Robert A. Toal, November 22, 1928 (Upper Darby, Penn.) - May 27, 1985 (Lafayette, Ind.)
VP candidate for McCarthy '76 (1976)
Running mate with nominee: Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)
Popular vote: 4001 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
After US Sen. Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) failed to secure the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 1968, a number of his followers campaigned for him as a third party candidate. McCarthy himself did not approve and in many but not all cases was able to have his name removed from the ballot. Different states ran his name under various party names with a variety of running mates, some of whom who were also not too thrilled to be listed: Coretta Scott King, Paul Newman, Dick Gregory, Paul O'Dwyer, and John Lindsay.
McCarthy made a brief foray into the Democratic Party primaries of 1972 but did not generate a lot of excitement. At some point after he dropped out of the race he left the Party, declared himself an Independent, and began a political journey to what could be described as libertarian centrism. As an Independent Presidential candidate in 1976 he is frequently better remembered for his high-profile legal battles to gain ballot access for third parties than for his political platform.
His 1976 VP situation made 1968 look tame. He was on the ballot in 29 states and a registered write-in in a few others. He had over 20 running mates. McCarthy himself said, "Vice-presidential candidates just clutter up the campaign. We should not ask the country to make two judgments. Everyone knows vice presidents have no influence on presidents once elected. Presidents' wives have much more influence. Perhaps we should have candidates' wives debate."
McCarthy's running-mate in Vermont was Robert Toal of West Lafayette, Ind. He had been part of McCarthy's 1968 campaign in Indiana. They were on the ballot in Vermont under the McCarthy '76 label. McCarthy indicated that had he attained ballot status in Indiana, which he did not, then Toal would have been his running-mate there as well.
McCarthy/Toal won 2.13% of the vote in Vermont, McCarthy's 7th strongest showing. Nationally McCarthy won 0.91% of the popular poll.
Election history:
1970 - US House of Representatives (Ind.) (Democratic) - primary - defeated
1972 - Tippecanoe County Commission (Ind.) (Democratic) - defeated
Other occupations: soldier, faculty member in psychology at Purdue University, author
Buried: Cremated
Notes:
His wife had died as he began his 1970 campaign
