#Wv strong fall running challenge full#
#Wv strong fall running challenge series#

Johnson was now faced with two strong primary challenges. Johnson delivers a speech withdrawing from the race on March 31. After his victory in the key battleground state of Oregon, it was assumed that McCarthy was the preferred choice among the young voters. Despite Kennedy's high profile, McCarthy won most of the early primaries, including Kennedy's native state of Massachusetts and some primaries in which he and Kennedy were in direct competition.

#Wv strong fall running challenge series#

McCarthy and Kennedy engaged in a series of state primaries. To make matters worse, a poll in Wisconsin showed McCarthy beating Johnson badly, with the latter getting only 12% of the vote. McCarthy and his supporters viewed that as opportunism, which created a lasting enmity between the campaigns. In a surprise move on March 16, Kennedy renounced his earlier support for Johnson and proclaimed his own candidacy. On March 12, McCarthy won 42% of the primary vote to Johnson's 49%, an extremely strong showing for such a challenger, which gave McCarthy's campaign legitimacy and momentum. He was boosted by thousands of young college students who volunteered throughout the state, who shaved their beards and cut their hair to 'Get Clean for Gene.' Trailing badly in national polls and with little chance to influence delegate selection absent primary wins, McCarthy decided to pour most of his resources into New Hampshire, the first state to hold a primary election. Running as an antiwar candidate in the New Hampshire primary, McCarthy hoped to pressure the Democrats into publicly opposing the Vietnam War.

They then appealed to US Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota, who was willing to challenge Johnson openly although prior to entering the race, McCarthy had hoped that Kennedy would run as well.

Kennedy of New York, an outspoken critic of Johnson's policies with a large base of support, for a candidacy, but he declined to run. Antiwar activists of the new ' Dump Johnson movement' initially approached US Senator Robert F. As a result, it was widely assumed when 1968 began that Johnson would be a Democratic candidate and that he would have little trouble in winning the Democratic nomination.ĭespite the growing opposition to Johnson's policies in Vietnam in both Congress and the public, no prominent Democratic politician was prepared to run against a sitting president of his own party.

#Wv strong fall running challenge full#

Kennedy's assassination before he was sworn in for his full term in January 1965. Johnson had served for two presidential terms, but the 22nd Amendment did not disqualify Johnson from running for another term because he had served only 14 months after John F. The following candidate did not place his name directly on the ballot for any state's presidential primary, but instead sought to influence selection from unelected delegates or sought the support of uncommitted delegates. These candidates participated in multiple state primaries or were included in multiple major national polls.

The following political leaders were candidates for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination: 6 Democratic Convention and antiwar protests.4 Contest for nomination and assassination of Kennedy.