10.3 - Shuffling
into the 70s
,The Rise & Fall of
Richard Nixon
,The Rise & Fall of Richard Nixon
● Pres. Johnson opted out of reelection March
‘68 due to unpopular war, growing inflation,
domestic unrest
○ Unprecedented in modern politics
● ‘68 presidential election shaped by Vietnam,
country’s unrest
○ VP Hubert Humphrey (D) vs. Richard Nixon
(R) vs. third-party challenger George
Wallace (the infamous segregationist
governor of AL) 3
, The Rise & Fall of Richard Nixon
● Nixon’s campaign helped by riots after MLK & Robert
Kennedy assassinations
○ Pledged to restore peace, prosperity to “the silent
center – the millions of people in the middle of the
political spectrum”
○ Campaign for “the silent majority” carefully
constructed to attract suburban Americans
■ Linked liberals to political violence, protests, riots
○ Many embrace Nixon’s idea - Sept ‘68 poll found 80%
of Americans felt public order had broken down 4
into the 70s
,The Rise & Fall of
Richard Nixon
,The Rise & Fall of Richard Nixon
● Pres. Johnson opted out of reelection March
‘68 due to unpopular war, growing inflation,
domestic unrest
○ Unprecedented in modern politics
● ‘68 presidential election shaped by Vietnam,
country’s unrest
○ VP Hubert Humphrey (D) vs. Richard Nixon
(R) vs. third-party challenger George
Wallace (the infamous segregationist
governor of AL) 3
, The Rise & Fall of Richard Nixon
● Nixon’s campaign helped by riots after MLK & Robert
Kennedy assassinations
○ Pledged to restore peace, prosperity to “the silent
center – the millions of people in the middle of the
political spectrum”
○ Campaign for “the silent majority” carefully
constructed to attract suburban Americans
■ Linked liberals to political violence, protests, riots
○ Many embrace Nixon’s idea - Sept ‘68 poll found 80%
of Americans felt public order had broken down 4
