A review of the Nixon presidency, including: the 1968 election; Vietnam War protests; civil rights; domestic policy; Henry Kissinger. Excludes Watergate. Student achieved A* at A Level.
, The 1968 Election
Democrat failures Republican victories
Weakened incumbent Liberal Senator Eugene McCarthy ran as competitor The Nixon nomination after 1960 election defeat; and 196
for LBJ, winning the support of students and breathing life into the party. At defeat in California, he had retired. Now, after years of Democ
the New Hampshire Primary, LBJ only won 49% of the nomination – still a the Republicans needed a moderate, as Barry Goldwater was
majority, but an unprecedentedly low result for incumbent. In March LBJ Eisenhower recommended him, and (off the promise of law an
withdrew his candidacy. the nomination.
Confused nomination Bobby Kennedy joined the nomination race on 16th Winning middle America Middle America represented 55% of po
March. The two Democrat forerunners were highly liberal, so LBJ endorsed - $15000 income). He was quoted saying his interest was “main
Hubert Humphrey (his VP) in the race. George Wallace – a white supremacist Street”. Middle America’s borrowing had increased to $113bn by
Democrat – ran as independent, taking 20% of Democrats with him. Kennedy were constantly teetering on the edge of poverty. Nixon thou
promised to “close the gaps that now exist”, and beat McCarthy in the them was his ticket to the White House.
Nebraska election by a landslide. Kennedy was assassinated for being pro-
Israel and many boycotted the primaries. A weakened McCarthy went up
against Humphrey.
The DNC riots Democratic National Convention of 1968 took place in Success in the Sun Belt He knew where the most impressionable
Chicago. The Youth International Party (Yippies) emerged, calling on young (1) Southern Strategy he would oppose busing; make
people to disrupt the DNC. They declared a pig (Pigasus) the nominee, and nominations, and whatever it took to return to conservatism
drugged the water supplies. There were 10 000 in Chicago, but Mayor Daley (2) New Federalism return power to the states; ‘small governme
mobilised 12 000 police officers, 5000 N. Guardsmen, 7500 armymen, and
set them loose on protestors. McCarthy had been weakened by Kennedy, but (3) Dislike of liberals he drew on the discrimination suffered
now Kennedy was gone he was lost, the young people he represented rioting liberal northerners, who typically dominated politics.
around Chicago. Humphrey won the nomination and the party was doomed.
The 1969 Abolition Amendment was the
closest America ever came to removing the
electoral college, and it came because Nixon
won by the slimmest of popular vote margins.
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