# Eugene McCarthy dead at 89

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eugene-mccarthy-dead-at-89/335067>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 10, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eugene-mccarthy-dead-at-89/335067 "2005-12-10T22:15:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eugene-mccarthy-dead-at-89/335067/1 "2005-12-10T22:15:45Z")

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Former Minnesota senator and presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy [died in his sleep](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051210/ap_on_go_co/obit_mccarthy) at the age of 89.

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**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eugene-mccarthy-dead-at-89/335067/2 "2005-12-10T23:45:03Z")

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I just saw this on Yahoo. The headline just beneath Richard Pryor. Sadly, McCarthy’s prominence was just before my time. I think I feel sadder for Mr. Pryor then the Senator - can’t say why for certain. I think because of the ages, 65 to 89. But both were important men who helped shaped our society.

AP

PS It always trips me out when Death comes in twos or threes like this.

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**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eugene-mccarthy-dead-at-89/335067/3 "2005-12-11T04:25:50Z")

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I couldn’t even vote (voting age was 21 then) when I went “Clean for Gene” and followed him to Chicago and the Democratic National Convention (and got a busted nose out of the deal). I was so disallusioned when I realized that a person doesn’t have a chance against a political machine.

I am so saddened. He was a man who believed in people and wanted to serve them. He was truly a noble man.

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**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eugene-mccarthy-dead-at-89/335067/4 "2005-12-11T06:41:01Z")

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I volunteered to be one of the Clean For Gene workers and the day of the election in Chicago, they sent me to a mean-ass ghetto area to hand out fliers. There I was, only white boy for miles, handing out fliers on a street corner.

It was great! The hookers and drug dealers were cool and everybody I met took a flier and promised to vote. Gene did very well in that district.

Sorry to hear of his passing, but glad to have had the chance to jump on his bandwagon back then - even though he didn’t quite make it to the White House.