Sarah Palin: The Eagleton Has Landed.

[Ian David]

Thomas Eagleton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Eagleton

[The Blue Flower]

1. A winner

This might be one of the best thread titles ever.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. He *is* good. (Ian , that is; not Eagleton.) nt

[WI_DEM]

2. Except Eagleton was no Palin

from same article:
Senate career
In the Senate, Eagleton was active in matters dealing with foreign relations, intelligence, defense, education, health care, and the environment. He was instrumental to the Senate's passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, and sponsored the amendment that halted the bombing in Cambodia and effectively ended American involvement in the Vietnam War.

(he served honorably in the Senate from 1969-1987 and in '72 we didn't have the same understanding of mental illness we do today).

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. You mean, unlike Palin, he actually accomplished something?

Agreed.

[WI_DEM]

6. Exactly. In fact, McGovern later said that he should never have forced him from the ticket

[Smarmie Doofus]

8. It was a mess that really didn't have to happen.

Part of the stink ... now long ago forgotten... was the fact that Eagleton had failed to mention the hospitalization when asked by Mankiewics about any "skeletons". Thus there was the added element of credibility on top of the mental health stigma.

The vetting process then is laughably quaint compared to what goes on today. Or should I say *was* quaint before the selction of Paliolithic.

But you're right: Eagleton was a substantive candidate who had accompolished a good deal in Mo. as Sen and Lt. Gov before the veepstakes.

[SoxFan]

5. Don't insult Tom Eagleton

Tom Eagleton was a good man who served in the senate with honor. His only sin was suffering from a treatable mental health issue in an age when public attitudes were even less enlightened than they are today.

[Ian David]

7. You are absolutely 100% correct. n/t

[mokawanis]

10. I was young when that happened

but I remember my mother saying basically the same thing. He was branded by pubic misconceptions and outright ignorance and prejudice.

[H2O Man]

11. There was a problem

with communications between McGovern and Eagleton at the time. Though I believe that George McGovern was and is one of the most intelligent and decent politicians in the past century, his campaign was not well organized by the time of the convention. Eagleton was not, of course, among his first choices, but others declined. Eagleton was a hurried choice, and McGovern was not fully aware of the nature of Eagleton's serious and persistent mental illness.

Eagleton was also a good man, who made major accomplishments and important contributions to the nation. However, he was not a good selection for VP. It was not only that the public had a limited understanding of mental illness (this remains sadly true today), by even the treatment available at the time was limited, and often cruel, compared to the advances that have been made since.

[WinkyDink]

9. Here's another: SHE is still on the ticket.