Transcripts For CSPAN3 Lectures 20240703

And by the end of this class, Richard Nixon will be the president. So weve been waiting a long time to get to that point since january so to recap from last time, 64 was a terrible year for republicans. One of the four great landslides of the 20th century where arizona senator Barry Goldwater lost was defeated. Incumbent president Lyndon Johnson. So a terrible year for republicans. Conservatives. However, call it a great year. 1964. And remember, we talked conservatives were democrats, conservatives were republicans. They were divided. Its different than it is. The parties are configured. And in 64, if youre a conservative and still are a few goldwater conservatives around and we asked them today kind of talk to about 64 they dont talk like that. They went over the cliff with goldwater. They get the sort of twinkle in their eye and the smile. And this was a wonderful year to be a conservative. It was really the year that conservatives exerted themselves. Not only did they get a true conservative, but have nominated for the first time in modern u. S. Politics. But they realized that rather than be divided in the two parties, some of us are democrats, some of us are republicans. So the nomination of goldwater was a signal to conservatives that they belonged in the Republican Party in the future. And so it began process started earlier, but it was important, especially in 64, with Strom Thurmond switching parties from the democrats to the republicans. Former actor Ronald Reagan came out and endorsed a prominent Democrat Labor union leader going back to the forties and the fifties, endorsed goldwater and had as famous a time for choosing speech, which is interesting. You could watch it on youtube. Its about 30 minutes long. So we dont have we cant watch it in class. And it began the process of the political winds gradually shifting in the south. And today we find in another shift that we dont have the perspective yet to see going on. So after goldwater, the south begins to shift. Republican and today Something Else is going know, i think is georgia going to remain republican is is virginia going to remain republican . And its started earlier. Remember, eisenhower won virginia times in 52, eisenhower, nixon, eisenhower, nixon in 1956, one louisiana. So it really began chip away at the Traditional Democratic south, which was a stronghold. And so 64, again, a terrible year for republicans, a great year for conservatives in terms of their in the future. And then 66, the lopsided loss by republicans. 64 they almost gained they gained back almost everything. They lost in 64 during the midterms and 66 in terms of the house, in terms of the senate, in terms of governors, in terms of state house seats, coast to coast democrats still in charge, democrats held the white house with Lyndon Johnson. They still controlled the house and the senate after the 66 midterms. But republicans had made it considerably close and erasing the losses of 64 and and Building Momentum as they move toward 68. And so thats where we begin today, as we know from from previously, nixon had a good life in new york city for the first time he was making money. He wasnt a public official practicing law, a named partner at one of wall streets most important white shoe law firms with some of the biggest clients. You could have of any law firm in the country. Right around the corner from from street in Lower Manhattan in new. And i think as much as he wanted to get back the arena, as he called it, into politics, his wife, pat nixon, happy to be away from politics his daughters for the first time, had a kind of normal childhood, if you can call that normal. Having your dad as Vice President living in manhattan around the corner from central park. But they were you know, they were teenagers. They were reaching teenagers late, teens, early twenties, like many you an important age to be able to be creative and have time and grow intellectually. And so really the first time in their lifetimes being born of the 1940s anything approaching a family that that was normal or had any kind of consistency to it yet nixon said and i think it was in Pat Buchanans book, the greatest comeback and also cited otherwise that he thought within a few years he would be he would be dead intellectually, hed the practice of law didnt stimulate and ultimately he would be dead physically if this went on for too much. So i think he was eager to get back into politics. So testing the waters in 64 and it didnt really go anywhere. 66 becoming a more prominent out of office, but campaigning for hundreds of republicans and accurately predicting the wins they had that that fall and racking up all kinds of favors be cashed in later. You know, should he make and you if you if you hustle around the country and take photo ops and campaign with house candidate and Senate Candidate and win. You know, they remember that you were there for them and you rack up all kinds of political favors to be cashed in later. So the decision to run in 1968 was not an easy one. And try for a moment, to take yourself out of 2024 and put yourself in the perspective Richard Nixon and say 67 or 68 campaigns, then were shorter. Theyre not like now where it seems like campaigns never end. We have we have an election today and the new Campaign Begins tomorrow. It seems like today it was different than campaigns began about a year in advance or so. So a president ial campaign in 68 would really start just before New Hampshire primary in 68, january, february is when you really