1964 United States presidential election (Rocky)

The 1964 United States presidential election was the 45th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1964. Incumbent Democratic United States President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Nelson Rockefeller, the Republican nominee, and George Wallace, an independent candidate, in a landslide.

Johnson took office on November 22, 1963 and emphasized the continuation of his assassinated predecessor, John F. Kennedy. He easily defeated a primary challenge by Governor George Wallace of Alabama, to win the nomination to a full term. At the 1964 Democratic National Convention, Johnson selected Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota as his running mate. In the Republican contest, New York Governor a leader of the liberal wing of the Republican party, defeated senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona and governor William Scranton of Pennsylvania.

Johnson championed his passage of the Civil Rights Act, and advocated a series of anti-poverty programs collectively known as the Great Society. Rockefeller focused on his liberal policies and worked to gain the support of moderates by campaigning on his record on civil rights and his policies as Governor of New York. His campaign did little to appeal to conservatives who had supported Goldwater and focused heavily on the West and Midwest. Wallace focused his campaign on being the conservative choice in the election, including opposing desegregation and the Civil Rights Act. Wallace's campaign only had appeal in the Deep South.

Democrats campaigned heavily on the incumbent aspect of Lyndon Johnson, campaigning on the accomplishments of Lyndon Johnson. Attack ads became widely used in this election, with Rockefeller attacking Johnson on the Billy Sol Estes scandal. The Republicans would attempt to characterize Johnson as a corrupt politician, heavily publicizing Johnson's involvement with Sol Estes in contrast to Rockefeller's clean record. Johnson led polls at the beginning of the campaign, however his lead began to shrink as the Republican attack ads were produced. Johnson would respond to the Republican attacks by attacking Rockefeller's divorce of Mary Clark and subsequent marriage to Happy Murphey, a divorcee with four children. The scandal would hurt Rockefeller's stance with women voters and harm his standing in the election. Wallace's campaign focused heavily on segregationist policies and a failed attempt to gain the support of the Midwest labor unions, the major party candidates gave Wallace no publicity and refrained from attacking him, which ultimately gave his campaign little attention causing him to remain a Southern candidate.

Johnson won 31 states and the District of Columbia, which voted for the first time in this election. Rockefeller performed well in traditionally Republican eastern states and the Plains States. This was the last election in which the Democratic nominee won North Dakota and Alaska.

Johnson's landside victory coincided with the defeat of many conservative Republican congressmen. The subsequent 89th Congress would pass major legislation such as the Social Security Amendments of 1965 and the Voting Rights Act. The 1964 election marked the beginning of a major, long-term re-alignment in American politics, as Rockefeller's unsuccessful bid began a transition towards conservatism in the Republican Party. The movement of conservatives in the Republican Party continued, emboldened by Goldwater's defeat for the nomination, culminating in the 1980 presidential victory of Ronald Reagan.

Assassination of President John F. Kennedy


President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Supporters were shocked and saddened by the loss of the charismatic President, while opposition candidates were put in the awkward position of running against the policies of a slain political figure.

During the following period of mourning, Republican leaders called for a political moratorium, so as not to appear disrespectful. As such, little politicking was done by the candidates of either major party until January 1964, when the primary season officially began. At the time, most political pundits saw Kennedy's assassination as leaving the nation politically unsettled.