Eugene Mccarthy

In this somewhat critical political biography of Senator Eugene McCarthy from Minnesota, the author focuses on probably the most historically significant aspect of McCarthy`s career, his role in the 1968 presidential race. McCarthy, a disillusioned, antiwar liberal Democrat, ran in the primaries and made such a strong showing, just behind Johnson in New Hampshire, that he is credited by some with being a major factor in Johnson`s decision to announce that he was not a candidate for reelection. Sandbrook analyzes key events and players of that period--Humphrey, Kennedy, Johnson--and examines McCarthy as an example of the arc of liberal Democrats from 1948, when his career began, through 1968, when the election signalled the rise of the conservative right. Sandbrook points out what he sees as the flaws in McCarthy`s character and his weakness as a candidate playing in the big leagues. And he questions whether McCarthy`s actions may have helped bring about the election of Nixon. But what also comes across is that McCarthy was a man of unusual principle. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.