have to make up your mind because you have to either collect signatures or get on the ballot in those primaries, you know, similar today with was 2024 the sort of gamesmanship of of even for incumbent President Biden. And for donald trump theres a certain gamesmanship shape about which primaries do you really invest in heavily which ones do you campaign personally . Where do you pick and choose and strategize . And so nixon very much in that situation at 67, i think wanting to get back in, but also wanting make a reversible decision should he change his mind and and not just pen as he did in 1964. And so this was i tell this story a bit in my last book, which came out in the fall, which is on the 68 election. So im going to go the reading here a little bit. Nixon decides late 67. He doesnt know what to do, and so he retreats to key biscayne florida, kind of one of the very first keys in, the florida keys, one of the northernmost ones just sort of south or, southeast, i guess, of miami and a separated by a causeway still there today. A beautiful place to go. Great for a tennis fan. Theyve got a big tennis there, beautiful lighthouse and state park system that you can walk down to. That was all there during nixons time. And thats he wanted to reflect kind of away from the city. And he he had had friends in south florida like, baby raposo and, senator George Smathers was a democrat, but a moderate who always welcome nixon to and visit in key biscayne. And this is a picture of of the compound that that nixon stayed at when he was there, kind of the front and the back. And it was i remember i went there a few years ago, was around 2011. And you could they actually were tearing a lot of these old floridian homes were being torn down and mansions were being built in their place in 2011, when i drove by, it was sort of they tore down both homes. It was sort of a double lot, huge sort of italian mansion, which out which is kind of a shame but inevitable and youre standing where where you see the front of the house here. If you could stand to the side and see where the the ocean is, the bay right on the right side. What you would see today is this dramatic skyline of miami like right there, like south miami. So its a really impressive place to be. I mean, its striking when you visited it in 2011, when i drove by, anytime im in the area, kind of drive by and see whats new in that neighborhood that houses were gone, but the president ial helipad that was done during presidency was still there, which is kind of off to the side, you know, down here. So thats really the one last artifact thats left from that time period where nixon went to go retreat in late in 67. And i think really didnt know what to do. Remember, he had lost he had lost narrowly for the presidency in 1960 in the narrow victories, believe it or not, are really the tough ones, because anything you could have done, you question yourself much more. You know, if youre defeated decisively, theres a lot less. What if going on like if id only done this or id only done that. But when you lose narrowly that sticks with you forever. You know, if id only made one more trip to the east coast or one more trip to some primary, i knew i cut short, you know, the close ones are really tough. The Humphrey Campaign talked to the humphrey people for the book, 68. For them, that is really tough because its really it sticks with you and you continue to sort of fight it in your own mind. Like, why did we lose like that was unfair. So that was nixon in 60. That was really emotional to lose. Hed never lost before in politics and in 62, losing in more humiliating fashion as we discussed before for the california governorship, that was a more decisive loss. Nixon at that point was a loser. In politics, you dont usually come. Politics does not guarantee a second act. In fact, its rare you get a second act. And so nixon even his own party, was considered a loser. I think nixon thought himself that he was not only a loser, but nixon in his own memoirs. So i was a sore loser. By 68. Remember that whole last press conference thing he did in 60, 62 . Gentlemen, youre going to have nixon to kick around anymore. I he could he called himself a sore loser. His own memoirs, which is not usually a place to look for. Criticism of someone in their own in their own writings. And so he really doubted himself. And 67 he thought he wasnt sure that he could survive a third loss. You know, what would that put the family through . And also, history showed wasnt there no precedent for this i you could look and more recent history tom dewey running twice you could for the Republican Party and losing both times you look at Adlai Stevenson in 52 and 56 and the Democratic Party losing twice. Youre done after two losses. Usually you dont even get a second chance. I mean, even in more modern politics, its very rare that a defeated nominee, no one thinks, oh, theyll think theyll have another chance in four years. No. Moving on, you know, and in both parties and you know, you have to go back a ways. You could go back to like eugene debs, the socialist candidate who ran four times in the opening years of the 20th century, including in 1916. Hes the closest parallel. If donald trump were to be convicted and go to jail. And im not suggesting thats a great possibility but in 1916, Woodrow Wilson major debs ran from jail and he was still won a million votes with a lot population. So if you run for office and go to jail. You still have a path forward, you know, potentially. So can be redeemed. But, you know, maybe