Political campaigns significantly rely on the historical and contemporary events. The presidential candidates constructed their campaigns using several emerging issues at the time. In 1967, the Democratic senator Eugene McCarthy questioned President Johnson on his Vietnam War policies.[1] This moment was significant in the upcoming 1968 election. For instance, the Vietnam War and the consequent antiwar movement shaped the political campaign adverts. Richard M. Nixon, who was the Republican candidate, constructed his campaign to promise that he will ensure the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the restoration of law and order, and the re-establishment of the traditional American ideals. Nixon’s campaign used the unrest caused by the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement to promise an end to the riots and a return to stability in the country.

1968 was a tumultuous year in American history. There was a significant lack of advancement in the Vietnam War. Within five years, American troops in Vietnam had increased from 16,000 to over 500,000.[2] The death toll of the American forces steadily increased hence resulting in rising unpopularity of the war. The “living-room war” received nightly coverage throughout the country thus igniting an antiwar movement. On March 31, President Johnson announced that he would not seek reelection. Additionally, the slow progress of civil rights implementation caused unrest among the African Americans.[3] There was an increase in sporadic violence and crime in various cities. On April 4, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. after just four days triggered riots in over 100 cities in the country.

The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy occurred in June after he won the California Primary. The assassinations influenced the perception of the population.[4] Many Americans believed that the social fabric of the country was in shambles. Markedly, Vice President Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic nominee even though he had not won any primaries. Factionalism threatened the unity of the Democratic Party. Consequently, the Democratic convention in Chicago was chaotic due to the aggressive altercations between the police and antiwar protestors.

The Republicans nominated Nixon who branded himself as the voice of the “silent majority” of law-abiding citizens.[5] The campaign targeted the middle-class white Americans who supported the status quo rather than the radical movements that occurred at the time. He claimed to speak for them in the middle of the social upheaval due to the war. Nixon pledged to restore the country’s stability to what it used to be during the rule of Eisenhower. The slogan for his campaign was “vote like your whole world depended on it.” The statement gave the illusion that the country is in deep crisis that only Nixon can salvage. The contemporary issues, especially the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement played a pivotal role in molding the structure of the campaign advertisements.[6]

Eugene Jones, a filmmaker, was the creator of Nixon’s campaign advertisement. The adverts entailed the use of montages of still photographs and jarring music.[7] The campaign team portrayed an image that showed that the country is out of control. The pictures illustrated an increase in crime rates and violence all over the country. The campaign clearly associated the Democratic administration to these challenges. Since Humphrey was part of the government, the adverts directly linked him to the problems. Notably, an advert contained purposefully orchestrated images of a smiling Humphrey next to photographs of the war in Vietnam and the turbulent Democratic convention. The Nixon campaign adverts aimed at insinuating that Humphrey was either the root of these problems or was indifferent towards them.

Jones used the upheavals that resulted from the existence of the Vietnam War and the increase in the involvement of American troops.[8] Consequently, the controversial nature of some of the adverts determined the understanding of the events by various sections of the public. For instance, the majority of the white population responded positively to the idea of restoring law and order and American values. The surge of violence due to riots during the civil rights movement made more Americans embrace the notion of stability.[9] Additionally, the rising death toll of the American troops in the Vietnam War decreased the popularity of the Johnson administration that Humphrey was the vice president.[10] The carefully structured campaigns emphasized the notion that Nixon would provide the much-needed change that Humphrey and the current government had failed to deliver.

Political campaigns play a major role in how the society assesses contemporary events. Political candidates analyze the perceptions of the public towards the events to determine the direction that their campaign advertisements will take. There is interdependence between the public’s understanding of an issue and the political campaigns. For instance, the unpopularity of the Vietnam War was already increasing even before the campaign intensified. However, the broadcasting of Nixon campaign adverts made a larger section of the population blame the challenges on Humphrey since he was part of the ruling administration.

Bibliography

Hall, Jacquelyn. “The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past.” Journal of American History, 91(4), 1233 (2005):  http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3660172

Latham, Michael. “Redirecting the revolution? The USA and the failure of nation-building in South Vietnam.” Third World Quarterly, 27(1), 27-41 (2006): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01436590500368743

“The election of 1968.” Khan Academy, 2018. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

“The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 1968 – Vietnam.” Livingroomcandidate.org, 2016. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

            [1] “The election of 1968.” Khan Academy, 2018. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

            [2] “The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 1968 – Vietnam.” Livingroomcandidate.org, 2016. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

            [3] Hall, Jacquelyn. “The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past.” Journal Of American History, 91(4), 1233 (2005):  http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3660172

            [4] “The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 1968 – Vietnam.” Livingroomcandidate.org, 2016. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

            [5] “The election of 1968.” Khan Academy, 2018. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

            [6] Latham, Michael. “Redirecting the revolution? The USA and the failure of nation-building in South Vietnam.” Third World Quarterly, 27(1), 27-41 (2006): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01436590500368743

            [7] “The Living Room Candidate – Commercials – 1968 – Vietnam.” Livingroomcandidate.org, 2016. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

            [8] Latham, Michael. “Redirecting the revolution? The USA and the failure of nation-building in South Vietnam.” Third World Quarterly, 27(1), 27-41 (2006): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01436590500368743

            [9] Hall, Jacquelyn. “The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past.” Journal Of American History, 91(4), 1233 (2005):  http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3660172

            [10] “The election of 1968.” Khan Academy, 2018. Web. 5 Apr. 2018.

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