1968 Presidential election. Cast your vote.

[dercook]

Give him a chance for running again. He almost quit from politics in '62.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Robert F Kennedy

[darklordoftech]

Humphrey. I can't stand the law and order rhetoric of the other two. Humphrey was an excellent civil rights leader commited to helping the working class who was tragically dragged down by his boss's war policy.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

The happy warrior, like a hack.

[vanguard96]

I am not sure who I would have voted for probably Nixon - or just leave the top of the ballot blank.

[SingingAnalyst]

I was 2, but with the benefit of my worldview at, say, age 12 (1978-9), I'd say Humphrey. The memories of civil rights activists in AL, MS in 1963-65 being savaged and killed would still be fresh in my mind, and would bother me. My contrarian streak being what it is, the knowledge that Humphrey was polling near zero among deep Southern whites would make me want to vote HHH.

[SingingAnalyst]

Wallace

Why?

Best way for me to express my opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What in the hell has the fycking civil rights act done to your profits?!

Did Nixon support the CRA? I was unaware.

Not every Wallace voter, at least outside the deep South, was a rabid right-winger or racist (though of course many were). Some were simply fed up (in 1968!) with the two-party system. Also, I have read that quite a number of Bobby Kennedy's supporters switched their support to Wallace after Kennedy's death.

[RINO Tom]

Wallace

Why?

Best way for me to express my opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What in the hell has the fycking civil rights act done to your profits?!

Did Nixon support the CRA? I was unaware.

Not every Wallace voter, at least outside the deep South, was a rabid right-winger or racist (though of course many were). Some were simply fed up (in 1968!) with the two-party system. Also, I have read that quite a number of Bobby Kennedy's supporters switched their support to Wallace after Kennedy's death.

The vast majority of ACTUAL "right-wingers" (as in, people who held views on the far right of the political spectrum) voted for Nixon, obviously; there was nothing overly "right-wing" about Wallace unless you consider being racist a "right-wing" position of kind, but common sense and my life experiences have reinforced the idea that doing so is inexplicably stupid.

As for the CRA, Nixon almost certainly supported it.  I remember reading several comments about his about how he needed to target Southern voters by not being obnoxious on issues like busing, but he would "never be able to reach the Wallace voter."

[SingingAnalyst]

Wallace

Why?

Best way for me to express my opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What in the hell has the fycking civil rights act done to your profits?!

Did Nixon support the CRA? I was unaware.

Not every Wallace voter, at least outside the deep South, was a rabid right-winger or racist (though of course many were). Some were simply fed up (in 1968!) with the two-party system. Also, I have read that quite a number of Bobby Kennedy's supporters switched their support to Wallace after Kennedy's death.

The vast majority of ACTUAL "right-wingers" (as in, people who held views on the far right of the political spectrum) voted for Nixon, obviously; there was nothing overly "right-wing" about Wallace unless you consider being racist a "right-wing" position of kind, but common sense and my life experiences have reinforced the idea that doing so is inexplicably stupid.

As for the CRA, Nixon almost certainly supported it.  I remember reading several comments about his about how he needed to target Southern voters by not being obnoxious on issues like busing, but he would "never be able to reach the Wallace voter."

Excellent point. Wallace would probably have been remembered today primarily as a leading advocate of space exploration (I'm sure it's no accident the space museum is in Huntsville, AL) if not for his '68 campaign.

[darklordoftech]

Wallace

Why?

Best way for me to express my opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What in the hell has the fycking civil rights act done to your profits?!

Did Nixon support the CRA? I was unaware.

Not every Wallace voter, at least outside the deep South, was a rabid right-winger or racist (though of course many were). Some were simply fed up (in 1968!) with the two-party system. Also, I have read that quite a number of Bobby Kennedy's supporters switched their support to Wallace after Kennedy's death.

The vast majority of ACTUAL "right-wingers" (as in, people who held views on the far right of the political spectrum) voted for Nixon, obviously; there was nothing overly "right-wing" about Wallace unless you consider being racist a "right-wing" position of kind, but common sense and my life experiences have reinforced the idea that doing so is inexplicably stupid.

Wallace's 1968 campaign was economically left but socially conservative. It was an attempt to appeal to people who feared both Nixon cutting their entitlements and Humphrey mandating busing.

[Lechasseur]

Richard Nixon

[The Govanah Jake]

HHH

[Oldiesfreak1854]

We want Nixon,
We want Nixon,
We want Nixon to be our president!

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Wallace

Why?

Best way for me to express my opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What in the hell has the fycking civil rights act done to your profits?!

Did Nixon support the CRA? I was unaware.