William Jennings bryan is an example. Beginning in 1896, he ran a handful of times. He was a democratic nominee but never had redemption and never actually won, but was the nominee. Several times, beginning in 1896. So it wasnt clear nixon was was going to have a path. So hes down in key biscayne, thinking, what do i do . And he doesnt know what to do. So he calls his friend reverend billy graham. Graham, the picture first picture ill show you is later, 68. This is a graham had a a a crusade rally. You can almost see at the very last letters of the word pittsburgh. So theyre at the stadium in pittsburgh. And so nixon says to graham, i dont know what to do, whether i should run. Would you please come down and counsel me on his decision and this is a fascinating part of the story that wasnt on the Public Record until my book came out. So the grahams allowed me to use Billy Grahams diary in this book, and its the first book to use the diary. And the diary is fascinating. Its what i do in the book is not fair. Its really sort of the edge, the tip of the iceberg. So died in 2018 at age 99 and the diary has verbatim content with president s, their staffs and their top of and families beginning. 1950 with harry truman to barack obama in 2014. Think about that for a second content of conversation. I would say its part scrapbook, part diary, some part of its handwritten or like a traditional diary. Some part of it is was dictated and then typed up later. Im going to show you a page, a couple of pages from that today of the 68 campaign, which was used in the book some part of it might be it might be like a white house lunch menu where graham might have scratched something on it. In his handwriting, the president said to him or something that he said to the president , but this is a unique resource on the presidency thats not in the national archives. Hes not in any president ial library. So youre going to be hearing if you follow president or politics or history at all, youre going to be hearing more about this diary. So enough about that. Graham comes down and and assumed that nixon was was going to run. Why wouldnt you . I mean, you dont have to be a complete cynic like me to believe that politicians work so hard to acquire power and the chance to maintain power. They dont give it up until. Its clawed forcefully away from them. I mean, lbj is a good example. I mean, lbj was not or was not going to give that up unless he really had to or unless he doubted himself and graham. So graham came down the. Trouble with graham is so says come down and advice and counsel me on what to do and graham says i cant not well enough to travel. Graham canceled all of his schedule. He had viral pneumonia. He went to atlanta to receive an award and he checked into the to a holiday inn just outside of atlanta. And he was going to stay there for as long as it took to feel better. He no, im not well enough to travel. Ive canceled my whole schedule. Im not even going to go home. He lived outside of charlotte, North Carolina, until get better. And so nixon said nixon said, i will send a private plane and i need you to come to key biscayne like this is important. And so graham wrote his diary Something Like, well, i guess theres things are more important than health. And so graham, Graham Graham goes down and and ill come back to that just in just a minute. Graham is important for another reason, as nixon makes his decision in late 67 a couple of months hannah nixon hannah nixon died. This is actually i dont have a photo from mrs. Nixons funeral because obviously shes in this. This is when frank nixon died. And 56, the brothers the youngest editor escorting, their mother here in uniform. And foreground, two months before hannah nixon had died. So frank had passed away in the fifties when nixon was Vice President. And in 67, in the fall, hannah nixon died. And hannah nixon was the one more than anyone else. Graham also who encouraged nixon get another chance to run. You have to do it. You know, dont dont give up. And a lot of sort of writers of nixon will refer to this is kind of like the voice of hannah, like at certain moments in nixons career. So the voice of hannah, which might actually have been her voice or something inside of him, you know, that inspired him to keep going and. So graham helped to officiate at her funeral in 67 and was there and like Hannah Graham said, youre going to get another chance. Now, graham. Graham believe that nixon nixon was still young. I mean, in 67, he was he was he was 54 years old. Just turned 54. So certainly its very young by todays standards of politics on either side of the aisle. So nixon had nixon had the luxury he, unlike most politicians of he could wait. He could choose his political timing to make a reentry to politics. So graham came down and officiated. And like hannah i think nixon felt after her death that that he something in his mind told him that he had to do it for her. He had he had to run for her as a way of kind of redeeming that she didnt live to see him run again. But i think i think thats a factor in his thinking at that time. So, graham at the time, were going to go back to graham. Graham at the time was really closer. To two lbj. That was the next photo here. I skipped over before. This is graham and johnsons oval office in september 1968. They were similar in lots of ways. And we talked about johnson before, not really being a true southerner, really being in the family, concern of being more southwestern. And when he was born in 1908 in Gillespie County and in texas