Although the Morry Taylor Mobile may never be immortalized in the pages of history texts, it is through the primaries that some politicians leave an indelible mark on history and the American political system. No one better exemplifies this phenomenon than Senator Eugene McCarthy.
Most renowned for his performance in the notorious primary election of 1968, in which he upset incumbent Lyndon Johnson by procuring the anti-war vote, nearly 25 years later McCarthy offers great insight into the upcoming primaries and his own views on our nation's electoral system.
McCarthy spoke about how today's primaries differ from those three decades ago in Government Professor Constantine Spiliotes' Government 35 class on the presidency yesterday. The speech was part of The McCarthy Project -- a documentary made by PBS.
"Television is too intrusive in today's primaries," McCarthy said, as he tripped over the wires of the PBS cameramen trailing him around the room, and climbing over desks, continually trying to get a better angle.
A look back at '68
In a packed classroom in the second floor of Silsby Hall, McCarthy used both his hindsight and insight to help students better understand the primary.
The New Hampshire primary has traditionally been the most important of the primaries in predicting who will receive the party's nomination. McCarthy's success in the 1968 primary provided momentum for the duration his campaign.
Followed by an entourage of cameramen and colleagues, McCarthy reminisced about his experiences in 1968 while leading the class through the issues surrounding this year's primary.
In 1968 McCarthy visited Dartmouth under very different circumstances than he did yesterday.
"I have had a couple of good experiences at Dartmouth," he said in an interview after his presentation to the class. "In 1968 I gave a speech [in Webster Hall]."
"I have had a couple of good experiences at Dartmouth," he said. "I gave a speech in 1968 in" Webster Hall he said.
McCarthy explained that a young man in a uniform handed him a wrapped box, he had thought was a book.
"It was his medal of valor," McCarthy said. "He was ashamed of the war and [this was] a single testimonial."
McCarthy said he could tell the man was definitely not a Dartmouth student by the atrocious spelling in the letter.
"The campaign of 1968 involved opposition to the war and also what the presidency was all about," McCarthy told Spiliotes' class of 50 students.
Looking back, McCarthy said he did not feel any resentment toward Robert Kennedy who, after saying he was going to run, joined the race and snagged the Republican nomination from McCarthy.
"Robert Kennedy was someone who didn't keep his word," he said. "I don't resent him; I just don't like him," he said with a laugh.
"Kennedy had all the props. We were trying to end the war," he added. "Kennedy raised a lot of false issues, and we were trying to keep it focused on the war."
'The worst thing for the country'
McCarthy said he was displeased with the evolution of political processes in the country -- especially with how the nation chooses its president.
"I do not like how it [the political process] has progressed," he told The Dartmouth.
The two-party system should not have survived, McCarthy said.
"John Adams said the worst thing for the country was for it to be controlled by two parties," he said.
Bi-partisan politics eliminates the 50 percent of American voters who are in neither party, he explained.
In an informative and witty diatribe, McCarthy analyzed how the nation now selects its presidents.
"Truman was the last of the 'Congressional' presidents," McCarthy said. "Since then, [electing a President] has become a lot more personal."
"Everyone started looking for a figurehead who could carry the party to victory," he added, and not how they govern the country.
Style got John F. Kennedy into the White House in 1960, he said.
Johnson used too many personal pronouns, McCarthy said. "You have to watch the language," he warned. He said by using phrases like 'my cabinet' Johnson is suggesting 'all is mine, and I can do whatever I want with it.'"
He contrasted Johnson's approach with Nixon's.
"Nixon personalized it more intimately," McCarthy continued. He began saying 'we' as if he were the "moral and spiritual incarnation of the country."
"You can't just tell people who to vote for -- you have to set standards. It's not a question of who, but what kind," he stressed.
McCarthy then set standards on how to choose a president by eliminating unfit categories.
He targeted governors, former vice presidents, ministers and military officers as some of the least qualified people for the presidency.
"The worst qualified people are governors," McCarthy said, using Clinton as an example.
"Second worst are vice presidents and former vice presidents," he said. "They are not picked because they make good presidents, but because they balance the ticket."
"It is not a question of whether they are qualified, but whether they are liberal or conservative," he added.
"We've had a pretty bad run of vice presidents," he said.
He used Richard Nixon and Dan Quayle as his examples.
"The office takes good people and destroys them," McCarthy explained.
There was a vote in 1803 to abolish the office, but it was defeated 18 to 12, he said. "It should have been abolished."
Next, McCarthy targeted ministers and sons of ministers such as Pat Robertson and Jesse Jackson. "Religion and politics is a bad mix," he said.
"Chief executive officers run a different kind of show," he continued.
McCarthy concluding by eliminating generals and admirals as a final inviable category.
"People thought I had eliminated everyone in the 1988 campaign, but I didn't," he said.
McCarthy stressed the people must not chose the candidate who can simply win, but one that would make a great president.
The Primary: then and now
McCarthy pointed out two major differences between the New Hampshire state primary of today and the one in which he participated in 1968.
First, in 1968, the New Hampshire primary was held on March 18, rather than in mid-February -- a factor which, McCarthy said, invalidates the election.
McCarthy was emphatic on this point, repeating it continually throughout the class discussion and interview.
"February is the wrong month [for the primary election]," McCarthy explained. "It is too soon and too depressing, ... but we got into this competition to see who would be first."
McCarthy pointed to Clinton's three failed attempts to appoint an attorney general in the month of February.
Second, McCarthy said the role of the media was very different then and now and the change has affected campaigning strategies.
"The best time for communication was in 1920s to '30s when there was radio to balance out the press," he said. "Afterwards television dominated."
During the '60s only 45 people in New Hampshire subscribed to the New York Times, he said, so students used to campaign from door to door.
Politicians have to continually fight off the media, he said.
In 1992, they used to wait for the politicians to come out, but now they see you coming and run over," he said.
Another difference, McCarthy told The Dartmouth was involvement of college-age voters in the primary.
Students "do not do as much as they did in 1968," he said.
Although the voting age has been lowered since the '68 primaries, "I don't see as much students involvement," he added.
"Negative campaigning is not like what we have now," he said. "During the '68 primary, people used to say a vote for McCarthy would cause 'great joy in Hanoi.'"
McCarthy targeted the media for perpetuating the negative campaigning, but said, "In this primary negative campaigning hasn't been too bad."
Today's predictions
Sitting on the worn couches of the government lounge, McCarthy said, in the interview, he could not predict the outcome of today's primary election, while the PBS cameramen, the director and Spiliotes looked on.
"For Tuesday, I don't know," McCarthy said. "Buchanan is running stronger than anticipated. He has the intensity factor going for him."
McCarthy said he did not think many issues had been lost along the campaign's way.
"[The campaign] really didn't develop many issues so they couldn't lose them," he said.
Three important issues should have emerged, McCarthy said.
The first is redistribution of work. If the amount of time people work is shortened, it will be possible for more people to hold jobs, he said.
"We work too much," he added, saying we should move to a six-hour day.
Second, McCarthy said, "We should distribute the national debt and put it back on the people who didn't pay for it" and third, political power should be redistributed in the United States.
