Fear and Loathing On the Campaign Trail '72

Delegates play a crucial role in the American presidential election process by representing voters’ preferences at a party’s national convention. They are selected during primaries and caucuses to support specific candidates based on the results in their state or district. At the convention, delegates formally cast their votes to nominate the party’s candidate for the general election. Some delegates are pledged to a specific candidate, while others, known as superdelegates (in the Democratic Party), have the freedom to vote as they choose. Hunter S. Thompson’s coverage of the Democratic National Convention reveals the influence of delegates.

Coined by Thompson, Gonzo journalism is a style of reporting that blends factual reporting with personal experiences, emotions, and often exaggeration or satire. It rejects traditional objectivity and detachment in journalism, instead immersing the writer in the story as a central character. This style is known for its use of humor, vivid descriptions, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, often blurring the line between fact and fiction to reveal a deeper truth or emotional reality. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a quintessential example of Gonzo journalism, as is Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 covers the nomination process for the 1972 presidential election. The presidential primaries are a series of state-level elections and caucuses in the American political system where registered voters select their preferred candidate from a political party for the upcoming presidential election. These primaries help determine each party’s nominee, who will then run in the general election. The results allocate delegates to the candidates, who later confirm the nomination at the party’s national convention. Primaries can be open (allowing any voter to participate) or closed (restricted to party members). In 1972, not all states had publicly voted primaries, though those that did became key battlegrounds in the fight between McGovern, Humphreys, and other hopefuls.