that was a weird place in the south to be from high german men, it was less baptist than the rest of the south. It also meant it was open to outsiders and foreigners and people who are not southern. It was not pro confederacy or pro slavery. It was it tried to stay out controversy, but really it was against those things. I mean, its a sort of unique enclave johnson came from and made him than a typical democratic southerner. Going to be easy for us to stereotype what it means to be a democrat from the south, the conservative and johnson doesnt quite fit that very well. And thats similar to Graham Grahams from North Carolina. So also sort of the fringes of the south part of the country. Remember eisenhower. Nixon got virginia twice and louisiana, both parts of the fringes of the south that were beginning to come into play politically and possibly shift to republican side. Graham considered himself to be a lifelong democrat, but that didnt mean thats how he voted all the time he probably was a split voter. He talks about voting for eisenhower, but maybe would have gone democrat down the of the ballot and so Graham Graham really voted the person and not the party he wasnt loyal to a Political Party and of course he in and he tried to stay out of politics as much as and here shown you pictures with politicians. But graham didnt want to affect his ministry. I mean as a real his real goal was to expand his ministry. And so he tried he might do political things, but he really avoided partizan things, which is slightly different. And so graham never really graham would would suggest kind of who he preferred, but he never out and would use the word endorsement. He kind of he tried to avoid that. And so in 67, according to grahams diary, johnson told graham, graham was on only ones. Apparently, johnson told that lbj was not likely to run again in 1968, and apparently, from what you can tell, graham, pass that along. Nixon so imagine take that at consideration in terms of do you want to run and who are you likely to face . In 1968, nixon didnt believe him. I think nixon was like like what i have suggested the cynic who says no one gives up political power until they have to. And theres been no precedent. Harry stepped down voluntarily in 1952. One faced with running against general eisenhower. So i guess thats the closest analog that was. That was a little bit different. So graham and johnson were similar. And because of that, in 1968, graham knew the players and he had been longtime friends with johnson. Hed been longtime friends with nixon. I think he met him in the Senate Dining room in 1950. He had known hubert humphrey, Vice President for a long time because grahams ministry actually started minneapolis when humphrey was mayor. I mean, really, the stars were aligning for graham to be important. He knew who was in retirement. Still, he dies in march of 69. So he is his week in 68 and living most of the year at Walter Reed Hospital in washington. But his endorsement is still extremely powerful because eisenhower was a really popular and beloved figure. So graham in 68 knows all of the key people involved. I would say almost an average of 20 years, 68. Hes a unique figure in the country who can be a liaison between them and messages and see what theyre thinking. He even knew george wallace, the Third Party Candidate in 68, and thought he called in his diary, called wallace. One of the greatest orders of the 20th century. His ability to sort of attract followers. Well talk more about wallace and kind of his antielite, antistate push, my candidate, which i think both parties have mimicked since then, but especially on the republican side of the aisle, because of donald trump, is really making a similar kind of anti elite, anti establishment kind of blue collar or middle class outreach, you know, to those voters. So graham is a fascinating figure. So ill show you a couple of pages from the diary. Dont feel the temptation to try to read it. Ill draw your attention to a couple of passages that i want, that i want to talk about. So graham had a long dictation about this time period. Again, reset the scene hes done and keep this gain with nixon and trying to help nixon answer the question what do i do . Do i run or not . Who am i going to run against and what am i getting myself into, you know, a third time. And so this is all new information thats in the book that that was from the graham diary. And. Going ahead to 68. So nixon, nixon begins to nixon decides sort of begrudgingly hes going to run. But what i want to show you here is role that graham played in 68. And i think i think my conclusion that graham was the most important person in 1968, except for some those who were on the ballot in 68 and maybe outgoing president Lyndon Johnson. I mean, he played a very Important Role back and forth. So im getting forward a little bit. June, Robert Kennedy, senator kennedy is assassinated in june. Has the funeral mass at Saint Patricks in new york city, a huge gathering of the political class, celebrities and even people who didnt know and necessarily i mean, it was a real occasion of national mourning. And johnson of course, is going, i believe Jack Johnsons i think entire cabinet went probably a quorum. The senate, they probably could have had a Senate Session there if they wanted to. And a huge maybe a third of the house of representatives. I mean it was a huge gathering. Im not even sure if such a gathering today with secret service would possible. They would want that many people all in one place. And so graham attends