The McGovern forces knew their only hope was to contest the vote of the credentials committee by taking it to a vote of the entire convention. How they did this required immensely complicated parliamentary procedures, perfect timing and a brilliant decision to deliberately lose one roll call vote in order to win the war. One thing that helped McGovern in that fight was a fiery speech by a young co-chairman of the McGovern delegation named Willie Brown. Then he chose Tom Eagleton as his running mate and was forced to dump him after revelations he had been given electroshock treatments for depression. President Nixon routed McGovern that November.
Journalists love a good fight and a convention where something real happens for a change.
This year, just maybe, California could provide that. Political editor John Jacobs' column appears on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Let us hear from you.