Presidential Elections 1968-2001

• Nixon: 43.4%

1953: Vice-President to Eisenhower (experience)

Very popular running mate Spiro Agnew

Democratic Convention went wrong

Democrats split into 4 factions

Successful Southern Strategy (won over Deep South through anti-busing)

Control media (gave limited timed appearences, went to media himself & controled who went to his speeches)

(2 other candidates Reagan [actor] & Rockafellar [Mayor of NY & too 'left wing] tried to run for Republican nomination but policies were more unpopular than Nixon's)

•  Humphrey

Vice President to Johnson (unpopular president due to Vietnam war & deficit)

Determined to see war out (American's not impressed)

Great Society

Labour Unions & big city bosses support (silent majority unimpressed, felt neglected and supports the rich only)

(McCarthy attempted to run for Democratic representative but was highly unpopular, & was only popular with students as he was anti-war and liberal)

Bobby Kennedy may have won as Democratic representative, but was assasinated, anti-war & hugged girl plagued with rat bites gave aura of empathy and concern for the 'common americans who were suffering, highly popular with African American's, Catholics and ethnic minorities

• Wallace

Govnor of little Rock
Pro-war (not popular)
Racist (out niggered = lost votes)
United Nations= 'Cannable Club'
No support for welfare mothers

• Nixon: 60.7%

Successful presidency with the:

• Environment (Clean Air Act...)
• Foreign Policy (Vietnam, SALT & China)
• Economy (NEP, Share federal revenue &taking control of situation)
• Law & Order (Crime Control Act, Black Panthers & Anti-war riots dealt with, Huston PLan, District of Columbia, Hardre to get bail)
• Women (ERA, Child Development Act, opposition to abortion & valued nuclear family)

• McGovern: 

Left Wing candidate

Eagleton as running mate (had ECT supported then rejected him, annoyed Ameican's greatly as they felt he betrayed him)

3A's: 

• Abortion
• Acid
• Amnesty (war)

• Ford: 47.9%

Not a hugely productive presidency

• Economy (WIN...economic slow down)

Communism - Helenski conference

Watergate pardon (angered majority of America, even if it was necesary)

Reagan- divided & exhausted Republicans

Vietnam Draft Dodgers- lost support of key voters (youths)

• Carter 49.9%

Strong christian & family background

seen as 'common' man as had not always been in politics, breath of fresh hair from seemigly 'corrupt politicians'

Big problem- clear policy (Energy & Finance)

Ford's gaffes- soviet domination

Family were peanut farmers (something different for Americans)

• Carter: 41%

Failures as a president

did not do a whole lot for America:

• Economic (high taxes, dollar in trouble internationaly, high unemployment, energy crisis worsenes, stagflation, tried & failed to reduced Gov. expenditure)
• Foreign (Iran Crisis, Cuban refugees, Panama Cannal & Soviets invading Afghanistan unimpressive BUT Camp david agreements)
• Domestic (Unemployment rose, huge racial problems with innocent sales man killed by White policeman & black rioting, however feminism improved as did the environment)

• Reagan: 51%

Personality (charismatic and good with people: actor)

Deep interest in politics

Law  & Order, Tax and Abortion...

Shift by the electorate tpo the right (against BIG Gov which people loved)

Catrers Failures

Rise of New Right (helped raise $ for Reagan, utilised their supprt)

• Reagan:

A successful presidency
Avoided press as getting old & occasionally said something innapropriate (made sure couldn't hear questions: helicopter engine...)

Popular (Jokes & his policies were well liked by both Republicans & Democrats)

• Defence Strong (US defence strengthened)

Mondale accused Reagan of taxing everything & mentioned age (Reagan joked back saying 'taxing patience, wait I'm giving him ideas on the only tax he hasn't thought of! and said age= experience & wisdom)

• Family Values (Morning again in America & presented family values, particularly pleasing New Right)
• Religious Right (Won 72% southern white votes, Raised him alot og money)
• OIympic 1984(Huge profit, China attended cummunist suppotr, 'feel good factor')
• Economy (Reagonomics)
• $7.2mill for campaign

• Mundale:

Female Running mate mocked for being too busy with her nails and husbands shady financial problems

Lacked stong voting campaign

$657 million for campaign

Not a strong candidate

• Bush 53.4

With Reagan as his supporter, his popularity was high (80% voters still supported Reagan)

Reagan's Vice-President (experienced)

Money for adverts...

'Read my lips, no new taxes'

Bush Junior was in Rehab (alcohol) Born again Christian (New Right + sympathy as not everyone except from family problems)

Focused fully on campaign

• Gary Hart ---

'Monkey Business' picture of woman sitting on his lap in his boat, not his wife! (scandal lost his support)

• Dukakis 45.6%

Young & less experienced

Death Penalty if wife *****, said no (lost him votes)

Rumours wife was a 'flag burner' as a student

• Bush  38%

Presidency was not positive

Personality (lacked vision and empathy)

Bad relationship with media

• Foreign Policy ( Race relationship, won cold war & Gulf war all positive)
• Environment ( cleaned up S&L, Clean Air Act )
• Economic (Due to Reagan's huge deficit, improved by evidently not enough for support of public)
• Disability Act

Dabates  (Bush appeared childish looking at watch alot, had no focus, Had serious health issues [Graves disease] as did many others in administration at same time) was the White House a healthy place to live?

• Clinton 43%

Govenor of Arkansas

Women (seen  as womaniser, attractive, popular)

Good with media

Empathy (visited Florida where recent hurricane hit, no-one else did)

pro gay rights, but not marraige

'Slick Willie' as managed to have scandal revealed about himself and continue campaign unscathed

Knew how public had suffered during the economic hardships of the time

Tireless campaigner, enthusiastic 

Good crime policies planned (Mentaly dysfunctional Black prisoner executed, supported this as he was a murderer)

• Clinton:  50%

Strong campaign (criticised violence in TV)

• Economy (Fundraising by selling rooms to stay in white house i.e. Euisenhower's, 10.8 million jobs [improved], inflation unemployment & interest rates at their lowest, defence spending 60% & booming recovery)
• Communication (Crime economy & benefits, Good public speaker & moving speech ayt the funeral of victims in terrosist attack)
• Women- restored rights to abortion
• Welfare reform (Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, improved his ratings)
• Crime- restricted sale of weaponry

• Dole: 41%

against abortion (lost female votes)

Dole was old (73 years)

lacked charisma

Did not seem to enjoy campiagning (unlike Clinton)

Voters not convinced with Dole's proposed: tax cuts, balanced budget & increased defence expenditure added up)