THE NIXON PRESIDENCY, 1968-1974
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1968 AND THE REASONS FOR NIXON’S PRESIDENCY
Anguished responses to TET, assassination of MLK, riots, spread of BP ideology heightened polarisation that
had come to light in prev 2 years = MOST INFLAMED POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OF 20TH CENTURY
BACKLASH = DOMINANT FORCE of 1968 election = transcended racial divisions, stemmed from dissatisfaction
with VW - REPRESENTS A POWERFUL REACTION AGAINST LIBERALISM, A MAJOR CASUALTY OF THE 1960S
McCARTHY vs LBJ/BK:
JAN 1968: libs persuaded anti-war Eugene McCarthy to run = ‘be clean for Gene’ – students campaigned for
him in NH primary = 42% vote vs LBJ 49% = unprecedented low % for incumbent - tempted BK to run for nom
31 MARCH: LBJ will not seek dem nom –hoped to bring harmony to a fragmented populace (CR,VW ETC)
-BK declared candidacy = empathetic to minorities - 4 April = speech about MLK assassination
-McCarthy seemed cold/arrogant compared to BK - said nothing on MLK’s death – PRESS = more pro-BK
BUT Kennedy had infuriated some Democrats – they’d asked him to challenge LBJ earlier and he left it to
McCarth - feared the lib vote would be split allowing HH to win (expected to continue LBJ’s Vietnam policies )
- expressed contempt: “BOBBY KENNEDY: HAWK, DOVE, OR CHICKEN?”
-BK emerged stronger candidate, JFK legacy, attacked racial prejudice – 5 JUNE ASSASSINATED by Palestinian
for too pro-Israel, shattered hope of BK to heal fragmented nation
DNC, CHICAGO:
-disillusion with the AD AUG 1968 - Youth Int.Party = disrupt DNC, produced ‘Pigasus’ as preferred candidate
-‘Yippies’ + AW protestors at DNC only = 10,000 but Mayor Daley mobilised 12,000 police and banned marches
(gave “shoot to kill” order for arsonists), removed their badges and retaliated shouting ‘kill, kill kill’
-LBJ manipulated and HH (VP) won the nom = angered Dems – not won a single primary – Dem divisions hit the
headlines = reminded public that violence = endemic on LBJ’s watch = helped ‘law and order’ Nixon.
-Dems embittered –McCarthy refused to endorse HH, AW Dems: ‘Dump the Hump’ = pushed towards defeat
DIVISIONS -George Wallace ran as indp. = 20% approval + support from Southern segregationists, erred in choosing Curtis
LeMay as running mate = “bomb V back to the stone age”
WHY NIXON WON 1968 ELECTION: (Spiro Agnew = running mate)
WINNIGN REP NOM: 1964 OG took control of Reps = needed more mod candidate, OG liked N extreme anti-
Comm + libs like position on domestic issues, had gov exp as VP
WINNING MIDDLE AMERICA:
- earned $5000 to $15,000 a year – not in pov, not wealthy = blue/white-collar workers + 55% of pop
INFLATION: 4.7%- getting poorer, hard to maintain SoL
- lost patience with gov who taxed them heavily to help poor (WoP) but didn’t deal with 60s riots
- Nixon appealed, particularly those who opposed disorder demanded by rioters + those whose children were
sent to Vietnam whilst rich student protestors managed to avoid the draft – silent majority
- Time Magazine said N = ‘embodiment of Middle America’ in 1970.
-OPPOSED BUSING: suburban backlash ripped upwards into national politics
NIXON’s PROMISES/POLICIES:
- ‘peace with honour’ for VW
- restore ‘law and order’ – mimetic orator, repeatedly cites stats eg. “in past 45 mins this is what has happened
in USA = 1 murder, 2 rapes, 45 major crimes etc.”
