Fear and Loathing On the Campaign Trail '72

Published in 1973, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 is a collection of serialized political coverage essays written by journalist Hunter S. Thompson, covering the 1972 presidential election in the US. Thompson focuses on the Democratic Party’s primary process before the convention in Miami, Florida, as the party tried to select a candidate to face down against incumbent President Richard Nixon, whom Thompson loathed. In his typically idiosyncratic style, Thompson critiques media coverage of the election, particularly its insular and fawning coverage of politics.

This guide is based on the 2005 Harpers Perennial edition of the book.

Summary

The book is based on a series of articles Thompson wrote for Rolling Stone magazine during the Democratic primaries and the general election. Thompson opens by reflecting on the political landscape post-1968, a year marked by turbulence and upheaval, when Richard Nixon claimed the presidency amid a backdrop of civil unrest and the Vietnam War. By 1972, Nixon is a formidable incumbent, but the Democratic Party is fractured and Thompson begins following the candidates vying for the nomination.

At first, Senator Edmund Muskie from Maine is seen as the frontrunner, representing the Democratic establishment’s choice to take on Nixon. Muskie is initially viewed as a moderate, respectable candidate, but Thompson criticizes him as uninspiring and overly cautious. Thompson’s depiction of Muskie is increasingly hostile, and he claims that Muskie’s erratic behavior during a speech in New Hampshire may have resulted from taking Ibogaine, a hallucinogenic drug.

George McGovern, a senator from South Dakota, emerged as a dark-horse candidate, gaining strong grassroots support, particularly among young, antiwar activists. McGovern’s campaign is initially dismissed by the establishment and media as too radical to win the nomination, but his anti-Vietnam War stance and appeal to the party’s progressive wing enable him to gain momentum. Thompson increasingly shifts his focus to McGovern’s campaign, attracted to McGovern’s honesty and outsider status, though he remains critical of the practicalities of McGovern’s strategy. As McGovern rises, Muskie’s campaign begins to crumble, particularly after a disastrous incident in New Hampshire.

After Muskie’s collapse, the race for the Democratic nomination narrows to McGovern and former nominee Hubert Humphrey, who lost to Nixon in 1968. Humphrey, a symbol of the Democratic establishment and its ties to big labor, represents everything McGovern’s insurgent campaign opposes. Thompson is particularly harsh toward Humphrey, whom he describes as an opportunist willing to shift positions to suit the political winds. He characterizes the battle between McGovern and Humphrey as a fundamental clash between the old guard and the party’s progressive, anti-establishment wing. In the end, McGovern wins the nomination, though not without significant damage resulting from the intra-party infighting. Thompson details how the bruising primary battle leaves McGovern weakened and unable to unify the party fully, so many establishment Democrats are reluctant to support his candidacy at the chaotic convention.

One of the defining moments of McGovern’s campaign is his problematic choice of a running mate (or vice-presidential candidate), Senator Thomas Eagleton. This choice is initially seen as a conciliatory gesture toward the establishment, but it is soon revealed that Eagleton has a history of mental health issues and underwent electroshock therapy in the past. McGovern initially stands by Eagleton but, under intense media scrutiny and mounting pressure, is eventually forced to drop Eagleton from the ticket. Thompson criticizes the McGovern campaign for mishandling the crisis, calling it a betrayal of the principles McGovern stands for.

With McGovern’s campaign in disarray, Thompson turns his attention to the general election, which increasingly appears to be a one-sided affair. Nixon barely campaigns in person, relying instead on surrogates and television ads to maintain his overwhelming lead in the polls. Thompson sees Nixon as the embodiment of everything wrong with American politics: dishonesty, manipulation, and utter corruption.

On November 7, 1972, Nixon wins in a historic landslide, carrying 49 states and more than 60% of the popular vote. McGovern wins only Massachusetts and Washington, DC. Thompson reflects on the crushing defeat, recognizing that McGovern never had a realistic chance given the political climate of the time, but still lamenting the lost opportunity for meaningful change.