MY MAIN MAN GEORGE

My first vote for a US Presidential candidate: George McGovern. My last vote for a US Presidential candidate: John McCain.

"Can the United States stand 4 more years of Richard Nixon?" That was the rally call of George McGovern. Called a "wild eyed radical" by the right, McGovern spoke the only words of the campaign I listened to back then when he called for an immediate end of US troops in Viet Nam.

Having used up my student deferment and rumors of losing my teaching deferment, I was on the threshold of being drafted. Holding the Number 9 pick in the lottery, I was bound for the Army.

Had I been old enough to vote when Nixon won previously, I would have voted for him. But he had had 4 years to end our involvement and had escalated instead. So it was McGovern for me.

Fortunately, the war ended without my being drafted. Did I serve my country? Only as a veteran teacher of 30 years. Some would say that was not service: others would say it was.

But McGovern was right about one thing--the country couldn't stand 4 more years of President Nixon. Only 2.