- learnt lessons from 60 campaign, only spoke to audiences 100+, hired media specialists
-JULIE (Nixon’s daughter): “remember Daddy was in the Ike admin and they got us out of one war”
CONTROVERY OVER VIETNAM: 1968 rumours = LBJ planned bombing halt, HCM seemingly willing to negotiate
– softening of US policy infuriated N whose campaign relied on this, Start of campaign: Nixon = 15 points ahead
of HH = landslide BUT more talks of peace in Paris = losing lead – ‘ANNA CHENNAULT AFFAIR’
-Sv president VAN THIEU announced he would not cooperate with negotiations – LBJ furious + SV embassy
wiretap revealed Nixon called 2 NOV + urged Thieu hold his ground + he would offer better deal – N DENIED
INVOLVEMENT in such machinations – Clifford = illegal violation of Logan A, LBJ did not reveal in fear of uproar
SOUTHERN STRATEGY AND SUN BELT: emerging powerhouse of the nation (pop 2x since Truman)
- N appealed by rejecting LBJ’s policy of cutting funding seg schools + promised to slow pace of school
desegregation in the South = ‘Southern Strategy’
, THE NIXON PRESIDENCY, 1968-1974
- promised to rebalance power btwn states and fed gov +share fed money efficiently with states – appealed to
the South who trad favoured states’ rights = ‘New Federalism’ – attacked extensive bureaucracy
1968 ELECTION RESULTS:
-close = HH rallied dramatically in final days, broke from LBJ Vietnam policies + won anti-war Dems
-Nixon = 43.4% pop vote vs HH 42.7% - N victory = trad US values reasserted
KISSINGER: nat security advisor
-worked on FP, exceptional knowledge of foreign affairs, favoured bypassing trad diplomatic machinery
-proponent of realpolitik – focussed on practical objectives and power not morality
-Nobel Peace Prize for conduct of Peace negotiations in Vietnam…HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL (prolonged war?)
ROGERS: Secretary of State
PERSONALIT -old friend of N, knew little about FP but seen as advantage by N as it ensured WH control
Y AND -first pile of FP papers = “you don’t expect me to read all this stuff, do you?”
POLICIES OF HALDEMAN (Chief of Staff) + EHRLICHMAN (Domestic affair advisor):
THE NIXON -Watergate = blamed, responsible for coverup, N said not sacked sooner due to loyalty
ADMIN. JOHN MITCHELL: Attorney General
-general until 1972 + then headed CREEP
-approved wiretaps without court authorisation + tried to block publish of Pentagon papers
JUNE 1972: Martha Mitchell = “mouth of the south” = hidden figure of biggest political scandal of 20 th century
-In hotel when she read newspaper about WG + recognised name = phoned journalist (Helen Thomas) to
discuss what she knew after WG- ACCOSTED by 5 men + sedated and drugged to keep her quiet, JM labelled
her mentally unwell to explain – WATERGATE BATTLE FOR NARRATIVE CONTROL = SPIRALLING OUT OF HAND
THE RESTORATION OF CONSERVATIVE POLITICS
WELFARE AND ANTI-POV PROGRAMMES:
-campaign = wanted to eliminate inefficient GS programmes (‘welfare mess’)
-1968 POLL: 84% ‘too many people on welfare money who should be working’
1/3 black children on welfare - LBJ = proof of progress, MA = resent expense
-Tried to reform welfare system with Family Assistance. Plan – Cons liked/ Lib dislike: work requirements, no.
bureaucrats administering decreased BUT approved exp of fed aid by 13mil– so many criticisms C rejected FAP
-1971 Child Dev Act (free childcare to aid working mothers) vetoed – too expensive
N = brought up in pov = sympathetic – despite anti-GS campaign rhetoric, he increased fed exp on edu, priv HC,
SS – spent more on social programmes than LBJ
RACIAL EQUALITY:
DOMESTIC 1969: Alexander vs Holmes county = immediate deseg of public schools in South
POLICIES -1971 SC support busing (Swann vs Charlotte Mecklenburg BoEducation) to end de facto seg BUT USAs opposed
8:1 – N attacked as ‘wrenching’ children
-C reject N request for const amendment against busing BUT cons SC justices = Milliken v. Bradley 1974 = halt
busing in Detroit + justified de facto schools
-expanded 1965 VRA – exp fed supervision of VR to all jurisdictions where < 50% minorities registered
LAW AND ORDER:
Nixon + MA believed violence had escalated because libs = soft - NYT say NY = “city of fear and crime”
