A conscientious man would be cautious how he dealt in blood. George McGovern More Quotes by George McGovern More Quotes From George McGovern We are at a crossroads over how the federal government in Washington and state legislatures and city councils across the land allocate their financial resources. Which fork we take will say a lot about Americans and our values. George McGovern government land cities I don't think the American people had a clear picture of either Nixon or me. I think they thought that Nixon was a strong, decisive, tough-minded guy and that I was an idealist and antiwar guy who might not attach enough significance to the security of the country. The truth is, I was the guy with the war record, and my opposition to Vietnam was because I was interested in the nation's well-being. George McGovern strong war country I always thought of myself as a good old South Dakota boy who grew up here on the prairie. My dad was a Methodist minister. I went off to war. I have been married to the same woman forever. I'm what a normal, healthy, ideal American should be like. George McGovern dad boys war Never say anything that, down inside, you think is wrong. George McGovern say-anything thinking To those who charge that liberalism has been tried and found wanting, I answer that the failure is not in the idea, but in the course of recent history. The New Deal was ended by World War II. The New Frontier was closed by Berlin and Cuba almost before it was opened. And the Great Society lost its greatness in the jungles of Indochina. George McGovern failure military war Democrats believe that the federal government is not our enemy, it's our partner. George McGovern government believe enemy I think the country's getting disgusted with Washington partly because of the decline of civility in government. George McGovern government country thinking When you start one of these programs, school lunch programs, in a country that heretofore had nothing of that kind, immediately school enrollment jumps dramatically. Girls and boys get to the classroom with the promise of a good meal once a day. George McGovern girl country school I was tired. I hadn't slept eight hours in two, three years. I lived on four, five hours of sleep. You can do it during a campaign because thousands are screaming for you. You're getting adrenaline shots each day. Then the campaign ends, and there are no more shots. George McGovern eight tired sleep If Reagan wins, I'd sell the farm and buy a bomb shelter. George McGovern bomb-shelters bombs winning Reaganism is not only at odds with the Judeo-Christian heritage, it will not work. George McGovern heritage odds christian The whole campaign was a tragic case of mistaken identity. George McGovern cases campaigns identity I didn't used to care about living a long time. Not that I wasn't enjoying life, but I never sat around asking how I'd get to be 100, you know. But now I want to live long enough to see every school child in the world getting a good, nutritious lunch every day. George McGovern lunch children school I've come to realize that protecting freedom of choice in our everyday lives is essential to maintaining a healthy civil society. George McGovern healthy everyday choices I'm constantly meeting people who said that they cast their first vote for me, or that they cut their eye teeth on the 1972 campaign, or that they didn't vote for me but admire my positions. George McGovern cutting eye people I wish I had known more firsthand about the concerns and problems of American businesspeople while I was a U.S. senator and later a presidential nominee. George McGovern presidential white house I hope someday we will be able to proclaim that we have banished hunger in the United States, and that we've been able to bring nutrition and health to the whole world. George McGovern united-states able world I flew a full string of 35 combat missions over some of the most heavily defended targets in Europe. We were hitting Hitler's oil refineries, his tank factories, his aircraft factories, his railway yards. Those were our prime targets. George McGovern tanks oil europe The truth is that I oppose the Iraq war, just as I opposed the Vietnam War, because these two conflicts have weakened the U.S. and diminished our standing in the world and our national security. George McGovern iraq war two You don't run for the presidency out of nostalgia. George McGovern presidency nostalgia running