Not every Wallace voter, at least outside the deep South, was a rabid right-winger or racist (though of course many were). Some were simply fed up (in 1968!) with the two-party system. Also, I have read that quite a number of Bobby Kennedy's supporters switched their support to Wallace after Kennedy's death.

The vast majority of ACTUAL "right-wingers" (as in, people who held views on the far right of the political spectrum) voted for Nixon, obviously; there was nothing overly "right-wing" about Wallace unless you consider being racist a "right-wing" position of kind, but common sense and my life experiences have reinforced the idea that doing so is inexplicably stupid.

As for the CRA, Nixon almost certainly supported it.  I remember reading several comments about his about how he needed to target Southern voters by not being obnoxious on issues like busing, but he would "never be able to reach the Wallace voter."

Exactly right.  Nixon campaigned more for the support of Southern moderates, not segregationists.  Even Theodore White said that he immediately conceded the white racist vote to Wallace, which is why the left-wing "Southern strategy" narrative is a complete canard.  Not to mention that Wallace received significant blue-collar/working class/union support as well, particularly in industrial areas.  (In Michigan, Genesee and Macomb two of his best counties, and four years later, he won the D primary in Michigan.)  That to me further proves that Wallace was not taking votes away from Nixon and the GOP, but rather from Democrats, since those voters were far more likely to be Democrats in 1968 than Republicans.

[TPIG]

[Don Vito Corleone]

[NapoleoncorinII]

Do I betray my home state by not voting for one of my favorite beliefs, or my Political Beliefs by not voting for a conservative...
Up to a Toss, I suppose.
And, if heads are Humphrey and tails is Nixon, I suppose my home State won't have to kick me out.

[Lincoln Republican]

Nixon.

Don't forget

In 1968 Nixon promised to get America out of Vietnam

1968 was also years before any Watergate scandal

[WilliamStone1776]

Hubert H. Humphrey, enthusiastically.

[Bismarck]

Nixon of course. Shame he had to ruin what could have been an above average presidency.

[beaver2.0]

Nixon, but easily could've voted Humphrey.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

The happy warrior, like a hack.

Now that this is back around, this is still true.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Nixon.

Don't forget

In 1968 Nixon promised to get America out of Vietnam

1968 was also years before any Watergate scandal

The character traits that led to Watergate remain. Are you saying that one should vote against him in 1972 based on that same logic?

[Lincoln Republican]

Nixon.

Don't forget

In 1968 Nixon promised to get America out of Vietnam

1968 was also years before any Watergate scandal

The character traits that led to Watergate remain. Are you saying that one should vote against him in 1972 based on that same logic?

.

No, I am not.

I would have voted for Nixon in 1968, and would  have voted for him again in 1972.

True, he likely had these character traits to which you refer for most of his life.

However, Watergate aside, Nixon was one of the most prepared and capable individuals ever to have assumed the office of President.  Unfortunately, he let his dark side dictate for the most part.

As for Watergate, it still was not widely known or acknowledged even during the election of 1972.  As well, the extent to which Nixon had or would subvert the Presidency and the constitution was not known at the time of the 1972 election. 

Also, his opponent, George McGovern, was a leftist ideologue, far removed from the mainstream American voter.

And Nixon was still in the process of withdrawing all U.S. troops from Vietnam.

So voting for Nixon in 1972 for those who voted for him in 1968 was perfectly logical to most American voters, as well as attracting millions of voters who did not support him in 1968. 

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Nixon.

Don't forget

In 1968 Nixon promised to get America out of Vietnam

1968 was also years before any Watergate scandal

The character traits that led to Watergate remain. Are you saying that one should vote against him in 1972 based on that same logic?

.

No, I am not.

I would have voted for Nixon in 1968, and would  have voted for him again in 1972.

True, he likely had these character traits to which you refer for most of his life.

However, Watergate aside, Nixon was one of the most prepared and capable individuals ever to have assumed the office of President.  Unfortunately, he let his dark side dictate for the most part.

As for Watergate, it still was not widely known or acknowledged even during the election of 1972.  As well, the extent to which Nixon had or would subvert the Presidency and the constitution was not known at the time of the 1972 election. 

Also, his opponent, George McGovern, was a leftist ideologue, far removed from the mainstream American voter.

And Nixon was still in the process of withdrawing all U.S. troops from Vietnam.

So voting for Nixon in 1972 for those who voted for him in 1968 was perfectly logical to most American voters, as well as attracting millions of voters who did not support him in 1968. 

We, today, have the benefit of hindsight. If you want to retroactively vote for Nixon, go ahead, but saying Watergate (the least of Dick’s crimes) was years away means nothing.