Eighteen-Day Running Mate

No skeletons were rattling in his closet, Senator Tom Eagleton replied to George McGovern, the Democratic Party's 1972 presidential nominee. Thus assured, McGovern announced Eagleton as his vice presidential running mate. But only eighteen days later - after a series of damaging public revelations and feverish behind-the-scenes maneuverings - McGovern rescinded his endorsement, and Eagleton announced his withdrawal from the ticket. This fascinating book is the first to uncover the full story behind Eagleton's rise and precipitous fall as a national candidate. What reporters brought to light within days of Eagleton's nomination was his history of nervous exhaustion, depression, hospitalizations, and treatment with electroshock therapy. The revelation rattled the campaign and placed McGovern's organization under intense public and media scrutiny. Joshua Glasser explores what it was like for campaign insiders, how decisions were made and who made them, how cultural attitudes toward mental illness played a role, and how Eagleton's and McGovern's personal ambitions influenced events. Drawing on personal interviews with McGovern, campaign manager Gary Hart, and other participants, as well as extensive unpublished campaign records, Glasser captures the political and human drama of Eagleton's brief candidacy. No less interesting are the author's insights into the America of 1972, an era that resonates in fascinating ways with our own.