Which helped Nixon get elected in 1968?

Answer 1

He had a plan to end the war. He would pull troops out of Vietnam.

He persuaded the South Vietnamese to stop a successful outcome to the peace negotiations. Had peace and honor.

a desire for law and order and southerners' distrust of Washington

Answer 2

The seemingly never ending war in Vietnam (Nixon pledged to end the draft).

The upswing in the crime rate, punctuated by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. (i.e. "Law & Order")

The perception that the counter culture (especially the anti-war protesters) had the country on the verge of anarchy

Answer 3

He offered a plan to get the US out of Vietnam without looking weak, he promised to restore "Law and Order" and represent the "great silent majority" of society. He was also pretty moderate, especially on fiscal policy. His opponent, Hubert Humphrey, had been quite faithful to the foreign policy of President Johnson, and the Democratic campaign was marred by violent protests at their convention in Chicago. Despite this, the election was very close with Nixon winning by 500,000 votes, but the electoral college vote was a landslide.

Answer 4

The economy was in good shape, the US were on the verge of leaving Vietnam and many Democrats supported Nixon's policies anyway. Their candidate, George McGovern, was a largely unknown Senator who became known for taking controversial stances on a number of issues. These appealed to the fragmented remains of the New Left (i.e. 1960s college students and anti-war movements) but failed to excite the Democratic Party's support base, such as labor unions. One Democratic Senator anonymously complained that McGovern stood for "amnesty, abortion and legalization of pot". Years later, it was revealed to have been made by McGovern's running mate, Thomas Eagleton.

The biggest blow to McGovern's campaign was when Eagleton was discovered to have received electric shock treatment for depression. Supporters were split on whether he was suitable for being a Vice President (and first in succession). McGovern initialled vowed to keep Eagleton on the ticket, then changed his mind and dumped him in favor of John Kennedy's nephew Sargeant Shriver. This made McGovern look indecisive.

In the election, Nixon won by a margin of 18 million votes (the highest to date) and the majority of votes in 49 states. McGovern only won 17 electoral votes: 14 from Massachusetts and 3 from the District of Columbia. But during Nixon's second term, his popularity collapsed as a result of the Watergate Scandal, eventually leading to his resignation in April 1974. Suddenly, "amnesty, abortion and legalization of pot" didn't seem so bad after all. As a result, bumper stickers started to appear on cars in Boston saying "Don't Blame Me, I'm From Massachusetts!"

Answer 5

Johnson won by a huge landslide in 1964. The Rebublicans did so badly that some experts predicted it was the end of the party. Nixon was considered to be a loser, since he lost in 1960. Bobby Kennedy seemed to have the Democratoc nomination sewed up and he was very popular-- but remarkable things happen sometimes.

Answer 6

The "silent majority" helped Nixon get elected in 1968. Many people chose to vote for Nixon because he had then promised to end the Vietnam War.