In 1972, "peace candidate" George McGovern shocks the Democratic Party's leadership by winning the California primary, narrowly defeating Hubert H. Humphrey. Until then, party elders fearful of McGovern's "extreme" liberalism had hoped he could be decisively beaten before the national convention. It now appears that will not happen.McGoverns Shocks by Eric Lipps
The party establishment is particularly afraid of McGovern because, with all of North Vietnams major cities now under U.S. and ARVN military control, Republicans are claiming that victory is within reach. "There remains only the task of cleaning out the countryside," asserts a confident Vice-President Spiro Agnew during a speech in France commemorating the 1944 D-Day landings there. "All that remains of the enemy is a small cadre of dead-enders, and once they?re beaten, the people of North Vietnam will gratefully accept the gift of freedom we have given them, just as did the people of France in '44". Showing his instinct for the jugular, Agnew continues, "And when that happens, they will remember who fought for them, and who in this country preferred to leave them under Communist tyranny".
Unfortunately for Agnew, the media will quickly point out that his reference to "this country" appears to be a blooper, given that he is addressing a French audience and not an American one. The Nixon White House will issue a "clarification" the next day.