From Crosscut by Knute Berger: “A Republican president who many thought was a crook was up for re-election. Washington state hadn’t supported him during his election. A well-known state Democratic politician with experience in Congress — though largely unknown outside the state — decided to jump into the presidential race, joining a field crowded with Democrats of all stripes eager to take down the incumbent president. A second term for the president was unthinkable. It was critical to have a candidate who could beat him.
The year was 1972; the president, Richard Nixon; and the candidate, Sen. Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson – the last Washington state politician to mount a presidential campaign, the first of two attempts. It wouldn’t be precise to draw too many parallels between then and now, but with Gov. Jay Inslee having thrown his hat into the ring. a look back at Scoop’s first crusade offers a view of the opportunities and pitfalls of such an effort.