Welcome to Whistlestop a podcast of Presidential Campaign Curiosities.

I'm John Dickerson, host of Face the Nation. Our whistle stop today is July 13th 1972 and we're in the executive conference room at the Durao Hotel in Miami, Florida.

The McGovern for President Braintrust is holding the first of its meetings to narrow the decisions

to find a vice presidential running mate for George McGovern.

The night before, delegates to the convention had put McGovern over the top.

It was the culmination of an underdog campaign against the Democratic establishment and a more recent

convention fight challenging the winner take all rules that had given McGowan the

California delegates.

The 12th of July had been a late night chaotic affair so on the 13th

everyone in the conference room was a little bit punchy. The floor was

thrown open to suggestions for running mates, hey and there were a lot of jokes, you know, it may be

bullwinkle. They didn't actually suggest bullwinkle, but it was that kind of

atmosphere. But there was also a theory behind it, which was this is a new kind of

campaign, so maybe we should have some civilians, not just other politicians,

and so someone even suggested CBS Newsman Walter Cronkite.

Gary Hart, McGovern's campaign manager, who would later be a senator and run for president

himself wrote in his account of the campaign the mood was light, relax to the point of

frivolity. Victory was being savored for the first time in the light of day. It was like a group of fraternity

boys who had spent most of the night successfully stealing the rival school's mascot.

Finally they had to get serious. Frank Manchowitz, one of the other senior leaders of the campaign, called the room to order by

wringing a glass with his silverware.

We have three hours to choose the deputy commander of the free world, he said.

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