Summary: The 1972 presidential contest comes down to one final race, the California primary. In a showdown between friends, George McGovern seems to win the nomination but also earns the label “radical.”
Episode Bibliography
Books:
Hubert Humphrey: a biography, by Carl Solberg, 1984
The Education of a Public Man, by Hubert Humphrey, 1976
Hubert Humphrey: The Conscience of the Country, by Arnold Offner, 2018
The Liberals’ Moment, by Bruce Miroff, 2007
Right from the Start, by Gary Hart, 1973
The Long Shot, by Gordon Weil, 1973
Nixonland, by Rick Perlstein, 2008
Articles:
New York Times, “Humphrey: It’s Official,” April 1968
New York Times, “The Tragedy of Hubert Humphrey,” March 2018
New York Times, “McGovern Calls For Tax Reform,” January 1972
Democracy Journal, “The Myths of McGovern,” Winter 2008
Vox, “Trump Has Changed How Americans Thinks About Politics,” January 2018
Washingtonian, “Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam,” May 2014
New York Times, “Muskie Is Behind,” April 1972
New York Times, “McGovern’s Route to the Top,” June 1972
New York Times, “McGovern Says Jackson Distorts His Views,” May 5
New York Times, “Humphrey Campaign‐Report Shows Debt of $1,149,967,” June 1972
The New Republic, “What Democrats Still Don’t Get About George McGovern,” February 2016
Harvard Crimson, “Are You Kidding, George? $1,000 A Person?” June 1973
The Lantern, “Humphrey at OSU; Suggests Primary Reform,” April 1972
New York Times, “McGovern Appears Ahead On Eve of Coast Debates,” May 1972
Investopedia, “The Long, Weird History of Universal Basic Income—and Why It’s Back,” August 2021
New York Times, “Times Study: Debates Hurt McGovern,” June 1972
New York Times, “Humphrey Aides Expect New Help,” June 1972
New York Times, “Lean Into It. Lean Into the Culture War,” July 2021
Studies and Other Primary Sources:
Minnesota Historical Society, Hubert Humphrey’s Speeches
Benjamin Goodman, University of Maine, “The Democratization of the Democratic Party: An Analysis of Democratic Party Reform 1972 – 2008,” 2012
Historical speeches, news footage, and other archival tape excerpted in the episode were gathered from:
CSPAN
Dakota Wesleyan University
Minnesota Historical Society
Vanderbilt Television News Archive
YouTube