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George McGovern's Impact On Mass. Politics

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Sen. George McGovern (D-SD), speaks  in Miami at the Democratic National Convention, July 1972. (AP)
Sen. George McGovern (D-SD), speaks in Miami at the Democratic National Convention, July 1972. (AP)

Funeral services are set for Friday in South Dakota for the late Sen. George McGovern, who died Sunday in Sioux Falls. He was 90.

In 1972 George McGovern — the Democratic presidential candidate running against President Richard Nixon — lost 49 out of 50 states, winning only the District of Columbia and Massachusetts.

When the Watergate scandal unfolded over the next two years, ending the presidency of Richard Nixon, one particular bumper sticker sprouted up by the thousands. It read: "Don't blame me. I'm from Massachusetts." Many people wore that badge proudly.

Boston University social sciences professor and Cognoscenti contributor Thomas Whalen joined WBUR's Morning Edition to talk about how McGovern impacted Massachusetts politics and liberalism.

This program aired on October 22, 2012.

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Bob Oakes Senior Correspondent
Bob Oakes was a senior correspondent in the WBUR newsroom, a role he took on in 2021 after nearly three decades hosting WBUR's Morning Edition.

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