Presidential Election 1968 Recordings

When people think of consequential elections throughout American history they think of 1876, or more recently; the Presidential Election of 2000, 2016, and 2020.  But, in the last five and a half decades there was one Presidential Election that saw more change than any other and that was the Presidential Election of 1968.  When you think about it, this was the first presidential election where Baby Boomers like Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. and Laura Bush, Donald Trump, and Mitt Romney were all eligible to vote in as the 26th Amendment to the US Constitution had not yet been ratified and would not be until 1971.

Lyndon Johnson had become president after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963.  He ran for President in 1964 in his own rite on a slogan of Let Us Continue with running-mate Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of MN.  The Johnson/Humphrey Ticket managed to win that election carrying 44 states plus Washington, DC earning 486 Electoral Votes and 61.1 percent of the Popular Vote at 43,129,040 popular votes to the Goldwater/Miller Ticket managing to win six states earring 52 Electoral Votes and 38.5 percent of the Popular Vote at 27,175,754 popular votes.  However, as the Vietnam War progressed since 1965 and a fracturing of the Democratic Party with Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy being against the war, and LBJ and RFK having bad blood since the 1960 Election, the President was going to have a tougher time of getting re-elected in 1968.

The Republican Party, however, seemed easier as it was pretty apparent that the former Vice President, Republican Party Nominee for President in 1960, and the Republican Party Nominee for California Governor in 1962, Richard M. Nixon seemed the logical choice for their Party.  Nixon did have some liberal spoilers in his Primary season named Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney.  Fellow Californian and the state's current governor, Ronald Reagan was considered a favorite son candidate as was Ohio governor James A. Rhodes.

Gene McCarthy was the first Democrat and anti-war candidate to challenge the incumbent president leaving questions open as to whether Bobby Kennedy was sitting out the campaign until 1972 for a more open election.  Then, when in the New Hampshire Primary on March 12, 1968, Johnson seemed much more vulnerable as Senator McCarthy only lost New Hampshire by winning 42% of the vote to Johnson's 49% of the vote.  McCarthy's success could be credited to the hard work of college students volunteering their time proclaiming that they were clean for Gene.  Sensing the President's vulnerability in the campaign, Senator Robert Kennedy entered the Primary for the Democratic Nomination in 1968.

Realizing that he entered many primaries too late to enter, Kennedy did offer to unify with McCarthy in those primaries before Indiana, Oregon, and of course; California.  With the entry of Kennedy in the race, President Johnson realized his weakness as a candidate and on March 31, 1968, he went before the American people stating that he would not seek and would not accept the nomination of the Democratic Party as their candidate for president in 1968.  He decided to spend the remainder of his term working on a Bombing halt between North and South Vietnam.

In addition to the Vietnam War, the United States was experiencing social change, particularly in the area of civil rights.  In April 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King was in Memphis, TN in support of the city's sanitation workers' strike.  On April 4, 1968, Dr. King was gunned down by James Earl Ray who was in a flophouse actress from the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was standing on the balcony.  That night, Senator Kennedy was scheduled to do a rally in Indianapolis, but his words were more a eulogy to Dr. King than a campaign speech.  After Dr. King's assassination, many major American cities were burned.  Indianapolis was one that did not burn.

The next day, Senator Kennedy made one public appearance at the Cleveland City Club to speak about the mindless menace of violence.  It was almost a prophecy than a speech.  Exactly two months later Senator Robert Kennedy would be the next high profile American to be gunned down by an assassin's bullet.

In late April, Vice President Humphrey entered the race representing the establishment wing of the Democratic Party.  Like Bobby Kennedy who had been to various colleges like Vanderbilt, Kansas State, and Ball State; the Vice President too went on a college circuit tour.  On May 3, 1968, Vice President Humphrey visited Kent State University.  Ironically, this speech given about helping your fellow man was delivered two years and one day from the infamous Kent State Shootings on May 4, 1970.

During this speech to the KSU student body and faculty, some black students left, apparently because they didn't like what Humphrey said about civil rights.  Interestingly enough, when Richard Nixon came to Akron, Ohio during the campaign a group of SDS students from the Kent State chapter heckled him outside of the Mayflower Hotel in the downtown area.  Theorists about the Kent State Shootings think that that event triggered a grudge that Nixon kept for two years and that is why Jim Rhodes sent the Ohio National Guard into Kent. 

The Oregon Primary was a devastating blow to the Kennedy campaign.  He had lost to Senator McCarthy giving Bobby Kennedy the distinction of being the first Kennedy to lose an election.

As the California Primary was underway, Senators Kennedy and McCarthy campaigned for votes where they could find them.  Vice President Humphrey, who got into the race too late would fall under the uncommitted slate of electors who supported Lyndon Johnson.

