Moreover, his support of civil rights for blacks helped split white union members and Southerners away from Franklin D. Roosevelt's Democratic New Deal Coalition, which would later lead to the phenomenon of the "Reagan Democrat". Most famously, the Johnson campaign broadcast a television commercial on September 7 dubbed the "Daisy Girl" ad, which featured a little girl picking petals from a daisy in a field, counting the petals, which then segues into a launch countdown and a nuclear explosion. "1964 Presidential Election Results". To American and foreign observers alike, this created a disturbing image of disorder and violence in the United States. In early August 1964, after North Vietnamese gunboats allegedly attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin near the coast of North Vietnam without provocation, Johnson ordered retaliatory bombing raids on North Vietnamese naval installations and, in a televised address to the nation, proclaimed, We still seek no wider war. Two days later, at Johnsons request, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized the president to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. In effect, the measure granted Johnson the constitutional authority to conduct a war in Vietnam without a formal declaration from Congress. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! How did the Democratic Party win the 1828 presidential election? Johnson retains the highest percentage of the popular vote, as of the 2020 presidential election. He had been U.S. president from 1929 to 1933. Some 1,189 psychiatrists appeared to agree that Goldwater was "emotionally unstable" and unfit for office, though none of the members had actually interviewed him. Vast numbers of African Americans still suffered from unemployment, run-down schools, and lack of adequate medical care, and many were malnourished or hungry. The Cold War in Asia was a major dimension of the worldwide Cold War that shaped diplomacy and warfare from the mid-1940s to 1991. He did that, and a lot more, including the escalation of the Vietnam war to an intensity that few Americans expected when they cast their ballots for him. reason to finally surrender "I will not be the first president to lose a war," he said. What constitutional issue was raised by President Johnson's Great Society? Following the 1962 mid-term elections, they formally backed Goldwater, who notified them that he did not want to run for the presidency. Why did Jackson win the presidential election of 1824? 3.) have empathy for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Signed - History By mid-1964, the Johnson administration concluded that it would probably have to take a more active role in Vietnam. The story has it that those Americans who tuned in over the radio believed the two candidates were evenly matched but tended to think Nixon had won the debates. In April 1963, they formed the Draft Goldwater Committee, chaired by Texas Republican Party Chairman Peter O'Donnell. The conservatives believed the Eastern Republicans were little different from liberal Democrats in their philosophy and approach to government. Johnson's overreaching in Vietnam was seen by Americans as an expensive mistake. . How Did Television Affect The 1960 Presidential Election Around twenty percent of the people who had voted for Nixon in the 1960 election switched their support to Johnson. Johnson placed greatest importance on Kennedys civil rights bill, which became the focus of his efforts during the first months of his presidency. Johnson took office on November 22, 1963 and emphasized the continuation of his assassinated predecessor, John F. Kennedy. King stood behind Johnson as he signed the bill into law. Decent Essays. The national party's liberal leaders supported an even division of the seats between the two Mississippi delegations; Johnson was concerned that, while the regular Democrats of Mississippi would probably vote for Goldwater anyway, rejecting them would lose him the South. The mushroom cloud was then followed by Johnsons voice, saying that these are the stakes in the election. More from our Most Consequential Elections series: George Washington and the Election of 1788. The Presidential Election of 1964: Results & Impact | Study.com Civil Rights Act (1964) | National Archives | Briefs - appeals_selfhelp [48] Of the 14 presidential elections that followed up to 2020, Democrats would win only six times, although in eight of those elections, the Democratic candidate received the highest number of popular votes. or a Hoax: How does the [17] The New York Herald-Tribune, a voice for eastern Republicans (and a target for Goldwater activists during the primaries), supported Johnson in the general election. The five Southern states that voted for Goldwater swung over dramatically to support him. In the early 1960s, Goldwater had called the Eisenhower administration "a dime store New Deal", and the former president never fully forgave him or offered him his full support in the election. Meanwhile, Nelson Rockefeller won the West Virginia and Oregon primaries against Goldwater, and William Scranton won in his home state of Pennsylvania. What was one reason Richard Nixon won the presidential election of 1968? Civil Rights Act | Summary, Facts, President, & History What made Jackson more appealing during the presidential election of 1824? In one famous TV ad, the Johnson campaign showed a little girl in a flower-filled meadow.