Richard Nixon 1968 presidential campaign
The 1968 presidential campaign of Richard Nixon, the 36th vice president of the United States, began when Nixon, the Republican nominee of 1960, formally announced his candidacy, following a year's preparation and five years' political reorganization after defeats in the 1960 presidential election and the 1962 California gubernatorial election.
Committee for Nixon
Richard Nixon
36th Vice President of the United States
(1953–1961)
Spiro Agnew
55th Governor of Maryland
(1967–1969)
Announced: February 2, 1968
Official nominee: August 8, 1968
Won election: November 5, 1968
Inaugurated: January 20, 1969
1726 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C.[1]
Nixon's the One!
Nixon Now, More Than Ever[2]
Vote Like Your Whole World Depended on It[3]
Bring Us Together (post-victory)'
En route to the Republican Party's presidential nomination, Nixon faced challenges from Governor George Romney of Michigan, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, Governor Ronald Reagan of California, and Senator Charles Percy of Illinois. Nixon won nine of the thirteen state primaries held that season, although due to the population of his state, Governor Reagan won the popular vote while carrying only California. These victories, along with pledged delegate support from states not holding primaries, secured Nixon the nomination on the first ballot of the Republican National Convention, where he named Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland as his running mate.
In the general election, Nixon emphasized "law and order", positioning himself as the champion of what he called the "silent majority". Running well ahead of his opponent, incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey, his support slipped in the polls following his refusal to partake in presidential debates, and following an announcement from President Lyndon B. Johnson that a halt in the bombing of Vietnam had been negotiated.
Winning a close election on November 5, 1968, Nixon and Agnew were inaugurated as the 37th president of the United States and 39th vice president of the United States, respectively, on January 20, 1969. Nixon was the first vice president since Martin Van Buren in 1836 to be elected president without first having succeeded to that office through the death of his predecessor, and the first non-incumbent vice president to be elected president.[4]
Campaign developments[edit]
Early stages[edit]
On January 7, 1967, Nixon held a secret meeting with his closest advisers to discuss a potential campaign, brainstorming strategies to obtain sufficient delegates to win the Republican nomination. He asked the attendees not to discuss the meeting with anyone, but to spread subtle hints that he would run for president. The next month, during an interview with the Saturday Evening Post, Nixon flatly denied he was running for president.[11] Nevertheless, polls suggested that he was the front-runner for the nomination. The Gallup poll from February 1967 showed Nixon leading Governor George Romney, his closest rival, 52% to 40%.[12] At this time he quietly began efforts to organize in Indiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Wisconsin, positioning to secure victories in those states' primaries the following year.[11] In March he gained the support of the 1964 Republican nominee, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona.[13][14] A "Nixon for President Committee" formed that month,[15] and headquarters for the organization opened in Washington D.C. in late May.[16]
During the spring and summer, Nixon traveled to Eastern Europe[17] and Latin America[18] to bolster his foreign policy credentials.[11] He returned in August to conduct meetings with his advisers to formulate a solid campaign strategy. Two days later, his campaign manager, Gaylord Parkinson, left his position to care for his ailing wife. Political commentators speculated that the vacancy built "an element of instability" for the campaign. The position was soon temporarily filled by former Governor Henry Bellmon of Oklahoma.[19] The next week, five staff members were fired after private investigators determined that information had been leaked to the campaigns of potential primary rivals Governors Rockefeller and Reagan.[20] The news did not stall the progression of the campaign, and soon Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander member Leonard Garment assembled an advertising team that included CBS Television president Frank Shakespeare.[21]
Aftermath[edit]
Nixon and Agnew took office as president and vice president during their inauguration on January 20, 1969. Following the election, the slogan "Bring Us Together", referencing a poster held by a 13-year-old girl at a rally during his campaign, was used as a basis for the theme of his inauguration, although it would later be seized by Democrats to attack later Nixon policies.[112] In his inaugural address, Nixon said that "the greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker", outlining the direction Nixon sought to take, such as his visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972, opening diplomatic relations between the two nations, and détente plus the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union, all in his first term.[113][114]
While overseeing an initial escalation of American involvement in the Vietnam War, he subsequently ended U.S. involvement in 1973, and eliminated the draft.[115] Domestically, his administration generally embraced policies that transferred power from Washington to the states. Among other things, he initiated wars on cancer and drugs, imposed wage and price controls, enforced desegregation of Southern schools and established the Environmental Protection Agency.[116][117] Though he presided over Apollo 11 and the subsequent lunar landings, he later scaled back crewed space exploration.[118] In 1972, he was reelected by a landslide, the largest to that date. The Watergate scandal, which would consume the greater part of his second term, resulted in his ultimate resignation on August 9, 1974.[119]