By 1952 , McGovern was coming to think of himself as a Democrat . He was captivated by a radio broadcast of Governor Adlai Stevenson 's speech accepting the presidential nomination at the 1952 Democratic National Convention . He immediately dedicated himself to Stevenson 's campaign , publishing seven articles in the '' Mitchell Daily Republic '' newspaper outlining the historical issues that separated the Democratic Party from the Republicans . The McGoverns named their only son , Steven , born immediately after the convention , after his new hero . Although Stevenson lost the election , McGovern remained active in politics , believing that " the engine of progress in our time in America is the Democratic Party . " In early 1953 , McGovern left a tenure-track position at the university to become executive secretary of the South Dakota Democratic Party , the state chair having recruited him after reading his articles . Democrats in the state were at a low , holding no statewide offices and only 2 of the 110 seats in the state legislature . Friends and political figures had counseled McGovern against making the move , but despite his mild , unassuming manner , McGovern had an ambitious nature and was intent upon starting a political career of his own
1952 Democratic National Convention
1952 Democratic National Convention
George McGovern