Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, assumed office following the
assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. Johnson was subsequently elected in a landslide victory in the
1964 United States presidential election. His presidency was marked by significant legislative achievements, including the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, the
Voting Rights Act of 1965, ratification of the
Twenty-fourth and
Twenty-fifth Amendment, and the establishment of
Medicare and
Medicaid.
Presidents who did not seek reelection Historically, most sitting U.S. presidents who completed one full term chose to run for a second. Seven presidents were eligible for reelection after completing at least one full term in office, but chose not to run.
Vietnam War Johnson's tenure, however, wound up being overshadowed by various
conflicts of interests, such as resistance to escalation of U.S. involvement in the conflict. Public opinion turned increasingly against the war with
Anti-War movements spreading across the country. The
Tet Offensive in early 1968 further eroded support for the war and Johnson's handling of it.
Dump Johnson movement As the 1968 election approached, Johnson began to lose control of the Democratic Party, which was splitting into four factions. The first group consisted of Johnson and Humphrey, labor unions, and local party bosses (led by Chicago Mayor
Richard J. Daley). The second group consisted of antiwar students and intellectuals who coalesced behind Senator
Eugene McCarthy in an effort to "
dump Johnson." The third group included
Catholics,
Hispanics and
African Americans, who rallied behind Senator
Robert F. Kennedy. The fourth group consisted of traditionally segregationist white Southerners like Governor
George Wallace.
Public opinion and political challenges Johnson's approval ratings had declined significantly by 1968, with his approval rating at the time of his withdrawal being 36 percent. Despite Johnson's growing unpopularity, conventional wisdom held that it would be impossible to deny re-nomination to a sitting president. Johnson won a narrow victory as a write-in candidate in the
New Hampshire presidential primary on March 12, against McCarthy 49–42%, but this close second-place result dramatically boosted McCarthy's standing in the race. Kennedy announced his candidacy on March 16.
Weary of office and presidential position Historians have debated why Johnson quit a few days after his weak showing in New Hampshire.
Jeff Shesol says Johnson wanted out of the White House, but also wanted vindication; when the indicators turned negative, he decided to leave. Lewis L. Gould says that Johnson had neglected the Democratic party, was hurting it by his Vietnam policies, and under-estimated McCarthy's strength until the last minute, when it was too late for Johnson to recover. Randall Bennett Woods said Johnson realized he needed to leave, for the nation to heal.
Robert Dallek writes that Johnson had no further domestic goals, and realized that his personality had eroded his popularity. His health was poor, and he was pre-occupied with the Kennedy campaign; his wife was pressing for his retirement, and his base of support continued to shrink. Leaving the race would allow him to pose as a peace-maker. Anthony J. Bennett, however, said Johnson "had been forced out of a re-election race in 1968 by outrage over his policy in Southeast Asia". In 2009, an AP reporter said that Johnson decided to end his re-election bid after CBS News anchor
Walter Cronkite, who was influential, turned against the president's policy in Vietnam. During a CBS News editorial which aired on February 27, Cronkite recommended the US pursue peace negotiations. After watching Cronkite's editorial, Johnson allegedly exclaimed: "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." Johnson was attending Texas Governor John Connally's birthday gala in Austin, Texas, when Cronkite's editorial aired and did not see the original broadcast. Schieffer, who was a reporter for the
Star-Telegram's
WBAP television station in Fort Worth, Texas, when Cronkite's editorial aired, acknowledged reports that the president saw the editorial's original broadcast were inaccurate, They suggested Johnson might instead run as vice president. == Political and public response ==