George McGovern pushes a new peace plan -- for Democrats

George McGovern's call for an end to the Vietnam War propelled him to the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Now, he's asking the two rivals for this year's nod to give peace a chance -- or, at the least, take concrete steps toward presenting a unified front.

As part of the walk-up to Tuesday's primary in his home state of South Dakota, McGovern has proposed that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaign together. There would be one precondition, he told the Sioux Falls-based Argus Leader newspaper: "No attacks on each other. We've had enough of that."

According to the story, Clinton is willing to give it a go. The Obama camp has been more equivocal; McGovern said it did not rule out a joint appearance, but warned that the candidate's schedule already is jampacked.

McGovern, running on his anti-war platform, got crushed by then-President Richard Nixon in the general election 36 years ago. We doubt the prospects for his Clinton-Obama detente plan, at this point, are much better.

-- Don Frederick 

Comments

[TellasisPatel]

Mr. George McGovern's suggestion is very good, but he should have made that long before the nomination campaign began so that it could have been discussed, possibly modified and accepted by all the participants. At the University of Leeds where I studied, all the candidates were allowed to post a one page resume of their experience and accomplishments on one large bill-board. Later, the candidates were presented to the student body on the same platform where they took questions from the voters. To witness that civilized, fair discourse followed by the election with minimal waste of time and resources was indeed a wonderful educational experience. I wish all democratic societies do something like that and bring out the best in the candidates and their supporters.
What George McGovern has suggested sounds like issuing a directive almost at the end of the nomination campaign. Does he think his suggestion is EQUALLY fair to both candidates at this stage in the process? I don't think so.
Thank you.

[Andrew Austin]

"McGovern, running on his anti-war platform, got crushed by then-President Richard Nixon in the general election 36 years ago. We doubt the prospects for his Clinton-Obama detente plan, at this point, are much better."

Obama's chances to win the general election aren't much better than McGovern's either.

[Gaias Child]

I do respect George McGovern and it's a great idea and of course Obama would do it too. Only thing is, Sen. Clinton is unable to perceive her attacks as she is reactive and bears no responsibility for them. They are the fault of whoever she is attacking, reproaching, recriminiating, discrediting at the moment. So sure Clinton will say yes to McGovern before South Dakota's primary but does anybody think she can campaign without attacking? Her videos will star in the general election on the R side. It would be just a disaster to have her on the ticket. She'd be discrediting Obama and herself and the R's wouldn't have to work very hard.

[Ronald Loui]

Andrew writes "Obama's chances to win the general election aren't much better than McGovern's either" yet a simple analysis of the electoral college shows that a landslide against the Democrats is impossible, and a landslide against the Republicans is more probable. Just have a look at pollster.com data, state by state, and plug it into an electoral college tallying SOA. Most politcal science professors are coming up with 300+ for Obama, where 270 are needed to win.

Or Andrew could put his money where his mouth is, and buy an INTRADE vouocher for McCain at 37 cents on the dollar, a nearly 3:1 payoff if he is right.