Thursday, July 12, 2007
McGovern Doubts Anti-war Democrat Can Win
George McGovern, who ran for president as an anti-Vietnam War candidate in 1972, says he has doubts an anti-war Democrat can win the White House in 2008.
"Some people point to the fact that the war in Vietnam was dreadfully unpopular, but that when I came out for an immediate withdrawal, it helped me win the nomination but not the general election,” said McGovern, 84.
"I’m not sure that an anti-war Democrat can win.”
While nine in 10 Democrats do not support the Iraq war, more than six in 10 Republicans still do, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
And pundits believe Democrats could hurt their chances of winning the presidency if they go so far in their opposition to the war as to vote to hold back funding for the military effort.
"It’s one thing for [Democrats] to say, ‘Get out’ or ‘redeploy,’ or ‘divide the country into thirds,’” Mark Salter, an adviser to GOP presidential hopeful John McCain, told The Politico. "But it’s another to say, ‘We won’t fund the troops.’ That, I think, will be a pretty costly mistake in the general election.”
And David Gergen, an adviser in four presidential administrations, said: "Democrats could still blow this, particularly if they get themselves into a posture where they were to force all the troops to come home over the next six months.
"That would leave them very vulnerable, because Republicans could argue that whatever chaos erupts, that has Democratic fingerprints all over it.”
But for his part, McGovern – who staunchly opposes the Iraq war – said Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is trying to appear "tough” by tempering her opposition to the conflict, and wishes she would come out "stronger in favor of disengagement.”
He told Politico: "Some of our greatest presidents have compromised their positions in order not to offend large elements of the voting public. It’s possible that’s what Hillary is doing.”
George McGovern, who ran for president as an anti-Vietnam War candidate in 1972, says he has doubts an anti-war Democrat can win the White House in 2008.
"Some people point to the fact that the war in Vietnam was dreadfully unpopular, but that when I came out for an immediate withdrawal, it helped me win the nomination but not the general election,” said McGovern, 84.
"I’m not sure that an anti-war Democrat can win.”
While nine in 10 Democrats do not support the Iraq war, more than six in 10 Republicans still do, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
And pundits believe Democrats could hurt their chances of winning the presidency if they go so far in their opposition to the war as to vote to hold back funding for the military effort.
"It’s one thing for [Democrats] to say, ‘Get out’ or ‘redeploy,’ or ‘divide the country into thirds,’” Mark Salter, an adviser to GOP presidential hopeful John McCain, told The Politico. "But it’s another to say, ‘We won’t fund the troops.’ That, I think, will be a pretty costly mistake in the general election.”
And David Gergen, an adviser in four presidential administrations, said: "Democrats could still blow this, particularly if they get themselves into a posture where they were to force all the troops to come home over the next six months.
"That would leave them very vulnerable, because Republicans could argue that whatever chaos erupts, that has Democratic fingerprints all over it.”
But for his part, McGovern – who staunchly opposes the Iraq war – said Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is trying to appear "tough” by tempering her opposition to the conflict, and wishes she would come out "stronger in favor of disengagement.”
He told Politico: "Some of our greatest presidents have compromised their positions in order not to offend large elements of the voting public. It’s possible that’s what Hillary is doing.”
