ELECTION #46, 1968. The NASTY-METER is 6.

QUOTE from Richard Nixon after losing the California governor's race in 1962: "I say categorically I have no comtemplation at all of being the candidate for anything in 1964, 1966, 1968, or 1972....Anybody who thinks that I could be a candidate for anything in any year is off his rocker."

The war in Vietnam and the resulting unrest in the nation had President Johnson on the ropes and he decided to hang it up and not run. He made the announcement on March 31, 1968.

The CANDIDATES in 1968.

REPUBLICAN: RICHARD NIXON.

Even though Nixon had told the press in 1962, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore" he could not stay away from politics. After seeing Johnson pulverize Goldwater Nixon saw an opening and he seized it. He was looking quite attractive to the moderate Republicans so he started fund-raising; put together a loyal staff, which included H.R. Haldeman, John Erlichman, and John Mitchell; and he found advisors who would help make over his image. He was nominated on the first ballot in August of 1968. But his biggest mistake was choosing Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew as his running mate. He was handsome but not very bright who had far too big a mouth.

DEMOCRAT: HUBERT HUMPHREY.

With Johnson not running there were three candidates who were vying for the nomination: Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota threw his hat in the ring first as an antiwar candidate; after Johnson pulled out Senator Bobby Kennedy threw his hat in the ring as another antiwar candidate; and Johnson's anointed successor was Vice-president Hubert Humphrey. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles after he had won the California primary. At the Chicago convention Humphrey was nominated while protesters rioted in the streets. He chose Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine as his VP running mate.

The CAMPAIGN in 1968.

Nixon surrounded himself with a great group of advisors. Their job was to remake Nixon and keep him from doing stupid stuff. Their plan was: no more debating; no more open press conferences where Nixon could put his foot in his mouth; frequent rests so he wouldn't get exhausted; and scripted TV shows where "ordinary citizens" (all Nixon supporters) lobbed him him easy questions. Nixon started the campaign with a twenty point lead. He had strong support from blue-collar workers. Nixon became the law-and-order candidate of the "Silent Majority" - the country's long-suffering working people who were fed up with hippies and rioting students and blacks and bra-burning feminists.

Humphrey started the campaign being hated by the blue-collar workers and the antiwar protesters. His campaign was short of cash as the Democratic fat cats didn't want to contribute to a lost cause. Nixon was hard to get at - he was isolated in TV studios and flying around the country in his private jet. And Humphrey talked too much. He would put people to sleep when answering questions. One time he took eleven minutes to answer a question - the host muttered off-camera, "What the hell did I ask this guy, I forgot."

By September the race began to tighten. Nixon's vague answers to ending the war and his vagueness on most other issues began to wear badly on a public seeking answers. And third party candidate George Wallace of Alabama was making an impact on Nixon's support. Also, VP candidate Spiro Agnew wasn't much help to Nixon. He was picked because he had been a strong law-and-order governor of Maryland. But his loose mouth wasn't exactly an asset. He made comments like this: On a flight to Hawaii a Japanese reporter was sleeping - Agnew said, "What's wrong with that fat Jap?" And after visiting a ghetto he said, "when you've seen one city slum, you've seen 'em all," And he was an equal opportunity offender - he referred to Polish-Americans as "Polacks." The Democrats used this to make a TV commercial that simply showed the words "SPIRO AGNEW FOR VICE PRESIDENT," followed by thirty seconds of raucous laughter.

Then came the October surprise. On Halloween night President Johnson announced that North Vietnam had agreed to begin peace negotiations if we would quit bombing. Suddenly, Humphrey went ahead in the polls convincing many people that with peace possible let's not change the line of succession. Humphrey's lead didn't hold when South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu said his country would not participate in the peace talks and negotiations broke down. It was unfortunate for Humphrey.

The WINNER was RICHARD NIXON and he became the 37th president of the United States.

Nixon got 31,785,480 popular and 301 electoral.

Humphrey got 31,275,166 popular and 191 electoral.

Nixon had made one of the most extraordinary political comebacks in our history. In his victory speech he said the theme of his administration would be "Bring Us Together."