graham. Graham didnt know Robert Kennedy, but he knew teddy. Teddy kennedy, the younger brother, and he was fond of the Kennedy Family and obviously understood that thats two kennedys who were killed in five years. John f in 63 was assassinated in dallas and then Robert Kennedy. Then they failed in the california and the Ambassador Hotel and angeles in june of 68. But what im trying to show you here, these pages is the role that graham throughout that year. So graham sees johnson at the funeral at st pats and johnson says after youre after were done here, would you mind coming down to the white house to advise me to and to hold some kind of a, a service the staff who are really affected by this as as americans were. And so graham says, of course so the graham diary talks about i came down washington right afterwards from new york. He says in his diary, Something Like it, one of the most depressing flights ive ever taken, because it was full of Robert Kennedys former staffers. I got to the white house, i checked my usual room at the white house. I mean, who has a usual room at the white house, as i believe his diary says, three or four. So the third floor of the mansion now shows you how close he to the to the johnsons. And he was a regular guest at the white house. And then the passage ill pick up is next morning. So he gets down on the eighth and the next morning, sunday, june he so he is lbj he called on the telephone rather early and invited me to come down to his bedroom. Ive been in his bedroom at the white house and at the ranch on a number of occasions. It was here in the quietness of early hours that id learned a great deal about president johnson and the state of the world. Many times he gave me confidences and secrets of state. He knew from past experience i would not pass them on. It had been my policy always, never to quote the president , he understood that one of his secrets was safe. With me. Many times he did not ask my advice on the matters that hed discussed with me. He was either just trying to tell me his point of view on a certain issue or he just wanted someone to talk to. And this particular morning he mentioned politics, which was very rare in conversations with me, he said that he thought Richard Nixon was going to be elected the next president united states. This is june of 68. So about five months before people voted when it was anything but clear, the nixon was going to win, he said nixon is probably the best qualified in america to be president. He said, i dont always agree with him, but i respect him for tremendous ability. I told him if he gave me freedom to tell mr. Nixon just what he had said, that it would be of great encouragement to him. He said, by all means, tell him so. Beginning in june, graham effectively a massive mess, a secret messenger between lbj and nixon and someone that never would have been suspected by west media or press. He was kind of the ideal spy, you know, if you want to use that word, you know, not not as a pejorative, just johnson and johnson. Nixon came to realize they needed each other in 1968, as much of america watched the chaos that year unfold on their televisions. The surprise tet offensive attack in vietnam against. Our our forces at a time when americans were told the war was going better. How could this simultaneous coordinated attack be possible . The north korean seizure of the uss pueblo crew held captive and being negotiated for another year. You had Eugene Mccarthys senator from minnesota. Stunning entry into the race to challenge Lyndon Johnson. The first occurred to challenge johnson almost winning the New Hampshire primary against lbj and then shortly after that, the entry of senator kennedy, the second major challenger from within johnsons own party. So thats a difference. Six there are a lot of similarities with 68 that that would be a difference for today terms of, you know, one that sort of the senator level, a prominent challenger, you know, other than dean phillips and some lesser candidates have really come forward to challenge johnson. And and so the primary is kennedys 100 day campaign you have then the twin assassinations of that year which i just started to allude to. And now talk about it more fully. Martin luther king assassinated on the balcony outside of his hotel room in memphis at the lorraine hotel, is now a National Park service. Its a great to visit, if you like. So civil citing his its a Historic Site king is assassinated in april and it stuns the nation that this figure who could for moderation and nonviolence or we talked about king being to pastor a church montgomery, alabama because he was moderate. He wasnt one of the ones. He wasnt a black panther. And he wasnt encouraging violence. He did become a little more interested in direct action. And in the last couple of years of his life, but had always been kind of a figure for moderation, someone who could work both sides since his i have a dream speech in 1963 at the wall in of the lincoln memorial. So is assassinated in an and it stuns the nation kennedys assassination in june stuns the political class. And so while while kings is the precursor to arson and looting and violence in 100 American Cities that summer in 68 after kennedys it was almost sort of an eerie calm descended the nation and johnson in the midst of this is trying to figure out johnson had withdrawn from the race on Television March 31st. He had given a speech that otherwise was about vietnam. And at the very end of, it he had a final couple of lines which hed been carrying around in his