History 65

1968

March 2, 2006

 

 

I. LBJ and World Affairs

 

1. Americanizing the Vietnam War (Cold War assumptions; personnel changes; policy vagueness; escalation by stealth)

 

            2. Beyond Vietnam (Latin American difficulties; European challenges and presidential restraint)

 

            3. Anti-War Challenges (Senate dissent; ideological divisions; Fulbright hearings and their effect)

 

II. Johnson’s Decline

 

1. Rights-Related Liberalism and Its Political Effects (right: challenging peripheral issues: apportionment—the road to Wesberry—and Tuck bill; crime—issue in Goldwater campaign, significance of Miranda and White dissent; left: collapse of biracial civil rights coalition—MLK, poverty and open housing; SNCC, CORE, and black nationalism; campaigns and government actions: 1966 elections; increasing polarization of confirmation battles—Fortas)

 

2. The Democratic Race (importance of RFK; popular protests and effect on Democratic Party; nature of presidential selection; Allard Lowenstein and search for challenger to LBJ; RFK indecision; settling on McCarthy; New Hampshire primary and campaign fallout—RFK entry, LBJ withdrawal)

 

III. The Campaign

 

            1. To Chicago (RFK/McCarthy battle—role of class and image; MLK assassination, urban riots, and politics of violence; Oregon, California, and RFK assassination; Chicago disaster)

 

            2. Fall Campaign (collapse of Romney campaign; “New Nixon” and safe GOP choice; Wallace wildcard; Buchanan, Phillips, and “Southern Strategy”; rose-garden tactics; Agnew vs. Muskie; HHH Salt Lake City address; Democratic surge?; congressional races; outcome)