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PEOPLE IN AMERICA - Eugene McCarthy: His Campaign for President in 1968 Forced a President From OfficeBy Shelley Gollust

Broadcast: Sunday, May 07, 2006

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VOICE ONE:

I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about Eugene McCarthy. His campaign for the presidency² in nineteen sixty-eight increased popular opposition³ to the war in Vietnam. And it changed American history.

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VOICE ONE:

Eugene McCarthy was a quiet and mentally-gifted lawmaker from Minnesota. As a young man, he was interested in being a religious worker 鈥?or a baseball player.

Later, he was a college professor. He wrote poetry. He also became active in Democratic Party politics.

In the nineteen sixties, he was one of the first Democrats⁵ in the United States Congress to oppose the party leadership. He expressed opposition to the war Americans were fighting in Vietnam. And he forced a president from office.

VOICE TWO:

Eugene McCarthy was born in nineteen sixteen in the town of Watkins, Minnesota. His father's parents came from Ireland. His father bought farm animals and was a storyteller. His mother raised four children.

Eugene completed a study program at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He continued his education at the University of Minnesota. There, he completed study programs in economics and sociology.

McCarthy taught social sciences in public high schools for a few years. Then he taught economics, education and sociology at two colleges in Minnesota. He married another teacher, Abigail Quigley. They would later have four children.

VOICE ONE:

During World War Two, Eugene McCarthy worked as a technical aide for a military intelligence office of the War Department. He became active in the Democratic Party after the war.

In nineteen forty-eight, he became head of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Ramsey County, Minnesota. That year he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served five terms.

In nineteen fifty-eight, McCarthy defeated a Republican Party Senator and won a seat in the United States Senate. Two years later, he became famous by speaking at the Democratic Party's national nominating convention. He nominated Adlai Stevenson for president. But the Democrats chose John F. Kennedy as their candidate.

In nineteen sixty-four, McCarthy easily won re-election to a second term in the Senate. He served in the Senate for a total of twelve years.

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VOICE TWO:

In nineteen sixty-seven, opposition to the war the United States was fighting in Vietnam was growing. It had begun to harm President Lyndon Johnson's popular and political support. In October, thousands of demonstrators marched in Washington, D.C. to protest the increasing conflict.

Eugene McCarthy was a leader of the anti-war movement. McCarthy announced he would show his opposition to the war and to President Johnson. He asked Democrats for their support in the party's presidential primary elections in nineteen sixty-eight. There is only one thing to do 鈥?take it to the country! he declared.

VOICE ONE:

McCarthy made political campaign stops across the country. He said the American people were against the war for military, economic, diplomatic and moral reasons. And he said they wanted a change. He said: Party unity⁶ is not a sufficient excuse for silence. He also said: We do not need presidents who are bigger than the country, but rather ones who speak for it and support it.

Many young peace activists⁷ and college students worked on McCarthy's presidential campaign. During the nineteen sixties, many students wore long hair and unusual clothing. But the students who worked for the McCarthy campaign changed their appearance. They cut their hair and wore nicer clothing.

The media said these students became Clean for Gene¹. His campaign for president was also called a Children's Crusade because of the many young people involved.

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VOICE TWO:

Nineteen sixty-eight was a difficult year for the nation. It was filled with surprises, tragedy, violence and sadness. The primary election in New Hampshire was the first step of the presidential nominating process.

McCarthy surprised experts by winning forty-two percent of the Democratic vote in the New Hampshire primary. That was just seven percentage points behind President Johnson. The results of this vote helped the anti-war movement. They showed the deep division within the Democratic Party.

A few days after McCarthy's success, Senator Robert Kennedy entered the race for the Democratic nomination⁸ for president. Robert Kennedy was a brother of President John Kennedy, who had been murdered in nineteen sixty-three. Robert Kennedy had served as the top government lawyer in his brother's administration. Senator Kennedy also opposed the Vietnam War. Many people were pleased when he announced his plans to be a candidate. But McCarthy and his supporters were angry that Kennedy had entered the race.

VOICE ONE:

On March thirty-first, President Johnson spoke⁹ to Americans about the war in Vietnam and his efforts to limit it. At the end of his speech, President Johnson surprised the nation. He announced that he would not seek or accept the nomination of his party for another term as president.

Another shocking event took place a few days later. On April fourth, the nation's top civil rights leader, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior, was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee. His death led to riots in more than one hundred cities.

After the riots, Vice¹⁰ President Hubert Humphrey decided¹¹ to seek the presidential nomination. Traditional Democrats supported him. McCarthy won Democratic primaries in four states.

On June fourth, he lost the important California primary to Senator Kennedy. Then another tragic¹² event happened. Kennedy was shot and killed in Los Angeles shortly after giving his victory speech.

VOICE TWO:

In August, Democrats gathered in Chicago, Illinois for their nominating convention. Thousands of McCarthy supporters and war protesters also went to Chicago. Rioting and violent clashes broke out between the protesters and the city's police force. I

Inside the meeting place, delegates voted for the party's presidential candidate. But having forced President Johnson out of office, McCarthy failed to win the nomination.

The Democrats nominated Humphrey as their candidate to face the Republican candidate, former Vice President Richard Nixon. Nixon defeated Humphrey in the election and became president. The war in Vietnam would continue for seven more years.

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VOICE ONE:

After losing the fight for the nomination, McCarthy did not offer to help Vice President Humphrey. In fact, he did not express support for the Democratic candidate until a few days before the election. The next year he gave up his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He separated from his wife of twenty-four years. He also announced he would not seek reelection to the Senate in nineteen seventy.

After retiring from the Senate, McCarthy moved to Rappahannock County, Virginia. He lived alone near the Blue Ridge¹³ Mountains. He wrote books, poetry and stories for newspapers.

VOICE TWO:

McCarthy was a candidate for President four other times. But he was not taken seriously as a candidate. McCarthy became increasingly critical of the two-party system and traditional politicians, even Democrats. In nineteen eighty, he supported the Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan, for president over the Democrat⁴, President Jimmy Carter.




US Senator Eugene McCarthy

McCarthy remained active until the end of his life. In two thousand five, he published a collection of stories and poems. It is called Parting Shots From My Brittle¹⁴ Bow: Reflections on American Politics and Life.

VOICE ONE:

Eugene McCarthy died in two thousand five in Washington. He was eighty-nine years old.

A memorial service was held at the Washington National Cathedral. Hundreds of people came to remember him. Among them were people who had worked on his campaign as college students. They said McCarthy had touched their lives with a message of hope.

Former President Bill Clinton was one of the speakers at the service. He remembered that difficult year of nineteen sixty-eight. He said it all started when Eugene McCarthy was willing to stand alone and change history.

(THEME)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced by Caty Weaver¹⁵. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English.

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

13 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

14 brittle   

adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的

参考例句：

• The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。
• She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

15 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。