1972 United States Presidential Election (The Kennedy Legacy)

The 1972 United States presidential election was the 47th quadrennial presidential election, held on November 7, 1972. The incumbent Democratic President, Robert F. Kennedy, defeated the Republican nominee, Ronald Reagan in a landslide victory.

Kennedy's incumbency and wide spread popularity gave him an easy victory to secure the nomination as the Democratic candidate and faced only a minor challenge from George Wallace. Ronald Reagan managed to win the Republican nomination in a tight race against George Romney and Nelson Rockefeller. Jesse Helms from North Carolina was voted as Reagan's running mate in an attempt to draw southern support away from the Kennedy who had Terry Sanford from North Carolina as his running mate.

Kennedy, who had immense popularity across the country, campaigned on the surging economy, the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1971 ending the Vietnam War, the success of the Apollo program which gave America the win over the Soviet Union in the space race, and his numerous legislative victories which significantly expanded healthcare coverage for Americans and helped lift millions out of poverty. Kennedy targeted Reagan's opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment and several insensitive gaffes. Reagan campaigned on the "excessive spending" of the Kennedy administration and pledged to shrink the government's role. Reagan also criticized the Fall of Saigon and the Kennedy administration's handling of the racial protests in 1970. Polls showed Kennedy holding a comfortable lead over Reagan that remained mostly consistent through the election cycle, although Kennedy lost some support after a poor performance at the presidential debates.

On election day, Kennedy won in an electoral landslide, winning 352 electoral votes, and won 51.5% of the popular vote, a 4.2% margin over his opponent, Ronald Reagan, who won 47.3% of the popular vote and 185 electoral votes. This election marked the fourth time in a row that a Republican candidate has lost a presidential election, the longest losing streak for Republicans since the Presidency of FDR. This election also marked the beginning of a long decline of conservative influence in the Republican Party.