Campus Update

By Donna Yee (October 5, 2007)

UAlbany's Miroff Captures Historic McGovern Campaign in New Book

Bruce Miroff, a professor of political science and Collins Fellow at UAlbany, has written a new book titled The Liberals' Moment: The McGovern Insurgency and the Identity Crisis of the Democratic Party.  In the book, Miroff examines the 1972 presidential campaign when George McGovern was defeated by Richard Nixon in a landslide victory, producing an identity crisis for Democrats that lingers to this day.

While highlighting what can be learned from the McGovern insurgency, it also identifies actions that Democrats should follow to rectify their standing. In addition to exploring the effects of the defeat on later Democratic campaigns, Miroff examines the experiences of a generation of young, talented political actors.  Among them are Bill Clinton and future party strategists Bob Shrum and John Podesta.

According to James McGregor Burns, author of Leadership and Running Alone, Miroff's book, "Brings to life the excitement and furor of a time when Americans were as divided over Vietnam as they are over Iraq today."

Miroff's book is the first produced since the 1970s regarding McGovern's campaign.  It contains nearly 50 interviews, including an interview with McGovern himself, as well as 21 photographs.  The Liberals' Moment: The McGovern Insurgency and the Identity Crisis of the Democratic Party was released on Sept. 14 by University Press of Kansas.