In this particular primary, Senator McCarthy was seen as a hero to many college students for being the first candidate to oppose the Vietnam War.  He focused his time and energy campaigning on college and university campuses.  Senator Kennedy's main support was among blacks, Catholics, and the poor.  Kennedy would focus his energy on campaigning in ghettos and the barrios of California's big cities.  On June 1, 1968, three days before the election both Kennedy and McCarthy took part in a primary debate much like eight years earlier when Senator John F. Kennedy and Senator Hubert Humphrey debated just before the West Virginia Primary.  In the end, Robert Kennedy won the California Primary 46 percent to Gene McCarthy's 42 percent.  Kennedy also won the Vice President's birth state of South Dakota and McCarthy won New Jersey.  The next big election was in June 11th in New York and Senator McCarthy was hoping for a momentous win in Kennedy's adopted home state thanks to strong support from anti-war activists in New York City.

After Senator Kennedy delivered his victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, he headed towards the kitchen.  As he was shaking hands with kitchen staff a young 24 year old man named Sirhan Sirhan a Palestinian immigrant with Jordanian citizenship shot the Senator in the head in the kitchen service pantry.  Sihan's reasoning for the shooting was because of Kennedy's support of Israel during the Seven Days War just exactly one year earlier.  The nation started to hold vigil for Senator Kennedy.  The major candidates for president on both sides suspended their campaigns.  President Johnson, a major foe to Senator Kennedy called upon the nation to pray for a speedy and full recovery for the Senator.

For the next 26 hours the Senator fought for his life with death being eminent by late June 5, 1968.  At 1:44AM PDT, Senator Robert Francis Kennedy died as a result of his gunshot wounds.  He was 42 years old.

After the Primaries were over, focus turned to the conventions to be held in August with the Republican National Convention being held in Miami Beach and the Democratic National Convention being held in Chicago.  The Republican Convention was pretty straight forward. After nominating Richard Nixon for president, Nixon in turn retired the favor to Spiro Agnew and named him as his running-mate.

The Democrats met for their convention in late August in Chicago.  Mayor Richard Daley sensing problems asked the governor to send in Illinois National Guard.  With the establishment candidate, Vice President Humphrey pretty much the Nominee even though he won no primaries and the anti-war candidate, Senator Eugene McCarthy who won most of the primaries, and last minute replacement candidates for the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Senator George McGovern and the late Senator's brother, Senator Edward M. Kennedy the stage was set for confrontation both inside and outside of the convention hall.  Rioters were beat be Chicago PD with chants of the whole world is watching.  Hubert Humphrey was nominated for President and Senator Edmund Muskie was nominated for Vice President.

Not since 1948 has the issue of race reared a candidate for president as in 1948, Democratic governor of South Carolina, Strom Thurmond was nominated by the Dixiecrats to run against Harry S Truman, Thomas E. Dewey, and Henry Wallace.  In 1968, Alabama's Former Democratic governor, George Wallace along with General Curtis LeMay were running on the Independence Party Ticket.  The stage for the fall campaign was set.

As mentioned earlier, President Johnson decided not to seek a second term as president in his own rite after Kennedy's entrance into the race.  Johnson had decided that he was not going to devote any time that year in partisan politics but instead focus on the job of being president, namely getting a Bombing halt between North and South Vietnam before the November 5th Election.  In mid-October, Johnson requested a conference call between the three major candidates to talk about the Paris talks and instruct them what was to be said and what was not to be said in public.

Nearly 50 years after LBJ's death, recordings between the President and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen have been released where it is revealed that the former Vice President (Nixon) went to the parties involved asking that they halt the peace talks until after the election as he can get them a better deal.  Johnson in his bluntest way told Dirksen that this was treason.  Dirksen responded with, "I know."

In the end, Richard Nixon was elected the 37th President of the United States carrying 32 states or 301 Electoral Votes and 31,783,783 Popular Votes which was 43.4 percent to Hubert Humphrey carrying 13 states plus Washington, DC or 191 Electoral Votes and 31,271,839 Popular Votes which was 42.7 percent to George Wallace carrying five states or 46 Electoral Votes and 9,901,118 Popular Votes which was 13.5 percent.  The country would have a new conservative road to go down for the next four years.  

In that time though, we would see an expansion of the Vietnam War by the spring of 1970 resulting in the Kent State Shootings, the creation of the EPA, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution ratified, and the break in of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate just months before the 1972 Presidential Election.  

See also:

• Presidential Election 1940
• Presidential Election 1944
• Presidential Election 1948
• Presidential Election 1952
• Presidential Election 1956
• Presidential Election 1960
• Presidential Election 1964
• Presidential Election 1968
• Presidential Election 1972
• Presidential Election 1976
• Presidential Election 1980
• Presidential Election 1984
• Presidential Election 1988
• Presidential Election 1992
• Presidential Election 1996
• Presidential Election 2000
• Presidential Election 2004
• Presidential Election 2008
• Presidential Election 2012
• Presidential Election 2016
• Presidential Election 2020