... a true story:
Alone
with me in the basement of a New Jersey motor lodge,
a
presidential candidate who vigorously campaigned against the
Vietnam
War took off his suit coat. Two secret service agents remained
stationed
at the top of the stairs. He unbuttoned and removed his
shirt,
unbuckled his belt, stripped to his shorts and handed me each
article
of clothing as he dressed in more “conservative” attire. He
explained
that he was heading to New York City and didn’t want
the
folks back in South Dakota, via national television coverage, to
see how
he appeared during the luncheon stump-speech delivered
minutes
earlier.
Now I possessed the answer to the burning question of
the ’72
campaign,
asked by at least one reporter at each stop. The candidate
glared
at me and said, “Charlie, swear—swear you’ll never give the
answer
to the boxers or briefs question.”
“Yes, Senator, I promise.” But I wondered if travelling
campaign
reporter,
Hunter S. (Gonzo) Thompson, if he knew, would keep Senator
George McGovern’s
deepest personal secret. I imagined not.
