Changes

[[Image:1972election.jpg|thumb|300px]]

[[Image:1972election.jpg|thumb|300px]]

The Democratic party was deeply split after [[United States presidential election, 1968|their near-colapse in 1968]] and in 1972 the leftwing faction won out, then self-destructed. The nominee after a nasty primary battle was South Dakota Senator [[George McGovern]], and initially his running mate was [[Thomas Eagleton]]. Eagleton had a secret history of mental illness (complete with electric shock treatments to his brain) that was revealed after he accepted the nomination. Although McGovern said he was "1000% behind Eagleton," the insanity issue threatened to destroy the credibility of McGovern's crusade and Eagleton was forced off the ticket. Numerous leading Democrats publicly rejected the VP nomination until finally a Daley-supporter and Kennedy in-law, [[Sargent Shriver]], accepted. Polls showed Nixon winning a huge landslide, as indeed happened.  

The Democratic party was deeply split after [[United States presidential election, 1968|their near-collapse in 1968]] and in 1972 the leftwing faction won out, then self-destructed. The nominee after a nasty primary battle was South Dakota Senator [[George McGovern]], and initially his running mate was [[Thomas Eagleton]]. Eagleton had a secret history of mental illness (complete with electric shock treatments to his brain) that was revealed after he accepted the nomination. Although McGovern said he was "1000% behind Eagleton," the insanity issue threatened to destroy the credibility of McGovern's crusade and Eagleton was forced off the ticket. Numerous leading Democrats publicly rejected the VP nomination until finally a Daley-supporter and Kennedy in-law, [[Sargent Shriver]], accepted. Polls showed Nixon winning a huge landslide, as indeed happened.  

The McGovern camp counted on the vote of young people disaffected by the [[Vietnam War]] to boost their support as the voting age was dropped from 21 down to 18.  Their turnout stayed low.

The McGovern camp counted on the vote of young people disaffected by the [[Vietnam War]] to boost their support as the voting age was dropped from 21 down to 18.  Their turnout stayed low.