jacket pocket since the beginning of the year, but had not had the courage to use those final lines. He actually was planning use them at the end of the state of the union and he had these final lines ready that i will not accept. He not accept the term of office he will not accept the nomination of his party in 68. Hed had that ready to use at the end of a speech. He out for various reasons and the state the union but he used it on 31st and a speech that was otherwise vietnam and responding to the tet offensive and a general sort of assessment about vietnam. He has this stunning ending that he only notified a few people about an hour before. He was giving the speech. His Vice President humphrey was in mexico signing a treaty the next day and he was called just before and told you, you better turn on the radio and listen for this. And so Johnson Johnson is out and we havent had that sense. And a lot of people today are asking, you know, could President Biden do something similar happened in 68 with johnson, happened in 52 with harry truman. So there are a lot of similarities, but there are also differences in 68 when a president withdraws, its a wide open election. Its pandemonium first thing first, incumbent president is immediately considered a lame duck. All the spotlight shifts to everybody else. You have very hope to do anything in your remaining ten months of office or, whatever it is, all the excitement shifts to the challengers and what i document the book is something different. For 50 years, people assume, johnson was a lame duck and not important. After that, the graham diary and, some other records that are in the book show otherwise that johnson has simply shifted his energies from the ballot, which had withdrawn from to influencing the choice of his successor. Ultimately and so the most controversial argument, the book, is documenting a pattern of activities where johnson actually came to prefer nixon, a republican, as successor. And so, you know, so its very different story than whats been written before. I think. Well of of get out of that. So the one more message ill talk about graham then well get back to talking about the 68. This is a little bit faded again dont dont have the temptation to try to read it. Ill tell you whats on the page in. Just a minute. So this message is continues starting in june between johnson and nixon nixon also goes to has graham. Go down and see wallace in alabama the head of the republican delegation in North Carolina is wavering a little bit on nixon and graham is again used to twist his arm a little bit and stay loyal to nixon graham is very involved, you know, throughout campaign and these messages continue to be passed back and forth between all the major. This is a second one theres more we could talk about, but we just dont have time. This is the second one i want to talk about in september. So september is the traditional kickoff for the campaign back then. Can we lose this distinction today when campaigns are going on all the time . But campaigns back then would kick off labor day, like the monday after labor day, youd have a big opening rally. Youre kind of throwing it into gear. You know, and youll stay in that gear all the way until november on day. So right after labor day and 68. Graham, is that that i showed you, well go back to that for a minute. That rally in pittsburgh was. This is just after labor day. Graham as far as i can tell, this was just coincidental, is in pittsburgh for a series of rallies and nixon in town for another reason he has a political there staying at the same hotel the pittsburgh held and nixon is one floor above ground in the same and they have breakfast on sunday morning at the hotel and during during the meeting nixon says, would you be willing to pass another message . Johnson and graham says, sure, let me take out a piece of paper. And nixon says, youre the only one that can do this, you know, to go to the white house. Graham had been to the white house many times i dont know if hed ever asked a meeting with the president , like, can i come in on friday . Well, in fact, graham was asked, well, whats the purpose of the meeting . I cant tell you. I mean, imagine trying that out, like try calling the white house. I need to see president on friday for lets say, a half hour. Well, whats the purpose . Its private. I cant i cant get into that. Thats what graham did. And that shows the access he had to both unique. I dont know that theres another figure like graham today, you know, in america there might be. But we dont were not aware of it because were this we only became aware of this, you know, many years later. And so the previous image that i you was. Was the notes that that graham took. There we go one more these are this is an image from the graham of the notes that graham took when meeting nixon at the pittsburgh in september that he carried into the oval office to see johnson that friday. So they set down that was the photo that i showed you, lbj and graham sitting together and graham says, i something id like to read you from from and ill try to ill go through the points here. So you have one, two, three, four, five, six points. And his is written in kind of a shorthand. His handwriting is even worse than mine. Like i can barely read my own handwriting. So ill help you through this. So this is from nixon to lbj. This is in grahams delivered to johnson in the oval office. That photo i showed you that, you know, johnson knew enough to know the photo was the meeting important with graham . He had a whole roll of film taken at, a private meeting. Interestingly enough Johnsons White house taping system was turned off during the meeting. So we dont as far as we know, theres no recording of even though we had that capability the closest we have to a transcript is these notes. So point one, this is nixon writing the first person i will never embarrass him after election. I respect him as a man and as a president. He is the hardest and most dedicated president in 140 years. And so that was a direct appeal for nixon, one of lbjs heroes Andrew Jackson in the late 1820s, because 140 years would have been 18, 28 before 1960 8. 