Events Leading to Johnson’s Decision on not Seeking Reelection in 1970
“In April 1968 the Democratic National Committee had no staff and no materials to distribute” (Bornet, P. 222). The deterioration of the Democratic National Committee weaken the election chances of President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. Research indicated that Johnson did not understand how the national committee works which ultimately led to his chances of not being reelected.
In the election year of 1968 Johnson’s running mates for the Democratic Party primaries was Robert Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, and vice president Hubert Humphrey (Bornet, P. 287). The Democrats polls conducted by Penetration Research on March 19, 1968 and March 20, 1968 indicated that the public would
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It was believed that President Johnson was not going to win the 1968 election because the American people was disappointed with Johnson’s leadership in Vietnam. “Years later, Barry Goldwater judged that the angry disillusioned American people forced Lyndon B. Johnson to abandon his hope for a second term” (Bornet, P. 228). However, Lyndon B. Johnson argued that his decision not to seek reelection had nothing to do with the American people view on his leadership in Vietnam. For instance, Johnson had been thinking not to seek reelection since August 26, 1964(Bornet, P. 289). During his presidency he felt that he would not be candidate for the 1968 …show more content…
However, Johnson was said to be in excellent health which was according to his doctor. For instance, “On December 3, 1968, Dr. George G. Burkley announced in an interview that Johnson’s ability to perform under stress is excellent and said that his health for his age was better than most men” (Bornet, P. 290). Ultimately, the doctor did not believe that Johnson’s Health was a reason to why he decided not to seek reelection in 1968.
The Truth behind why President Johnson decided not to Seek Reelection The decision not to seek reelection in 1968 was not because of fears that Johnson had of not being reelected because several days before his speech on March 31, 1968, the polls indicated that he would be reelected over all the potential candidates (Jones, P. 1). Therefore, the reason is because of the Vietnam War. Johnson did want to continue the war in Vietnam, but he felt like he needed to continue the commitments made by Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy (Jones. P. 1). Ultimately, the pressures from the Vietnam War led to Johnson’s decision on not seeking reelection in 1968.
President Lyndon B. Johnson