LBJ and Nixon

CHA3U - Harris

LBJ

• LBJ different from charismatic JFK

• Stereotypical Texas politician

• Loud, crude, loved to shock people

• Had been Senate majority leader – position gave him great influence over legislation

• Master of compromise –sought middle ground where most people could agree

LBJ

• Saw himself as caretaker for both JFK’s policies and his people

• Asked JFK cabinet and advisers to continue serving under him

• On first day in office, learned of JFK’s antipoverty initiative

• Advisors wanted to implement program slowly – instead LBJ wanted to be big and bold

War on Poverty

• January 8, 1964 – declares War on Poverty

• $1 billion to series of new programs aimed at ending poverty

• Job Corps – work training program for young people

• Head Start – preschool for low income families

The Great Society

• JFK inspired, LBJ delivered

• LBJ pushed legislation through Congress

• 1964 presidential race – called vision of nation’s future The Great Society

• Republicans nominate conservative Senator Barry Goldwater

• Goldwater seen as extreme

The Election of 1964

• Goldwater – “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice…”

• Goldwater bumper sticker – “In your heart you know he is right.”

• LBJ bumper sticker – “In you gut you know he’s nuts.”

• LBJ campaign produced “Daisy Girl” TV commercial

• Implied Goldwater could not be trusted w/ nation’s nuclear arsenal

• Daisy Girl

The Election of 1964

The Great Society

• LBJ moved quickly to make vision reality

• Civil Rights, health care, education, urban renewal were part of Great Society programs

• 1965 – est. Medicare (health insurance for people over 65) and Medicaid (free health care to needy)

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965) gave $1.3 billion to schools in poor areas

Failure of The Great Society

• By spring of 1965 LBJ had shifted focus to Vietnam

• 1966 spending on Vietnam was 18x greater than spending on War on Poverty

• MLK – “The Great Society was shot down in the battlefields of Vietnam.”

The Election of 1968

• After Tet Offensive ¾ of American disproved of LBJ’s handing of war

• Early 1968 – Democratic Senator Eugene McCarthy challenged LBJ for presidential domination

• McCarthy almost defeated LBJ in New Hampshire primary

• McCarthy’s strong showing drew Robert F. Kennedy into race

RFK

• Former senator and U.S. Attorney General

• Strong national following among poor, Hispanics, and African-Americans

• Anti-war critic

• Shocked by split within his own party, LBJ announced he would not seek reelection

• Wanted to spend last months in office trying to end war

The Election of 1968

• McCarthy, RFK and V.P. Hubert Humphrey went head to head in several state primaries

• RFK won most of them including crucial California primary in June

• Seemed destined to receive Democratic nomination

The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy

• After winning California primary on June 5, 1968 – Kennedy addressed supporters in ballroom

• Led through kitchen after speech – shaking hands

• Sirhan Sirhan a Palestinian immigrant emerged from crowd and shot RFK three times

Assassination of Bobby Kennedy

• RFK lay wounded, Juan Romero, dishwasher, cradled his head and placed rosary in his hand

• RFK asked Romero, "Is everybody safe, OK?"

• RFK died next day

1968 Democratic Convention

• Democrats meet in Chicago to select nominee

• V.P. Humphrey wins nomination

• LBJ manipulates convention and Humphrey’s victory from his Texas ranch

• Does not want a nominee critical of his war policy

1968 Democratic Convention

• 10 000 anti-war protestors massed in Grant Park across from hotel where delegates were staying

• Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was furious

• Ordered police to clear protestors

• August 28 – police clubbed and used tear gas on protestors

• Hundreds jailed and injured• Media widely broadcast unrest

The Election of 1968

• Republicans nominate Richard Nixon

• Appealed to patriotism of mainstream America

• Promised he had a secret plan to end the war – revealed no details

• Promised a law and order crackdown on urban crime

• Former Alabama Governor George Wallace runs as third party candidate

The Election of 1968

Richard Nixon

• Wanted to cut costly programs of Great Society

• Had support from middle class voters tired of unrest of 1960s

• Silent Majority • Would face domestic and

foreign policy crisis

Stagflation

• Occurs both unemployment and inflation rose

• Nixon imposed freezes on prices, rents and wages to fight inflation

• Worked in short term

Apollo 11

• July 20, 1969 – Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed Apollo 11 lunar module on Moon

• “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”

• b/w 1969-1973 U.S. launched six more Apollo missions

• Space program led to many innovations adapted for everyday life

Oil Embargo

• Arab nations imposed oil embargo in reaction to Yom Kippur War

• Agreed not to ship oil to U.S. and certain other countries who supported Israel

• U.S. was dependent on foreign sources for 1/3 of its oil needs.

• Embargo caused serious problems throughout U.S. economy

Watergate

• After Pentagon Papers Nixon told aides “Do whatever has to be done to stop these leaks…”

• White House organized secret unit called “the plumbers”

• Plumbers were to carry out illegal activity in name of national security

• Activities grew into full scale war to guarantee Nixon’s reelection

Watergate

• June 1972 – 5 men arrested breaking into Democratic National Committee headquarters in Watergate office and apartment complex in Washington D.C.

• Carrying wiretap equipment

• Discovered men were being paid from Nixon campaign fund – “Committee to Re-elect the President”

Watergate

• Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein investigated and discovered truth

• Led to senate investigation of criminal charges and alleged cover up

• Hearings televised • Clear White House deeply

involved• Former White House Attorney

John Dean testified Nixon had been directly involved in cover up

Saturday Night Massacre

• Surprising revelation that Nixon had secretly recorded conversations

• Justice Department Special prosecutor Archibald Cox demanded tapes

• Nixon refused and ordered Attorney General to fire Cox

• Attorney General refused and resigned

• Assistant Attorney General resigned

• Saturday Night Massacre

Watergate

• “People have a right to know whether or not their president is a crook. We’ll I am not a crook.

• July 1974 – Supreme Court rejects Nixon’s argument that tapes were protected by executive privilege

• House Judiciary Committee begins hearings on whether or not to impeach Nixon

Watergate

• Release of Nixon tapes – truth revealed

• Nixon had directed Watergate cover-up and authorized illegal activities

• Facing certain impeachment Nixon resigned on August 9th 1974

• Only president to reign from office

• Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th president

Watergate

Nixon Pardon

• September 1974 – president Ford granted Nixon full pardon for any crimes he may have committed

• Many suspected pardon had been agreed upon in advance in exchange for Nixon’s resignation

• A week later Ford offered clemency to Vietnam draft evaders

• Controversial decisions likely cost Ford 1976 election

Legacy of Watergate

• Fueled growing sense of disillusionment in America

• Shook faith in government

• Many people were cynical and suspicious of government

• Contributed directly to Jimmy Carter’s election in 1976 and Reagan Revolution of 1980s