Video: 'George McGovern Nomination Acceptance Speech 1972 DNC'

(Friday, July 14, 1972, 2:48 a.m. EDT; during the 1972 Democratic National Convention) — Senator George McGovern of South Dakota accepted the Democratic presidential nomination early this morning at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida, urging wildly cheering delegates to put behind “our fury and our frustrations” and unite to capture the White House from President Richard Nixon.

McGovern was nominated on the afternoon of July 13, 1972, defeating Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington state 1,729 to 525 votes on the first ballot.

Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri was nominated vice president early today (at 1:40 a.m. EDT), defeating Frances “Sissy” Farenthold of the Texas state house 1,742 to 405 votes.

Video: '1972 Thomas Eagleton Democratic Convention Vice President Acceptance Speech'

A protracted vice presidential nominating process delayed McGovern’s acceptance speech (which he considered “the best speech of his life”) until 2:48 a.m. EDT, after most television viewers had gone to bed, probably hurting the McGovern campaign by not creating the so-called “convention bounce.”

Eagleton would withdraw from the race just 19 days later (on Aug. 1, 1972) after it was disclosed that he had previously undergone mental health treatment, including electroshock therapy, and was replaced on the ballot by former U.S. Ambassador to France Sargent Shriver of Maryland, a Kennedy in-law.

The McGovern-Shriver ticket would oppose the incumbent Republican ticket of President Richard Nixon of New York and Spiro Agnew of Maryland (nominated in August 1972) in the 1972 United States presidential election.