Question:

Why do you think Nixon defeated George McGovern by so wide a margin in the 1972 election?

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Answers:

May 26, 2010

Posted by teacher

( 0 ratings )

Hi p43boutelle,

McGovern ran for President with an intention of ending the Vietnam War and instituting guaranteed minimum incomes for the nation's poor.

The Vietnam issue, which remained the one McGovern was most passionate about, did not work for him overall; a majority of the electorate thought that Nixon was a strong leader who would secure "peace with honor".

McGovern, in contrast, was seen as too strident and too tied to radical elements of the anti-war movement.

By 1972, Nixon's strategy of Vietnamization had resulted in the withdrawal of most U.S. troops, without appearing to have given in to the Communists, so McGovern was not able to benefit from the popular dissatisfaction with the war.

The Republicans successfully portrayed McGovern as a half-crazy radical.

Nixon's 'southern strategy' also worked to his advantage in the elections.

Thus, Nixon was able to gain a landslide victory over McGovern.

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