McGovern To Obama: In Choosing VP, First Do No Harm

Former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern has a piece of advice for Barack Obama in his search for a vice president: first and foremost, choose someone who won't do your candidacy any damage.

"Remember the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take: first do no harm," said the South Dakota Democrat in a telephone interview. "You want to be sure that whoever you pick is not going to prove to be a controversial person and make it more difficult for you to run."*

McGovern should know. His initial choice for vice president turned out to be a monumental blunder after it was revealed that Sen. Thomas Eagleton had once undergone shock therapy. McGovern, who initially claimed to back the Missouri Democrat "1000 percent," was eventually forced to accept his withdrawal. Since then, the '72 campaign has become exhibit A for a vice presidential search gone wrong.

"We didn't have any time for [background research]," he recalled. "The first half dozen people that I chose turned me down. I guess they didn't think I had a chance to win or they just didn't want to be Vice President. I was really up to fifteen minutes before the deadline when I chose Sen. Eagleton ... About 4:30 in the morning, after I had made my acceptance speech, we heard the rumors. A day or two later the story broke."

Fortunately for Obama -- as McGovern noted -- there are no such time constraints this go-around. With several months between the end of the primary and the Democratic convention, the Illinois Democrat has the chance to do his due diligence in selecting a running mate.

"I think he is very wise to have a good committee appointed to screen the various possibilities, to learn everything they can about them, faults as well as virtues," said the longtime Democrat.

Beyond the do-no-harm prerequisite, there are several characteristics that McGovern suggests Obama consider.

"You should get somebody who can take over the job on a moments notice if necessary, somebody who has the qualifications you would want in a successful president," he said. "And then, if you can find somebody who could help you politically - for instance, picking up a state or several states - you might feel you need some buttressing and that would be important too."

McGovern shied away from describing which current VP possibilities fit said description. But when asked specifically about Sen. Hillary Clinton -- the candidate he endorsed early in the primary only to, in the later stages, throw his support behind Obama -- McGovern said: "She would be a strong candidate."

As for past VP picks, McGovern said he admired Lyndon Johnson (his "place as number two on the ticket helped carry several states that we wouldn't have carried") and Al Gore ("an articulate, respected figure, who I think bolstered the Clinton ticket"). Both those choices, notably, did not result in political distractions, something McGovern still laments about his own choice.

"It was really a very difficult thing for us and it definitely broke the momentum of our campaign from which we never really recovered," he said of '72. "Strangely enough the media spent more time hashing about the Eagleton choice and my final decision to ask him to step down than they did the Watergate break in. If they had given as much time to the Watergate break in, which occurred on June 17, as they did to the Eagleton affair, which occurred in the middle of that summer, it would have made a big difference on our campaign."

* Acknowledging the inherent dorkiness of this footnote - the "first do no harm" line is widely believed to come from the Hippocratic Oath but likely comes from the Hippocratic writing Epidemics. Feel free to send me your snide remarks.

Comments

[LillianB]

Sound advice, all of them. The fact that GMcG made mistakes on his own, when choosing running mate, doesn't mean what he's saying now doesn't make sense. It all does.

[JerryTheAngel]

Taking advice on how to select a VP candidate from George McGovern would be like accepting tips from Bill Clinton on how to stay loyal in your marriage.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

I am going to defend Tom Eagleton. The man was a great guy, someone you knew would support the people, the law, was as honest as the day was long. it is sadly unfortunate the world didn't get to see that as a VP. He did the people of Mo. proud, and think it was McGovern who caved, not Tom under pressure. Had George stuck to his guns instead of the whims of the party, this would have been a lot stronger country.

[happypup]

You truly may be right. Unfortunately, in 2008 there is still a substantial stigma attached to any sort of mental illness and this was even more the case 36 years ago.

[TommyMcCarthy]

18 Million of us voted for Sen. Clinton for President.
Might want to give that number some thought................................tm

[iswideopen]

So she has you all believing. I have relatives that reside in Texas who advised me of the "Rush Limbaugh" madness that some of their neighbors and co-workers were participating in. So, I know factually that it is true. Not to knock HIllary, but she has not told her supporters the entire truth. This also happened in other states. The main stream media had no interest in seriously reporting on this, nor any attorney generals looking into the matter. I wonder why. Having said that, it still did not help. The remainder of the votes were obtained for HIllary via Bill aka: Bubba, down in rural America. Those were the voters who voted against Obama, and in November will vote republican anyway. One day, I pray she clears this up. If not, the history books certainly will. Again, I'm not bashing, just keeping it real. Thank you.

[piper1233]

Hillarys 18 million votes, its amazing how a lie becomes the truth. 105 million non elitist dollars in the bank. She's from Arkansa, from NY, from Pennsylvania, from....where ever she is at the time. She didn't like the NAFTA agreement that she pushed and praised. She will end the War that she voted for faster than her opponent who voted against it. She is the champion of the universal health care that she failed to secure after eight years of co-presidency with her husband bill. She will bring millions of jobs back to the country, but failed to bring the 200,000 jobs to upstate NY that she promised in her Senate run. She brought peace to northern ireland, and was under sniper fire in bosnia. Hillary looses Obama independent voters, she energizes the republican party, she de-energize the youth vote. She looses more democractic voters than she adds. Hillary brings with her more baggage than Amtrack during the Christmas holiday. First do no harm? How dare you in invoke Hillary Clinton in a comment to this artcle. Talking about "The Audacity of Hope".