-1970 District of Columbia Crime Control Act = facilitated search procedures + made bail harder to obtain
-1970: 1577 bombings attempted + Boston Uni evacuated on 80 occasions due to bomb threat
-N admin harsh with radicals eg. 1969 MA = delighted when 28 BP killed by police + Chicago 8 (8 New left
leaders charged with conspiracy eg. Tom Hayden of SDS
N’s inauguration = 1st in history to be marred by protest – “Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh, the NLF is going to win’
-1969: 84% believe student dems treated too leniently
-OCT/NOV 1969: biggest anti-war protests – MORATORIUM DAY: 1000s of USAs marched on WH
1971 VVAW – Winter Soldier Hearings in Detroit, expose what was happening in Vietnam
“WEATHERMAN” – summer 1969 far left militant anti-war group, “we have to emulate the Black Panther Party”
– blew up ROTC/draft boards - polls beginning to show even more people against anti-war protestors than the
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1968 AND THE REASONS FOR NIXON’S PRESIDENCY
Anguished responses to TET, assassination of MLK, riots, spread of BP ideology heightened polarisation that
had come to light in prev 2 years = MOST INFLAMED POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OF 20TH CENTURY
BACKLASH = DOMINANT FORCE of 1968 election = transcended racial divisions, stemmed from dissatisfaction
with VW - REPRESENTS A POWERFUL REACTION AGAINST LIBERALISM, A MAJOR CASUALTY OF THE 1960S
McCARTHY vs LBJ/BK:
JAN 1968: libs persuaded anti-war Eugene McCarthy to run = ‘be clean for Gene’ – students campaigned for
him in NH primary = 42% vote vs LBJ 49% = unprecedented low % for incumbent - tempted BK to run for nom
31 MARCH: LBJ will not seek dem nom –hoped to bring harmony to a fragmented populace (CR,VW ETC)
-BK declared candidacy = empathetic to minorities - 4 April = speech about MLK assassination
-McCarthy seemed cold/arrogant compared to BK - said nothing on MLK’s death – PRESS = more pro-BK
BUT Kennedy had infuriated some Democrats – they’d asked him to challenge LBJ earlier and he left it to
McCarth - feared the lib vote would be split allowing HH to win (expected to continue LBJ’s Vietnam policies )
- expressed contempt: “BOBBY KENNEDY: HAWK, DOVE, OR CHICKEN?”
-BK emerged stronger candidate, JFK legacy, attacked racial prejudice – 5 JUNE ASSASSINATED by Palestinian
for too pro-Israel, shattered hope of BK to heal fragmented nation
DNC, CHICAGO:
-disillusion with the AD AUG 1968 - Youth Int.Party = disrupt DNC, produced ‘Pigasus’ as preferred candidate
-‘Yippies’ + AW protestors at DNC only = 10,000 but Mayor Daley mobilised 12,000 police and banned marches
(gave “shoot to kill” order for arsonists), removed their badges and retaliated shouting ‘kill, kill kill’
-LBJ manipulated and HH (VP) won the nom = angered Dems – not won a single primary – Dem divisions hit the
headlines = reminded public that violence = endemic on LBJ’s watch = helped ‘law and order’ Nixon.
-Dems embittered –McCarthy refused to endorse HH, AW Dems: ‘Dump the Hump’ = pushed towards defeat
DIVISIONS -George Wallace ran as indp. = 20% approval + support from Southern segregationists, erred in choosing Curtis
LeMay as running mate = “bomb V back to the stone age”
WHY NIXON WON 1968 ELECTION: (Spiro Agnew = running mate)
WINNIGN REP NOM: 1964 OG took control of Reps = needed more mod candidate, OG liked N extreme anti-
Comm + libs like position on domestic issues, had gov exp as VP
WINNING MIDDLE AMERICA:
- earned $5000 to $15,000 a year – not in pov, not wealthy = blue/white-collar workers + 55% of pop
INFLATION: 4.7%- getting poorer, hard to maintain SoL
- lost patience with gov who taxed them heavily to help poor (WoP) but didn’t deal with 60s riots
- Nixon appealed, particularly those who opposed disorder demanded by rioters + those whose children were
sent to Vietnam whilst rich student protestors managed to avoid the draft – silent majority
- Time Magazine said N = ‘embodiment of Middle America’ in 1970.
-OPPOSED BUSING: suburban backlash ripped upwards into national politics
NIXON’s PROMISES/POLICIES:
- ‘peace with honour’ for VW
- restore ‘law and order’ – mimetic orator, repeatedly cites stats eg. “in past 45 mins this is what has happened
in USA = 1 murder, 2 rapes, 45 major crimes etc.”
