George McGovern's Impact On Mass. Politics

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.