FRSFreeStatePlus: Commentary: Seth Mandel: "George McGovern’s Futile Warning on Labor Unions": George McGovern's Diverse Ideology

McGovern’s Futile Warning on Unions: pThe extent to which George McGovern, who died in late October, was identified with American liberalism itself can be seen in headlines of his various obituaries. CNN’s headline called him an “unabashed liberal voice”; PBS went with “Liberal Icon”; the New York Times chose “Prairie Liberal” (though the online edition dropped the word “prairie”); and [...]/p

FRSFreeStatePlus
George McGovern throughout his career and since has been identified with American Liberalism, as if he's the. Hero for Americans Liberals or champion of Liberal causes and Liberal philosophy but he's not my Liberal champion. I identify more with Jack Kennedy or Wendell Willkie and today with John Kerry and Dick Durbin, both Democratic Leaders. In the US Senate, then I do with Senator McGovern or more with Bill Clinton then I do with Senator McGovern. Its not as if George McGovern didn't have Liberal tendencies, because he clearly did especially on social issues. Where granted Senator McGovern was clearly a social Liberal and I'm proud he was as a Liberal myself and he even had. Some Liberal positions on some economic issues, like the right to organize and organize labor and so fourth. And Senator McGovern was a Liberal internationalist on foreign policy and did believe in things like a strong. National defense, he wasn't pacifist or an isolationist and perhaps not even a dove, he was World War II veteran. And served his country very well.

But to say that George McGovern was the champion or hero or God of American Liberalism, is a very big stretch. He would be described today as a Progressive or Social Democrat, if he was still in Congress today, a place. Where he served for twenty two years, both in the House and Senate all together, I bet you he would've been a member. Of the Congressional Progressive Caucus but he would've been one of their most responsible members. And also someone who would've been able to work with the Democratic leadership, including the President. And someone who would've been able to work with Republicans as well, like he was able to work so well. Bob Dole in the Senate but ideologically he was more of a Social then Liberal Democrat, someone who put. A lot of faith in government to solve the peoples problems, rather then people being able to solve their own problems.

So George McGoevrn was really diverse when it came to his politics, on social issues clearly a Liberal, Liberal-Libertarian. Even, a Liberal internationalist on foreign policy but more of a Progressive-Social Democrat on economic policy. As they are called in Europe, rather then the Barry Goldwater or Ron Reagan for American Liberals. Wendell Willkie, Jack Kennedy are the real Liberal heros in America, people who put their faith in the people. To be able to solve their own problems, if they are just empowered to do so, rather then a big central government doing it for them.