George McGovern's Impact On Modern Elections

02:53

October 22, 2012

This article is more than 10 years old.

George McGovern died this weekend at age 90, just about 40 years after his historic loss to Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential election.

We spoke with historian and Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer about McGovern's role in changing the presidential nominating process.

Perhaps because of those new rules, McGovern didn't deliver his acceptance speech until three o'clock in the morning.

You can listen to McGovern's 2009 interview on Here & Now about Abraham Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War:

You can also hear Robin's personal essay on McGovern's passing:

Julian E. Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University

This segment aired on October 22, 2012.