Richard Nixon: Election, Vietnam, & Watergate

Setting the Stage — America in 1968

-Vietnam War deeply unpopular

-Trust in government damaged after Tet

-Protests, riots, and political violence widespread

-Desire for stability, order, and strong leadership

-Theme: Americans wanted change without chaos

The 1968 Presidential Election

-Lyndon B. Johnson chose not to run for reelection

-Democratic Party divided over Vietnam

-Republican candidate: Richard Nixon

-Campaign focused on restoring order and credibility

Nixon’s Campaign Promises

-Promised “law and order”

-Appealed to the “silent majority”

-Promised “peace with honor” in Vietnam

-Criticized protests and government disorder

Why Nixon Won

-Many Americans tired of protests and unrest

-Fear that U.S. prestige was declining

-Voters wanted an end to Vietnam without defeat

-Nixon won narrowly but decisively

Nixon Inherits the Vietnam War

-War already involved hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops

-Strong pressure to reduce casualties

-Needed to maintain Cold War credibility

-Faced public distrust from the start

Vietnamization

-Nixon’s plan to reduce U.S. troop levels

-Shift the fighting to be conducted mostly by South Vietnamese forces

-Continued U.S. air power and funding

-Allowed gradual U.S. withdrawal

-War dragged on despite troop reductions

Cambodia & Continued Escalation

-U.S. expanded war into Cambodia (1970)

-Targeted enemy supply routes

-Expansion initially kept secret from public

-Triggered massive protests

-Contributed to Kent State shootings

Nixon’s Foreign Policy Successes

-Détente with Soviet Union

-Opened diplomatic relations with China

-Signed SALT I arms agreement

-Improved U.S. standing abroad

-Important contrast: success overseas, crisis at home

Détente

-the easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries

The 1972 Presidential Election

-President Richard Nixon ran for re-election on November 7, 1972

-His Democratic opponent was Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, who criticized the Vietnam War and supported more liberal reforms

-Campaign Issues

The 1972 Presidential Election: Campaign Issues

-Vietnam was a major campaign issue:

• McGovern called for a rapid end to U.S. involvement.

• Nixon ran on continuing his policies (including peace with honor and troop reductions) and emphasizing a strong economy and stable leadership

-McGovern’s campaign faced struggles including internal party divisions and controversy over his initial vice presidential pick

Election Results

-Nixon won in a massive landslide:

• 520 of 538 electoral votes went to Nixon

• Nixon received about 60.7% of the popular vote compared to McGovern’s 37.5%

• McGovern won only Massachusetts and Washington, D.C..

-Why It Matters

• Nixon’s victory showed that many Americans still supported his approach to Vietnam and the economy despite growing distrust in government.

Watergate Break In (1972)

-Burglars broke into Democratic National Committee offices

-Location: Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.

-Attempted to gather information and sabotage opponents

-Initially appeared to be a minor crime

Cover-Up & Abuse of Power

-Nixon administration attempted to cover up involvement

-Watergate had already begun (break-in occurred in June 1972) when the election took place, but it did not stop Nixon’s victory.

-The election set the stage for the Watergate scandal to unravel during his second term

-Nixon used executive agencies to obstruct investigation

-Payments were made to silence those involved

-Raised serious concerns about abuse of presidential power

Role of the Media

-Journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein investigated

-Washington Post reported connections to White House

-Media persistence exposed the truth

-Reinforced importance of a free press

Constitutional Crisis

-Nixon claimed executive privilege

-Supreme Court ordered release of tapes

• Nixon had a secret recording system installed in the White House

• It automatically recorded private conversations in The Oval Office and other rooms and phones

• Nixon said the recordings were for accurate records and memoirs

• The tapes were not public and not meant for Congress or the public to hear.

-Evidence showed Nixon approved the cover-up

-House began impeachment proceedings

executive privilege

-To allow for honest discussions among advisors, protecting national security without fear of immediate public disclosure, meant to protect presidential communications and internal agency deliberations

Nixon Resigns (1974)

-Nixon resigned before impeachment vote

-First U.S. president to resign

-Gerald Ford became president

-Ford later pardoned Nixon

Impact of Watergate

-Deepened public distrust in government

-Increased skepticism of presidential authority

-Strengthened congressional oversight

-Reinforced lessons of Vietnam era

Key Takeaways

-Nixon elected amid Vietnam chaos

-Promised order and peace but escalated conflict

-Achieved foreign policy successes

-Watergate confirmed fears of government dishonesty