The Running Mate Who Changed History

Politics create history. History creates politics. Then there are men and women who helped shape both. Some shaped history in ways that are obvious and easily provable. Others molded society in ways that are more subtle and requires more research than is typical.

Senator Thomas Eagleton belongs in the latter group. Nearly 50 years after he was selected as George McGovern’s running mate, the legacy of the Missouri Senator has largely been forgotten. President Richard Nixon’s resignation and the Watergate scandal have overshadowed his importance to history.

But there are a number of things that happened to and with Eagleton at the center that are just as relevant in today’s political culture.

Run With Me

When a presidential candidate looks for a running mate, it is now common practive for them to do a deep background check. They look for any embarrassing comments that have been made, financial transactions, and political voting records. There are also checks into the background for any criminal behavior or anything else that could come up during the campaign.

When Senator George McGovern won the Democrat’s nomination in 1972, it was under a cloud of controversy. Robert Novak, a sydnicated conservative columnist, wrote a column that contained this quote from an unnamed Democrat senator:

“The people don’t know McGovern is for amnesty, abortion, and legalization of pot. Once middle America — Catholic middle America, in particular — finds this out, he’s dead.”

That quote put a black cloud over the McGovern campaign. The presidential candidate reached out to many high-ranking democrat leaders to find a running mate. Senator Ted Kennedy, Then-Senator Walter Mondale (who would go on to become Vice President), and former Vice President Hubert Humphrey were appraoched about joining the ticket. They all turned down the offer to run with McGovern.

Finally, Thomas Eagleton said yes. But he would not stay on the ticket very long.

Background Check Scandal

The background check into the Senator was not very thorough. It was customary at the time to look for criminal behavior and nothing else. Eagleton’s selection would change that.

Rumors began swirling right away that the Missouri senator was hiding something about his health. He had been hospitalized six times in less than a year. Each of his visits was blamed on a gastritis issue.

However, rumors suggested he had been treated with electroshock therapy for depression. Two weeks after he accepted the Vice Presidential nomination, Eagleton confessed that the rumors were true.

McGovern initially said he stood by his running mate. But as he spoke with medical professionals, including Eagleton’s own doctors, he was warned that the depression could return and prevent the vice president from carrying out his duties.

The decision was made to drop Eagleton from the ticket. And from that point on a new vetting process was put into place.

Triumphant Return To Senate

Eagleton was re-elected to the Senate, mere months after Richard Nixon resigned. His decisive victory affirmed that he was popular in his home state, and had he stayed on the ticket the election might have been slightly different.

Eagleton was confronted with a new scandal just as the 1980 election was getting started. His niece, Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand, and her lawyer, Stephen Poludniak decided to try to blackmail him. They threatened to tell the press that he was bisexual or gay.

The reason for the blackmail attempt? Weigand wanted to sell her stock in Missouri Pipe Fittings and funnel the money to the Church of Scientology.

The blackmail plot helped to create a tighter than usual senate race for the beloved figure. He won re-election in a narrow victory.

Weigand and Poludniak were arrested for their blackmail attempt.

The Later Years

Weigand admitted attempting to blackmail her uncle. She called the claims that he was gay or bisexual "wild." Her motive? She was just trying to get the money.

Eagleton told the court that he had been to Key West, the location where it was said he was carrying on a homosexual affair, one time. He had gone with his colleague, Senator Gaylord Nelson, and their sons. It was a fishing trip and one of the most wholesome things that one could do.

Weigand claimed that she wasn’t on board with blackmailing her uncle, but went along with it because her lawyer told her to do it. The jury did not buy their defense and convicted them.

Both Weigand and Poludniak appealed the decision all the way to the Supreme Court. They argued that because of “the massive publicity surrounding this case, coupled with the pre-existing sentiment in favor of Sen. Eagleton” a fair trial was not possible. Their appeal was denied and the SCOTUS did not hear their arguments.

Eagleton did not run for re-election in 1986. Instead, he returned to Missouri. He worked as a lawyer and professor of public affairs at Washington University in St. Louis. At some point, he also made amends with George McGovern.

In 1996, he gave a heartfelt introduction speech for McGovern, who was doing a promotional tour for his memoir.

The former senator passed on May 4, 2007. Mere months after his death, Robert Novak made an appearance on Meet The Press. During this interview, the journalist revealed that it was Eagleton who had made the disparaging comments about McGovern.

Eagleton’s last words to his family and the world were:

“go forth in love and peace — be kind to dogs — and vote Democratic.”