(Originally published 1973; Paperback edition 391 pages)
While attending the 1972 Democratic Convention, New York City Mayor John Lindsay
watched the comedy of errors around him and stated, "This party seems to have an
instinct for suicide." Theodore White clearly shows how the Nixon and McGovern
operations were leagues apart in preparation and effectiveness. President
Nixon's team was an organized, multipronged attack machine. Senator McGovern's
campaign staff was the gang that couldn't shoot straight. A very accurate
statement by Mr. White describes the situation going into the presidential
campaign, "Mr. McGovern persisted in the Lincolnian tradition of hoping to the
better angels of people's nature might summon them to new visions; Mr. Nixon
proposed to deal with Americans as they are." This philosophy pretty much in a
nutshell set up President Nixon for a near-record-breaking win.
The two issues I have with the late Mr. White's book is he gives scant time to the effects of Governor Wallace's campaign as well as the assassination attempt on the little, Georgian bigot's life and the author's coverage of Watergate is incomplete due to the publishing deadline for the book. The work does, however, cover some interesting ground such as the implosion of Senator Muskie's campaign; the 1970 U.S. Census; race; Baby Boomers; the proliferation of shopping malls; the Thomas Eagleton debacle and frantic search for a VP replacement; and President Nixon's and the liberal presses' mutual, destructive animosity.
It was somewhat freaky that while I was in the middle of reading Mr. White's fourth and last book in his "The Making of the President" series, Senator McGovern died at the age of 90. I know it isn't kosher to speak ill of the dead, but the late Senator ran an extremely terrible campaign; staffed by mostly young zealots who wouldn't have noticed a good idea if it came up and bit them in the backside. The enigma known as the late President Nixon is treated much too kindly considering what came to light after the book was published. Overall, "The Making of the President 1972" has less vim and vigor than the three previous installments. Mr. White, as usual, still displays a mastery of language but the book I found quite depressing and incomplete.
The two issues I have with the late Mr. White's book is he gives scant time to the effects of Governor Wallace's campaign as well as the assassination attempt on the little, Georgian bigot's life and the author's coverage of Watergate is incomplete due to the publishing deadline for the book. The work does, however, cover some interesting ground such as the implosion of Senator Muskie's campaign; the 1970 U.S. Census; race; Baby Boomers; the proliferation of shopping malls; the Thomas Eagleton debacle and frantic search for a VP replacement; and President Nixon's and the liberal presses' mutual, destructive animosity.
It was somewhat freaky that while I was in the middle of reading Mr. White's fourth and last book in his "The Making of the President" series, Senator McGovern died at the age of 90. I know it isn't kosher to speak ill of the dead, but the late Senator ran an extremely terrible campaign; staffed by mostly young zealots who wouldn't have noticed a good idea if it came up and bit them in the backside. The enigma known as the late President Nixon is treated much too kindly considering what came to light after the book was published. Overall, "The Making of the President 1972" has less vim and vigor than the three previous installments. Mr. White, as usual, still displays a mastery of language but the book I found quite depressing and incomplete.
(Meyers - A few years ago, I
started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short
reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #323)
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