Nixon’s Presidential Win In 1968 Marked

Question - Nixon’s Presidential Win in 1968 Marked?

A. a turn away from liberal reforms.
B. a surge of support for the Vietnam War.
C. a return to the liberal politics of the early 1960s.
D. a turn away from conservative politics.

The presidential election of 1968 is regarded as one of the most landmark moments in American history. The landslide victory of Richard Nixon marked this event. He fought in the election as a Republican candidate and went on to become the 37^th US president. This win is considered to be significant because it created a definite shift in the political culture of America. With Richard Nixon as the first citizen of the US, it ended a long period of Democratic dominance in American politics. In this essay, we will try to find out the factors that led to his victory in 1968 and how they affected the American political scenario.

1. Political Climate

The United States was going through an extended phase of social and political turmoil in the late 1960s. The country was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The war created division in the country, and riots and protests were common among the people. Civil unrest was spreading wide and far, and the rates of crime were rising alarmingly. Richard Nixon understood this issue very well and positioned himself accordingly in the election campaigns. He focused on restoring law and order to the country and promised political stability if elected. The Americans who were frustrated with the political unrest throughout the country longed for the chaos to end and felt Nixon was the right person to do so.

2. Divisions within the Democratic Party

Although America was ruled by the Democrats for a long time, after the assassination of John F Kennedy, the Democrats faced a setback. Especially during the presidential election of 1968, there were stark divisions within the Democrats. The incumbent Democratic President, Lyndon B. Johnson, was facing strong opposition from people within his own party. His methods of handling the Vietnam War were highly criticised, and the assassination of both Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. only made things more complex for him. With so much internal conflict going on, the Democratic party missed out on opportunities and gave Nixon a chance to overthrow the Democrats.

3. Nixon’s Image and Experience

Richard Nixon was not a newbie to American politics. He served with pride and excellence as the Vice President under the erstwhile President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His immense experience of working closely with the President and knowing the nuances of the White House from 1952 to 1961 made him a suitable candidate for the Presidential job. His prior stint built a credible image and made him familiar among the American public. Not to mention, he was a seasoned statesman with vast knowledge about handling foreign policies. So, a country that was looking to come out of the loss of the Vietnam War chose to rely on him for sound foreign policies to salvage its image that was getting damaged on the world stage.

4. Southern Strategy

The Southern states of America historically always supported Democratic candidates. However, Nixon, being an efficient politician, understood this trend and designed his campaign accordingly. From the start, Nixon employed a strategy to appeal to the Southern voters. His team identified that many Democrat supporters from the southern states, like North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, etc., feel alienated because of racial tensions. So, he strategically capitalised on the civil rights legislation to sway the conservative Southern voters in his favour. Nixon emphasised restoring and maintaining law and order, and his non-confrontational approach to civil rights made him a popular choice in the Southern states. This helped him get the additional support he needed to trump the Democrats.

5. Third-party candidacy

The presence of George Wallace as the third party also impacted the result of the elections. George Wallace represented the American Independent Party, and he took a segregationist stance going into the election. His approach and beliefs appealed to a few of the Southern voters. Moreover, he wasn’t an advocate of the civil rights movement, which made him a popular figure among the radical, conservative Southerners. So, in a way, he siphoned a lot of votes that previously used to go to the Democrats. As the votes got divided, it, in a way, benefited Nixon and the Republicans.

Nixon becoming President had a vast impact on the American political scene. For example,

1. Nixon’s tenure was marked by his “Vietnamization” policy that aimed to gradually withdraw US troops from Vietnam. That shifted the burdens of the war onto the South Vietnamese Government. He successfully minimised the American intervention in Vietnam and finally ended the war that was affecting their foreign policies.
2. Nixon implemented a chain of conservative measures as part of his proposed “Southern Strategy”. His government aimed to attract the conservative white voters of the Southern states like Tennessee, or Texas, by appealing to their concerns about racial tensions and civil rights. This strategy worked wonders as it created a shift in the political landscape. The Southerners started to believe that these policies were part of the new Republican party, which eventually helped them strengthen their hold over the Southern states.
3. Nixon promised to restore law and order after becoming the President. He aimed at curbing social unrest and restoring stability. However, his tenure was not all smooth. Rather, his presidential regime became mired in several controversies, the most notable among them being the Watergate scandal.

The Watergate scandal happened when a few Republicans broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters on June 17, 1972. The Republicans infiltrated the Watergate complex in Washington, but the scandal didn’t end there. Instead of bringing them to justice, the government tried to cover up their misdeed. This cover-up involved several prominent figures of the White House, including the President himself. This incident eventually led to his resignation but impacted the American political scenario severely. People started losing faith in the government and started demanding greater transparency in politics. This event led to reforms that reshaped the American political and cultural landscape forever.

Nixon’s presidency played a crucial role in the rise of the conservative movement within the Republican party. His political strategies and policies paved the way for a more conservative Republican base that eventually reshaped their platform in the coming years. His historic win in 1968 laid the foundation for the conservative shift in American politics, which got further solidified by the subsequent presidency of Ronald Reagan.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q.1.How did Nixon responded to the economic problems he faced as a president?

President Nixon issued Executive Order 11615 to freeze the wages and prices for 90 days to counter inflation. This was the first time, the US government took any step to control prices and wages since the World War II.

Q.2.Was Nixon’s foreign polices successful?

Nixon is one of the first US presidents to achieve foreign policy agreement with Russia. He had a breakthrough agreed with Moscow to limit the Anti-Ballistic Missiles and also signed the Interim Agreement on Strategic Missiles. He had excellent diplomatic skills and hence managed to achieve success with foreign policies unlike his predecessors.

Q.3.Why did Nixon visit China?

President Nixon visited China to leverage USA’s relation with the Soviet Union. His visits finally bore fruit in 1979, when the US got into full diplomatic relationship with the Chinese government.

Q.4.Why did Nixon started bombing Cambodia?

President Nixon started bombing Cambodia to intimidate the Vietnamese soldiers. By bombing the Cambodian territory, he tried to show them that he is capable of going to extreme lengths. However, this was not accepted by many Americans and they named this plan Nixon’s “Madman Theory”.