# What if McGovern had beat Nixon in 1972?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [August 27, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902 "2005-08-27T20:34:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/1 "2005-08-27T20:34:53Z")
What if George McGovern ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George\_McGovern](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McGovern)), the Democratic candidate for president in 1972, had won? What would a McGovern presidency have been like? How would he have dealt with Vietnam? Or with other problems arising from 1973-77?
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that a “What if?” discussion of a McGovern presidency is almost as preposterous as debating “What if 2 + 2 made 5?” The classically tragic thing about Watergate ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate)) was that, from Nixon’s POV, it was completely unnecessary. McGovern was identified with (and supported by) the '60s counterculture, which was deeply feared and hated by a lot of voters. Nixon could have defeated him handily without any cheating or dirty tricks. As it was, he beat McGovern 60% to 38% of the popular vote. OTOH, it was an election with very low turnout, and if the Watergate scandal had broken **before** the election, it just might have turned out a lot more anti-Nixon voters. So let’s assume that happened, and it was enough to give McGovern the election. What then? What kind of America would we be living in today?
---
### Author:  [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/2 "2005-08-27T20:47:02Z")
This thread might help a little:
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241209&highlight=McGovern](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241209&highlight=McGovern)
It evens tackles the 2+2 issue
---
### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/3 "2005-08-27T21:18:07Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> The classically tragic thing about Watergate ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate)) was that, from Nixon’s POV, it was completely unnecessary. McGovern was identified with (and supported by) the '60s counterculture, which was deeply feared and hated by a lot of voters. Nixon could have defeated him handily without any cheating or dirty tricks.
Remember, though, that Watergate happened before the convention, and they weren’t sure that McGovern would have gotten the nomination.
---
### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/4 "2005-08-28T01:28:03Z")
I think there would have been virtually no difference vis-a-vis Vietnam. The U.S. pulled its troops out of Vietnam in January 1973, which still would have been the last month of the Nixon presidency had McGovern won. After the pullout, there was insufficient support in Congress for military aide to South Vietnam; I can’t imagine there would have been any more support with McGovern in the White House.
---
### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/5 "2005-08-28T02:16:14Z")
**Brain Glutton** , 1972 was the first election in which 18-year-olds were eligible to vote. Lots of people thought, quite reasonably, that this would skew the election to the left.
Add in an unpopular war and an unprecedentedly prominent (and numerous) youth culture, and it’s easier to understand why Nixon thought Watergate worth the risk – to quote Nirvana (or whoever first said it), just because you’re paranoid, don’t mean they’re not after you.
---
### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/6 "2005-08-28T03:11:50Z")
Clarification: you still can’t buy hard liquor on a Sunday in my WV hometown.
---
### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/7 "2005-08-28T03:15:28Z")
My last post was meant for [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332076) thread. Apologies.
---
### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/8 "2005-08-28T04:27:30Z")
What would have happened? Well, McGovern would have appointed liberals like Harry Blackmun to the Supreme Court, and abortion would have been legalized.
And a left-winger like McGovern would surely have expanded government domestic spending many times over, even resorting to insane measures like price controls.
McGovern wouild undoubtedly have pulled our troops out of Viet Nam and let the communists take over.
Uh… wait a sec. Are you sure McGovern didn’t win?
---
### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/9 "2005-08-28T05:52:13Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#):
>
> This thread might help a little:
>
> [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241209&highlight=McGovern](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241209&highlight=McGovern)
>
> It evens tackles the 2+2 issue
Someone linked to my first SDMB post. Kinda cool. I’d vote for McGovern
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/10 "2005-08-28T19:34:53Z")
> [@F. U. Shakespeare](#):
>
> **Brain Glutton** , 1972 was the first election in which 18-year-olds were eligible to vote. Lots of people thought, quite reasonably, that this would skew the election to the left.
So why didn’t it?
---
### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/11 "2005-08-28T19:53:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> So why didn’t it?
My WAG is a low turnout. Younger folks don’t have as high a turnout. The percentage of voters in the population increases with age.
I’d have voted, and for McGovern, but I was only 15.
I’d like to add, since I don’t want to bump the other thread, that the reasoning behind the Game 1 starter for the Mets in the 1962 World Series was flawless.
---
### Author:  [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-mcgovern-had-beat-nixon-in-1972/318902/12 "2005-08-28T20:32:32Z")
Thanks. I’ve given that a lot of thought, as you can see. 😉