[closetodemfection]

Um... it's amazing how many lies you have in your post. I don't have time to go through all of them, but lets start with the first:

The C's made 100 million over 8 years bonehead. They paid half in taxes and charity. I make 100,000 a year. Does that mean I have 800,000 8 years later? NO.

The rest of your arguments are soooo May 2008. No one cares about sniper fire, baggage or any of that nonsense.

They care about someone who is ROCK SOLID on the ISSUES, has the ability to unite the party and get things done. O is showing none of those qualities.

At this point, O would be LUCKY if she agreed to be on the ticket. I happen to think she's already turned it down.

[SPQR1052]

18 million , please stop it with this nonesense. At least 1,000,000 or half that were because of RUSH. Also, The people that aren't voting for "O" and vote for "M" as an alternative are one of two things clearly:

a. not democrats
b. xenophobes or racist

Additionally, there were some who voted only for "H" because she was ..... Fill in the blank.

[CjAzure]

Joe Biden is my personal favorite. The man has warmth and wisdom. He also has loads of experience.I know that he talks too much and is from a blue state, but no one is perfect. He is the all American Uncle Joe!
Obama/Biden 08!

[Daisy1111]

I wonder if he advised "O" on FISA, Guns rights, the dath penalty and faith based initiatives.

[beboy]

What a great advisor for Sen. Obama. Now if he could just get Walter Mondale on board.

[MBryant]

I'd agree with everything McGovern says. (by the way, he was the original swiftboatee - he was the most decorated war veteran nominee in Presidential election history (maybe we should say 2nd after Eisenhower and Nixon's goons painted him as a weak hippy). His priorities were:
1) first, do no harm
2) 2nd, get someone who can govern if needed
3) get someone who can bring you political advantage (note this is third)
If you look at recent elections, Veeps have given VERY little advantage in the campaign
On this basis, though I like Webb, he's a hothead who could hurt you. I like Edwards but he can't seem to draw a vote to save his life. Hillary is soooo problematic and distracting. So that leaves one of the Senators who can govern (if there is such) or a governor who vets well. I'd say if Kathleen Sibelius vets out - take her in a minute - if not... get Biden or one of the Senate suits.

[Gracehoper]

I couldn't agree with you more. Sebelius does no harm, is a respectable possibility for president herself one day, and while she would not bring any new state into the matter, she would have a general bolstering effect on the ticket, much like Al Gore did.

[lbrillante]

John Edwards is the BEST candidate. Even though he had said he did not want the job, he then shifted later to say that he would accept if Senator Obama felt he was the best choice. I still believe he is the best person to take over as president should anything happen to Senator Obama. I believe he has the will and vigor to carry forward with many of the same agendas that senator Obama has campaigned on and that they would make a very good team for changing business as usual in Washington. However I have less faith in Senator Obama regarding this because of his recent shift on FISA and the way it extends executive powers and grants immunity to those telecom companies that may have broken the law along with the Bush administration. John Edwards would be my second choice for president which is esactly why I feel e would be the best VP.

[justobserve]

Why is Edwards the best when he couldn't get even his own state?

[bosse]

Mc Govern's story is a sad foot note to American history, an important one. That we do not care who we elect as our leader. 10 or 15,000 less of our young would have perished in that useless war, which was promoted by American business and selfish rich republicans. If on the other had the press had told the truth and Americans really cared for facts, we would have had an entirely new America under Mc Govern a true patriot and unassuming leader. Let us not make the same mistake with this old
gentleman, whose only fame is he was shot down while burning Vietnamese forests. I do not believe he shot down any enemy planes since, they had none.
Not a single American life should be sacrificed in Iraq or any where else, because of the thoughless policies of American imperialism.

[teron678]

My Short List:

1. Webb
2. Clark
3. Edwards
4. Biden

[bosse]

Add Gore and Bayh

[TommyMcCarthy]

My short list:

1:) Clinton

[EBennett]

Why on earth would anyone listen to anything McGovern says? He was WEAK Presidental candidate and absolute non-starter. It would figure that he is a patron saint to Obama supporters.

[biged242]

"Thousands of young, eager volunteers lined up to be pilots during World War II, and The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45 (by Stephen Ambrose) tells their story by focusing on one bomber, the Dakota Queen, its pilot George McGovern and its crew. McGovern, a South Dakota preacher's son, was a 19-year-old college sophomore when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He immediately volunteered for service and less than three years later was piloting one of the big, unwieldy B-24 Liberator bombers. Completing 35 missions over Europe, McGovern went on to earn a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service."

You could learn a few things about class and courage from Sen. McGovern. He has more of both in his pinky fingernail shavings than you could ever hope to have in your entire sad, pathetic life.

[neesy08]

Two words: Colin Powell

[dac253]

or: Mike Bloomberg :)

It'd nip the secret Muslim talk in the bud and the guy knows his way around an economy.

[tel8034]

"First Do No Harm" ...................... That immediately eliminates Hillary (2 for the price of 1) Clinton.

[justobserve]

I agree wholeheartedly! Not only Hillary but with Bill for his third term is ways too much!!

[PennP]

Why does the VP have to carry the entire "non-Obama" load? What is Obama made key cabinet selecitons at the same time he announced his VP? He could have those people--say, for Defense, National Security, Treasury--speak on their areas of authority, while Obama and the VP are off doing general campaigning. It could empower the message considerably and give the candidacy the aura of certainty, as well as "Ready on Day One"-type administrative prowess.

[ChristopherLib]

That's pretty good advice. First and foremost screen those that could harm the ticket. Doesn't matter how many upsides a VP pick has, if there's a major scandal it's going to be looked at as a flawed pick. You definetly don't want someone who's gaff prone (cough-Richardson-cough).