George McGovern on What it Means to be "Liberal"

By: Lowell
Published On: 6/20/2007 9:11:09 AM

Personally, I consider myself to be more of a TR/RFK Progressive or maybe a "Jim Webb populist" than a "liberal."  Having said that, I was excited this past Saturday to hear what it means to be a proud liberal from one of our country's greatest liberals, George McGovern.  Actually, McGovern was raised in a Republican family, but he says his parents "wouldn't [have gone] for this current crowd running the country."  In addition, McGovern was a World War II hero, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor in piloting a B-24 bomber for 35 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe.  This is a man who says, without a hint of hesitation, "there was never a time in my life that I wouldn't have sacrificed my life for my country."  What a contrast to the "current crowd" of Bush, Cheney et al.
The point is, George McGovern has been unfairly maligned by Republicans as some sort of "far left winger," which is ridiculous and also a complete distortion of this man's amazing life.  At 84, McGovern is now looking back on that life, and the program in Mitchell, SD on Satuday night had an audience of several hundred listening spellbound as McGovern was interviewed for around 90 minutes.  Here's what McGovern had to say about being a "liberal."

First, McGovern joked that "most people are liberals, they just don't know it."  Seriously, though, McGovern defines "liberalism" as follows:

*concern for one's fellow man
*a commitment to fairness and social justice
*compassion
*belief in government as a positive instrument to improve peoples' lives.

According to McGovern, government is NOT the problem, as certain Republicans have said. Major accomplishments of government include the GI Bill, winning World War II, rural electrification, civil rights, the interstate highway system, and many more.

In sum, according to McGovern, liberalism is "common sense."  He just wishes that "some of the crowd now in power knew what conservatism is." 

I couldn't agree more with George McGovern on what it means to be a "liberal."

P.S.  I was in South Dakota because Steve Jarding asked me to come.  Steve is a top advisor to Tim Johnson, who is recovering well from brain surgery and faces a potentially tough re-election fight in 2008.  I'm helping out with some blogging at BadlandsBlue.com.

Comments



George McGovern is a National Treasure (buzzbolt - 6/20/2007 10:26:34 AM)
"I have suggested that there is no federal program now generally approved by both liberals and conservatives that did not begin as a liberal initiative over conservative opposition.  The other side of this equation is that I can think of no federal initiative now endorsed by liberals and conservatives alike that began as a conservative initiative over liberal opposition."

  The Essential America--Our Founders and the Liberal Tradition,  2004 by George McGovern



He truly is a national treasure. (Lowell - 6/20/2007 12:13:58 PM)
I can't believe we Democrats have allowed the Republican Party to tarnish this hero's good name.


Actually Lowell... (presidentialman - 6/21/2007 12:15:34 AM)
The reason why he is tarnished is because of several reasons,first of which involves the middle class. And they're good reasons.

McGovern Democrats are 1972 Democrats who supported McGovern.  In that campaign McGovern,who says he's starstruck,let Hollywood take a high profile. On top of that was the fact that his supporters were hippies. 1972 was the first election after the Democrats worst year-1968. With the memory of the dictatorship feel of the 68 convention in Chicago, that gave us the Chicago Seven;the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King;the resignation of the catalyst for that change,Civil Rights Act of 1964, and an unpopular war,Lyndon Johnson...it wasn't that hard to portray McGovern as counter culture chaos candidate. That said,1972 is also the year the public started thinking the Republicans are great on national security. McGovern has since regretted running the campaign he did. Now that he looks like an elder statesman, I think people understand it was more the times than the man.



Ideology doesn't solve anything. Condescension wins no friends. (The Grey Havens - 6/21/2007 4:21:55 PM)
When I talk with Republicans, especially conservative Republicans, I invariably get eye-rolling.  I talk about the critical importance of education, and how everyone in America deserves their fair shot at prosperity.  I talk about how health care should be available to everyone, and how conservation, efficiency and renewables aren't just "personal virtue" but critical to national security.  And I talk about the emergency of Disease, Instability, access to water and education in the developing world, especially Africa, not just in terms of saving lives, but as a unique opportunity to secure America's future through authentic moral action.

After the eye-rolling, I get "I used to think like you.  You're young.  When you grow up, you'll see the realities of the world and you'll become a conservative like me."

Beyond the condescension, and arrogance, I face, I still try to engage folks on the other side of political spectrum.  I hope that we can go beyond ideology and start addressing the real problems we all face.  We're all part of this discussion, but the ones most worth listening to, are often the ones most willing to listen.