Come Home America

Black and white photos of McGovern and Shriver on a white button with white text on red and blue around the outside

This button was made for the 1972 election. The words "Come Home America" reference McGovern's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. In this speech he called for America to "come home" to its earlier promise by ending prejudice and inequality and reducing defense spending. This acceptance speech was delayed until 3 a.m. by the Vice Presidential nominating process, which drastically reduced viewership. George McGovern was an early opponent of the Vietnam War and campaigned for an end to U.S. involvement in Vietnam in exchange for the release of American prisoners of war. After McGovern's first Vice Presidential candidate, Thomas Eagleton, was forced to resign when his history of psychiatric problems was revealed, McGovern selected Sargent Shriver, the U.S. ambassador to France, founder of the Peace Corp and Head Start, and a brother in law of John F. Kennedy. Nixon beat McGovern by a very large margin after southern Democrats and labor unions refused to endorse him.