1968 CHAPTER 30, SECTION 4

VOCABULARY TET OFFENSIVE CLARK CLIFFORD ROBERT F. KENNEDY EUGENE McCARTHY HUBERT HUMPHREY GEORGE WALLACE

IMPORTANT DATES 1968: JANUARY: THE TET OFFENSIVE MARCH: LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED AUGUST: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION RIOTS IN CHICAGO NOVEMBER: NIXON ELECTED PRESIDENT

A TUMULTUOUS YEAR JAN., ’68: THE TET OFFENSIVE BEGINS EFFECT? MASSIVE ASSAULT BY COMMUNIST FORCES ON US/ARVN FORCES 100 CITIES/TOWNS IN S-VNAM ATTACKED WORST FIGHTING: SAIGON – U.S. EMBASSY OVERRUN BY VC HUE CITY OFFENSIVE LASTS 1 MONTH RESULTS: VC LOSSES: 32,000 KIA US/ARVN LOSSES: 3,000 EFFECT? US/ARNV CLAIM MAJOR VICTORY TET WAS SHOCK TO AMERICAN PUBLIC: WHY? LBJ/Mc NAMARA HAD STATED WAR WAS NEARLY WON SO…LBJ’s CREDIBILITY GAP GROWS

Major NVA/VC Assaults, 1968 Tet Offensive, Vietnam

U.S. Marines, Hue City, January, 1968

CHANGES IN PUBLIC OPINION TET’s EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION: TET CHANGES U.S. PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THE WAR: EXAMPLE; MEDIA POLL BEOFRE TET: 28% DOVES 56% HAWKS POLL AFTER TET: 40% DOVES 40% HAWKS MEDIA OPENLY CRITICIZES THE WAR: EXAMPLE: CBS NEWS ANCHOR WALTER CRONKITE CRITICIZES THE WAR GOV’T. OFFICIALS QUESTION THE WAR: EXAMPLE: CLARK CLIFFORD, SEC. OF DEFENSE, BELIEVES WAR IS UNWINNABLE FEBRUARY, ’68 MEDIA POLL: 60% DISAPPROVE OF LBJ’s HANDLING OF WAR 50% FELT U.S INVOLVEMENT IN V-NAM HAD BEEN A MISTAKE

WALTER CRONKITE, CBS NEWS

MOVING TOWARDS ELECTION MARCH, ’68: LBJ MAKES TELEVISED SPEECH TO NATION ANNOUNCES HE WILL BEGIN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR U.S. ESCALATION OF WAR WOULD END BOMBING OF N-VNAM WOULD BE REDUCED WILL FORCE S-VNAM TO TAKE LARGER ROLE IN FIGHTING LBJ ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN ’68

DEMOCRATS & 1968 LBJ’s ANNOUNCEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL FROM ’68 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: WHO’S RUNNING? SEN. EUGENE McCARTHY, D-MINN. SEN. RFK, D-N.Y. VP HUBERT HUMPHREY WHO SUPPORTS EACH CANDIDATE? McCARTHY: FAR LEFT RFK: MINORITIES, POOR HUMPHREY: REMAINING DEMOS., LBJ SUPPORTERS OTHER EVENTS: APRIL: MLK ASSASSINATED IN MEMPHIS, TN. JUNE: RFK ASSASSINATED IN L.A.

1968 Democratic Candidates Eugene McCarthy RFK Hubert Humphrey

CHICAGO AUGUST, ’68: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION PROBLEM? RESULTS? LEFT-WING GROUPS TARGETED CONVENTION FOR MASSIVE PROTESTS WHO? SDS “YIPPIES” MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY VOWED TO KEEP ORDER IN CHICAGO VIOLENCE BETWEEN PROTESTERS, POLICE, & NATIONAL GUARD RESULTS? HUNDREDS INJURED, ARRESTED PUBLIC IMAGE OF DEMOCRATIV PARTY IS DAMAGED HUBERT HUMPHREY GETS PARTY NOMINATION FOR PRES. REPUBLICANS ARE STRENGTHENED BY DEMOS. BAD PUBLIC IMAGE

CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD J. DALY

ELECTION OF 1968 WHO RUNS? KEY ISSUES: RESULTS: NIXON WINS SO WHAT? DEMOCRAT: HUBERT HUMPHREY REPUBLICAN: RICHARD M. NIXON AMERICAN INDEPENDENT: GEORGE WALLACE KEY ISSUES: VIETNAM RACE RELATIONS GOV’T CREDIBILITY – “THE CREDIBILITY GAP” RESULTS: NIXON WINS NIXON: 301 ELECTORAL VOTES HUMPHREY: 191 ELECTORAL VOTES WALLACE: 46 ELECTORAL VOTES*** ***WALLACE TOOK WORKING CLASS WHITE VOTES IN NORTH AWAY FROM HUMPHREY DUE TO RACE ISSUES SO WHAT? REPUBLICANS IN POWER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE EISENHOWER

RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF U.S., 1968-74