1968 United States Presidential Election (Nixon Retires)

The **1968 United States presidential election** was the 46th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 5, 1968. The Republican ticket of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and California Governor Ronald Reagan defeated the Democratic ticket of Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Maine Senator Edmund Muskie, along with the American Independent ticket of former Alabama Governor George Wallace and former Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Curtis LeMay.

Incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson had been the early front-runner for the Democratic Party's nomination, but he withdrew from the race after only narrowly winning the New Hampshire primary. Eugene McCarthy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Humphrey emerged as the three major candidates in the Democratic primaries, until Kennedy was assassinated. Humphrey won the nomination, sparking numerous anti-war protests. Former Vice President Richard Nixon entered the Republican primaries as the front-runner, but after losing the primaries in New Hampshire, retired. This would lead to Rockefeller being the front-runner and he would eventually beat Governor of California Ronald Reagan, and other candidates to win his party's nomination. Alabama's Democratic former governor, George Wallace, ran on the American Independent Party ticket, campaigning in favor of racial segregation.

Some of the main issues that were debated in this election were the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the riots that cams as a part of it, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in early June, and widespread opposition to the Vietnam War across university campuses.

## Primaries:

### Democratic Primaries:

President Lyndon B. Johnson planned to run for another term, however, after only narrowly winning the New Hampshire primaries, he dropped out. Robert F. Kennedy was seen as the main front-runner at that point, but he would be assassinated in June. After that, the nomination for the Democrats would eventually be won by Hubert Humphrey, who chose Maine Senator Edmund Muskie to be his running mate. Humphrey's nomination would spark numerous anti-war protests. After this, former Governor of Alabama and segregationist George Wallace would run on the American Independent party ticket to protest the nomination.

 Hubert Humphrey

### Republican Primaries:

Former Vice President Richard Nixon entered the primaries as the front runner, but after losing the New Hampshire primaries to New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Nixon dropped out and retired from politics. From there, it was a neck and neck race with Rockefeller and California Governor Ronald Reagan. Rockefeller would prevail in the primaries and named Reagan as his running mate.

 Nelson Rockefeller

## Campaign/Issues Unique to the Election:

### Democratic Campaign:

Humphrey ran on a platform that he was not a Dixiecrat like his predecessor, Lyndon B. Johnson. He promised to make efforts to neutralize the Vietnam situation, and promised to continue changes on the problem of race in America. He also made sure to keep Robert F. Kennedy's memory remembered, and called him a good friend.

### Republican Campaign:

Rockefeller promised to run a moderate that could appeal to all sides of the political compass. He promised to quickly make peace in Vietnam and tied Humphrey to an unpopular President, along with the party that had wanted to keep segregation in place for years, making George Wallace as proof of it.

### The Assassination of MLK and its Aftermath:

Martin Luther King. Jr was assassinated in Memphis, in April of 1968. Riots would follow soon after from black people angry with the assassination and white supremacists who supported the assassination. Humphrey said the people should be allowed to express anger of the situation, while Rockefeller said that both sides needed to be quailed.

### The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy:

Robert F. Kennedy was the brother of former President John F. Kennedy. Like his brother, RFK would be assassinated, and both sides sent condolences to the Kennedy family, with Humphrey saying that Kennedy was a great man and he will be missed sorely by him, while Rockefeller said the memory of RFK and his brother shall not be forgotten.

### The Vietnam War:

The United States entered the Vietnam War in 1965, in hopes of trying to turn the tide in the capitalist favor, but riots insued as they felt it was not worth getting into. Rockefeller placed the blame on the Johnson campaign and tied Humphrey to it, declaring that he would immediately try to make peace and leave the war before more people died.

## Results and Aftermath:

Rockefeller would easily defeat both Humphrey and Wallace. Flipping almost every state that LBJ won in 1964, while Wallace and LeMay's ticket would flip Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama.

Humphrey would concede to and congratulate Rockefeller and wished the best for his Presidency, Rockefeller and Reagan would be sworn in on January 20, 1969, and Humphrey would die 9 years late on January 18, 1978.