PYOP 2: 1968

JFK's Second Term and the 1968 Election

After winning his landslide reelection against Barry Goldwater, Kennedy would make clear that "the only mandate given is one to govern effectively and strongly." Kennedy would pursue a slightly more liberal second term, focusing on domestic issues slightly more as well. Kennedy's two major initiatives to start with were health care and civil rights. Both issues had been on the back burner for some time, and pressure was mounting to make a serious attempt at reform. On Civil Rights Kennedy would pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 over staunch opposition from conservatives and southerners. On Health Care, the Social Security Act of 1965 created Medicare and Medicaid. Kennedy would also pass a round of tax cuts for companies that provided health care for their employees. Towards the end of his second term, riots would break out in many northern cities due to racial anger. Kennedy would take a hard line approach, deploying federal troops and going on national TV to denounce "the utter lack of logic and foresight by these men and women." Kennedy would also appropriate more money to urban rebuilding projects to attack the root cause of the problem. On foreign policy Kennedy would focus on improving relations with Communist nations, especially China who he saw as a potential ally in the fight against the Soviets. Relations were certainly better in 1969 than they were in 1968. However in 1967 Saigon would fall to the Communists as the South Vietnamese Army was too weak to hold out. This hurt Kennedy in the polls, but he would finish his presidency with fairly high approval ratings.

For the Democratic Nomination there were several main contenders. Vice-President Terry Stanford would run a progressive campaign focusing on civil rights legislation. Senator Hubert Humphrey would focus his campaign on social welfare improvements, while Governor George Wallace would run a populist campaign that praised Kennedy for his "tough on crime" response to the urban riots while calling him out for integration. Other candidates included Senator George McGovern, Senator Eugene McCarthy and former VP Lyndon Johnson who staged a convention campaign. In the end, Humphrey's support from labor against a divided field would give him the victory of Stanford on the first ballot at the convention. JFK's lack of open endorsement to Stanford was key for Humphrey as he won the support of the party bosses. Humphrey would choose Attorney General Robert Kennedy to keep the Kennedy name on the ticket.

On the Republican Side the early front runners were Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney who both ran from the middle. Rockefeller focused on his aggressive response to the riots, but was attacked for his close work with Kennedy on the issue. Romney focused on the economy and his ability to "work with both sides without a doubt." Both won some early primaries, but the insurgent campaign of Ronald Reagan ended up being a key factor as he ran an anti-Kennedy campaign focusing on Vietnam. In the end he would finish far short, as Nelly pulled off the victory, picking the California Governor to balance the ticket. Lester Maddox would run with the American Independent Party critical of Civil Rights.

So who would win? The big issues were the fall of Saigon, the increasing deficit, social programs, urban rioting, and civil rights.

	Welcome, Guest. Please login or register. May 20, 2024, 03:39:06 AM

News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more