- learnt lessons from 60 campaign, only spoke to audiences 100+, hired media specialists
-JULIE (Nixon’s daughter): “remember Daddy was in the Ike admin and they got us out of one war”
CONTROVERY OVER VIETNAM: 1968 rumours = LBJ planned bombing halt, HCM seemingly willing to negotiate
– softening of US policy infuriated N whose campaign relied on this, Start of campaign: Nixon = 15 points ahead
of HH = landslide BUT more talks of peace in Paris = losing lead – ‘ANNA CHENNAULT AFFAIR’
-Sv president VAN THIEU announced he would not cooperate with negotiations – LBJ furious + SV embassy
wiretap revealed Nixon called 2 NOV + urged Thieu hold his ground + he would offer better deal – N DENIED
INVOLVEMENT in such machinations – Clifford = illegal violation of Logan A, LBJ did not reveal in fear of uproar
SOUTHERN STRATEGY AND SUN BELT: emerging powerhouse of the nation (pop 2x since Truman)
- N appealed by rejecting LBJ’s policy of cutting funding seg schools + promised to slow pace of school
desegregation in the South = ‘Southern Strategy’
, THE NIXON PRESIDENCY, 1968-1974
- promised to rebalance power btwn states and fed gov +share fed money efficiently with states – appealed to
the South who trad favoured states’ rights = ‘New Federalism’ – attacked extensive bureaucracy
1968 ELECTION RESULTS:
-close = HH rallied dramatically in final days, broke from LBJ Vietnam policies + won anti-war Dems
-Nixon = 43.4% pop vote vs HH 42.7% - N victory = trad US values reasserted
KISSINGER: nat security advisor
-worked on FP, exceptional knowledge of foreign affairs, favoured bypassing trad diplomatic machinery
-proponent of realpolitik – focussed on practical objectives and power not morality
-Nobel Peace Prize for conduct of Peace negotiations in Vietnam…HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL (prolonged war?)
ROGERS: Secretary of State
PERSONALIT -old friend of N, knew little about FP but seen as advantage by N as it ensured WH control
Y AND -first pile of FP papers = “you don’t expect me to read all this stuff, do you?”
POLICIES OF HALDEMAN (Chief of Staff) + EHRLICHMAN (Domestic affair advisor):
THE NIXON -Watergate = blamed, responsible for coverup, N said not sacked sooner due to loyalty
ADMIN. JOHN MITCHELL: Attorney General
-general until 1972 + then headed CREEP
-approved wiretaps without court authorisation + tried to block publish of Pentagon papers
JUNE 1972: Martha Mitchell = “mouth of the south” = hidden figure of biggest political scandal of 20 th century
-In hotel when she read newspaper about WG + recognised name = phoned journalist (Helen Thomas) to
discuss what she knew after WG- ACCOSTED by 5 men + sedated and drugged to keep her quiet, JM labelled
her mentally unwell to explain – WATERGATE BATTLE FOR NARRATIVE CONTROL = SPIRALLING OUT OF HAND
THE RESTORATION OF CONSERVATIVE POLITICS
WELFARE AND ANTI-POV PROGRAMMES:
-campaign = wanted to eliminate inefficient GS programmes (‘welfare mess’)
-1968 POLL: 84% ‘too many people on welfare money who should be working’
1/3 black children on welfare - LBJ = proof of progress, MA = resent expense
-Tried to reform welfare system with Family Assistance. Plan – Cons liked/ Lib dislike: work requirements, no.
bureaucrats administering decreased BUT approved exp of fed aid by 13mil– so many criticisms C rejected FAP
-1971 Child Dev Act (free childcare to aid working mothers) vetoed – too expensive
N = brought up in pov = sympathetic – despite anti-GS campaign rhetoric, he increased fed exp on edu, priv HC,
SS – spent more on social programmes than LBJ
RACIAL EQUALITY:
DOMESTIC 1969: Alexander vs Holmes county = immediate deseg of public schools in South
POLICIES -1971 SC support busing (Swann vs Charlotte Mecklenburg BoEducation) to end de facto seg BUT USAs opposed
8:1 – N attacked as ‘wrenching’ children
-C reject N request for const amendment against busing BUT cons SC justices = Milliken v. Bradley 1974 = halt
busing in Detroit + justified de facto schools
-expanded 1965 VRA – exp fed supervision of VR to all jurisdictions where < 50% minorities registered
LAW AND ORDER:
Nixon + MA believed violence had escalated because libs = soft - NYT say NY = “city of fear and crime”
-1970 District of Columbia Crime Control Act = facilitated search procedures + made bail harder to obtain
-1970: 1577 bombings attempted + Boston Uni evacuated on 80 occasions due to bomb threat
-N admin harsh with radicals eg. 1969 MA = delighted when 28 BP killed by police + Chicago 8 (8 New left
leaders charged with conspiracy eg. Tom Hayden of SDS
N’s inauguration = 1st in history to be marred by protest – “Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh, the NLF is going to win’
-1969: 84% believe student dems treated too leniently
-OCT/NOV 1969: biggest anti-war protests – MORATORIUM DAY: 1000s of USAs marched on WH
1971 VVAW – Winter Soldier Hearings in Detroit, expose what was happening in Vietnam
“WEATHERMAN” – summer 1969 far left militant anti-war group, “we have to emulate the Black Panther Party”
– blew up ROTC/draft boards - polls beginning to show even more people against anti-war protestors than the
