Why did voters pick Nixon over Humphrey in '68?

[DevotedDemocrat]

Why?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Ever read "Nixonland" by Rick Perlstein? The answer to your question(s).

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I've been waiting for someone to ask this question.  Here are three reasons:

1. Humphrey was LBJ's vice president, and since Johnson was so unpopular, voters didn't want someone who worn ld continue his policies.

2. Wallace split the Democratic vote on civil rights, especially in the South.  With this division, Nixon's path to the presidency was made at least somewhat easier.

3. Nixon's election was a repudiation of both ideological extremes of the time.  With Humphrey as the candidate of the far-left and Wallace as the candidate of the far-right, Nixon was left as the candidate of the center, and as such, he won.

[Blue3]

Why was Humphrey considered so liberal?

[bore]

IIRC Wallace voters would have tended to have been Humphrey in the north and Nixon in the south. So without Wallace I could see Humphrey winning IL OH WI etc, but he'd have been crushed in the south, no anti civil rights people would be voting for Hubert Humphrey of all people.

[nolesfan2011]

Short answer, dirty tricks by the Nixon crowd. Long answer, LBJ fatigue, "secret plan for peace", Wallace running etc. Oh and Humphrey was viewed as being too nice kinda.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Johnson eventhough he lost the Vietnam War and seen through FDR, Democrats were seen as stronger on military defense. Once RF opposed the Vietnam War, there was a realignment and Dems became the dove party and the Republicans the war party and the country felt it needed a party in strength to oppose Communism.

[Peter the Lefty]

They didn't.  Simply put, too many people who would've preferred Humpty Dumpty to Tricky Dick stayed home because he was too chicken to break with LBJ over Vietnam until too late. 

[memphis]

The nation had become quite the ClusterInks by 1968. The Vietnam War was a disaster. The blacks were rioting all over American resulting in the deaths of hundred and untold property damage. Major political figures were frequently being shot down. The rich white kids were discovering drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Nixon, who had been Veep back during the already nostalgically viewed 1950s, positioned himself as the ultimate moderate hero who would end the war with dignity and speak up for the Silent Majority who didn't cause problems and was deeply concerned about the direction of the nation. In retrospect, it's amazing Nixon didn't do far better than he did. The old Solid South just wasn't ready to vote Republican yet.

[quentincollin]

Nixon won because he worked behind the scenes and convinced President Theu of South Vietnam not to come to the peace table and that he'd get a better deal once Nixon was President.  Humphrey and LBJ knew about this but didn't say anything.   An example of further dirty tricks by Tricky Dick which would lead to Watergate.  A crook and a traitor to the country.

[Lief 🗽]

Americans were scared (of drugs and blacks and communists), and for all his faults, exploiting scared white people was something Nixon was very good at.

[barfbag]

Americans were scared (of drugs and blacks and communists), and for all his faults, exploiting scared white people was something Nixon was very good at.

I agree partly. No one wants communists or drugs. I don't see what black have to do with this other than a talking point for the left though. Nixon was a mastermind politician and perhaps the greatest political mind of the 20th century alongside FDR and LBJ.

[King]

Because LBJ's Administration was a disaster and HHH was his veep.  Don't read too much into this, guys.

Humphrey getting as close as he did is a testament to how many people picked Humphrey over Nixon despite the situation not the other way around.  Nixon should have won by 15 points.

[barfbag]

Now on a more serious note, 1968 seems like an earlier version of 2008. Bush handed the election to Obama with his high disapprovals and Johnson pretty much did the same for Nixon. Sure there were important issues such as Vietnam, drugs, hippies, and the civil rights movement, but Johnson was so unpopular that the electorate wanted the furthest thing from him. What's surprising is how close the popular vote was. Without Wallace in the race, things could've been like they were in 1960.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

3. Nixon's election was a repudiation of both ideological extremes of the time.  With Humphrey as the candidate of the far-left and Wallace as the candidate of the far-right, Nixon was left as the candidate of the center, and as such, he won.

Hohohohohohohohohohohohohoho.

[barfbag]

3. Nixon's election was a repudiation of both ideological extremes of the time.  With Humphrey as the candidate of the far-left and Wallace as the candidate of the far-right, Nixon was left as the candidate of the center, and as such, he won.

Hohohohohohohohohohohohohoho.

Humphrey was actually very ideal ideologically and not far left at all. I'd be satisfied if I was around in 1968 and he won. Looking back I'd still vote for Nixon, but Humphrey was solid. How is he far left?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

3. Nixon's election was a repudiation of both ideological extremes of the time.  With Humphrey as the candidate of the far-left and Wallace as the candidate of the far-right, Nixon was left as the candidate of the center, and as such, he won.

Hohohohohohohohohohohohohoho.

Yeah, the far left was like "F#ck Humphrey!"

In all honesty, it's quite obvious why voters chose Nixon. Had that peace deal not come forward last minute, Nixon probably could've won more decisively.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Ever read "Nixonland" by Rick Perlstein? The answer to your question(s).

Good book, I'm reading it at the moment, and even though I'm only in the mid-1960s section of the book, it's a very interesting read.

Would highly recommend it to anyone interested in that era of American politics, regardless of political leanings.