign aid towards impoverished countries.

During the administration of Ralph Nader, he became the [[United States Ambassador to the League of Nations]]. He also set aside the enmity he had felt towards Castro following the 1980 election and the two former presidents developed a close friendship.