United States presidential election of 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was a significant political event marked by stark ideological divisions within the Republican Party and the dominance of the Democratic Party under President Lyndon B. Johnson. After the narrow loss of Richard M. Nixon in 1960, conservative activists sought a candidate who aligned more closely with their values, leading to the emergence of Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona as the Republican front-runner. Goldwater's campaign was characterized by strong conservative rhetoric, opposition to civil rights legislation, and a call for a more aggressive stance against communism.
In contrast, Johnson, who had assumed the presidency after Kennedy's assassination, faced little opposition for the Democratic nomination and campaigned on a platform of continuity and progress, particularly emphasizing his Great Society initiatives. The election ultimately resulted in a landslide victory for Johnson, who secured 61 percent of the popular vote and 486 electoral votes, illustrating a significant public mandate for his policies.
The aftermath of the election saw Johnson's legislative agenda advance, including the establishment of Medicare and other social programs. However, the victory also highlighted the challenges the Republican Party faced as it began to reassess its strategies in light of Goldwater’s defeat. This election not only shaped the political landscape of the 1960s but also set the stage for future conflicts within the Republican Party regarding its ideological direction.
United States presidential election of 1964
The election that gave Democratic candidate Lyndon B. Johnson the nickname of “Landslide Lyndon.” It was especially important because of the wide margin of Johnson’s victory and the deep divisions within the Republican Party at that time.
Origins and History
Some conservative activists in the Republican Party blamed Richard M. Nixon’s narrow loss to John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential elections on his moderate rhetoric and platform. In 1964, these Republicans wanted a presidential candidate who was clearly more conservative than Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson and who opposed civil rights laws and advocated a more aggressive foreign policy toward communism, much less federal spending, states’ rights, and fewer regulations on the economy. Referring to his presidential candidacy as “choice, not an echo,” Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona became the favorite candidate of conservative Republicans and the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. President Lyndon B. Johnson had no significant opposition for the Democratic nomination.
Conservative organizations such as the John Birch Society and Young Americans for Freedom and conservative journals such as the National Review grew in prominence during the 1960’s. The growth of the conservative movement was especially prominent in the South and West. More and more conservative Americans found the racial unrest, liberal Democratic policies and Supreme Court decisions, the youth culture, rising crime rates, and the anti-Vietnam War movement to be threats to traditional morality, patriotism, states’ rights, and capitalism. The conservative activists’ success in gaining control of the Republican Party in 1964 was evident in Goldwater’s success in receiving the Republican nomination and the defeat of his chief rival, Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York, who represented the policy positions of many moderate and liberal Republicans.
Goldwater opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and such popular federal programs as Social Security and the Tennessee Valley Authority. He also implied a greater willingness to use nuclear weapons. These controversial positions sharply distinguished Goldwater from President Johnson, the Democratic platform, and many moderate and liberal Republican and independent voters. Consequently, the Democratic campaign portrayed Goldwater as a dangerous extremist and Johnson as an experienced, responsible, unifying leader.
Johnson received 486 electoral votes, carried forty-four states, and received 61 percent of the popular vote.
Impact
President Johnson perceived these election results to be a public mandate for his Great Society legislation. Congress soon passed bills for such major new programs as Medicare and Head Start. For the next few years, most Democrats assumed that Johnson would run for reelection in 1968. The Republicans realized that they needed a more moderate candidate in order to win the presidential election of 1968.
Subsequent Events
Shortly after the presidential election of 1964, President Johnson substantially increased U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. With the Vietnam War arousing greater public and congressional opposition, Johnson announced on March 31, 1968, that he would not seek reelection.
Additional Information
A comprehensive study of the 1964 election is The Making of the President: 1964 (1965), by Theodore White.