User:Tyrol5/Edmund Muskie 1972 presidential campaign

The Edmund Muskie presidential campaign of 1972 began when then U.S. Senator from Maine and 1968 Democratic nominee for Vice President Edmund Muskie decided to seek the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 1972 election.

Background
Muskie had been involved in local politics in addition to practicing law in Waterville, Maine, until his election to the Maine House of Representatives in 1946. In 1954, Muskie was elected Governor of Maine and was re-elected in 1956, serving as Governor until being elected to the United States Senate in 1958. Muskie's rise to national prominence came as running mate to Hubert Humphrey in the 1968 presidential election. While Humphrey nearly chose U.S. Senator from Oklahoma Fred R. Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee ultimately decided that Muskie's temperament, experience, and younger age made Muskie a stronger candidate than Harris.

Humphrey and Muskie narrowly lost the 1968 presidential election to the Republican ticket, consisting of former Vice President Richard Nixon and Governor of Maryland Spiro Agnew, though Muskie's spot on the ticket—in addition to his largely more popular demeanor than that of Humphrey—rendered Muskie a frontrunner for the 1972 Democratic nomination and led to much speculation that he would indeed run for President.

Groundwork and early campaign
https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal72-1249975 - timeline (declared Jan. 4)

http://abacus.bates.edu/muskie-archives/ajcr/1971/Time%20Cover.shtml - tour in September 1971

"Canuck Letter"
http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg-Watergate%20Files/Canuck%20Letter/Canuck%2002.pdf - good overview

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/101072-1.htm - WaPo post-mortem