2 from nixon. I want a working relationship with him, dash and will his advice constantly. Three want you to go on special assignments after election dash to Foreign Countries for must point out some of the weaknesses and failures of ad and abbreviated administration, but will never reflect on mr. Jay personally. 0. 51 vp in vietnam is settled. He lbj and nixon. Nixon give you lbj a major share of credit because you deserve it. Point six will do everything to make you great in history because you deserve it. And i think this day i can tell you theres another time in us history that this activist occurred between an outgoing wounded president and, an incumbent who wants his job. I mean, i need you either configuration of parties, either within the same party. I dont know. This is a fascinating story. And to me, one of the lessons of this book and of the class today is really an underlying question. I mean, we as are conditioned to learn what Political Behavior, normal Political Behavior looks like now you could argue in recent years we havent seen lot of normal Political Behavior on side of the aisle. But we learn, you know, democrats stick with democrats or republicans stick with democrat republicans. We assume they dont they arent really friends anymore. I mean it used to be i write a poll years ago of americans who said, whats the one thing you wouldnt want your son or daughter do growing up . And its, you know, marry someone of the other Political Party is high in the list. So weve become i wouldnt say were as divided as 68 vietnam the draft was tearing apart college campuses, a half million soldiers serving in southeast asia, including those who were there, really against their will and compliance with the draft we dont have today the degree violence the assassinations we had kind of the summer of george floyd in 2020 but not quite in 100 cities in 68. So its close. I hope we dont get there, but i dont think quite as divided. But in some ways we as divided. I mean, that poll that i refer to now, i dont think people would have said that back then that that i dont want my son or daughter to someone of the other political parties. So in some ways, we are as divided or more. But there are differences is what trying to say. I dont know of an example like this from u. S. History. And to me the question is fascinating, as weve all learned or just absorbed, what normal political looks like is what happens at key moments in us. If politics is not. Weve been told and thats a fascinating idea that you can project lots of other periods of history. And i think what you have in 1968 is that americans, this chaos from their living rooms play out on tv, the assassination, the war, the nightly news had gone from 15 minutes to 30 minutes in 1963, leaving out news was still 30 minutes, but really it wasnt pretty to watch and much of 1968 at the democrats went chicago for their convention that year and the violent protests in which daleys police participated in the violence and whichever democrat this year thought it was a good idea to go back to chicago, which they doing later this year. Either youre going after the history or youre unaware of it. Its like i dont think theres really any between position there, but its going to be a fascinating convention watch. It might not be violent, our tv screens, but it be pretty, you know, energetic, you know, behind the scenes. So americans watch this and 60 on their television screens. But i think lesson of 68 is what happens if the chaos of year reaches even the highest echelons of the political establishment . Well, my answer is that the upper echelons of the political establishment alter their normal Political Behavior. In the case of johnson, coming to prefer nixon. So lets talk about a little bit else. We havent mentioned many. Weve just briefly had cameos or mentioned others that kind of sets up the dynamics of the year. It sets up the Johnson Nixon relationship, johnsons withdrawal it sets up the role of graham. But lets talk about other aspects of campaign on the republican side, youve got a pretty deep of people who oftentimes just a few years later, we forget who they also rans were as we kind of dismiss them as this the case of 68 where i think they were more than also rans. These are people who really could have been president they either had the good looks a president that we expect them to have the money, the resources, the the right background and you can go any one of these i think had a real chance you know the early frontrunner the republican side was michigan governor George Romney at the time. Michigan was one of the most important places you could from considered a Large Industrial state. The auto workers in the unions were a much bigger factor back then, even than they are today. Its still a good base run for politics. Much better than George Romney in the middle as governor. Theres a lot of pictures i could have chosen, but i chose this one because this is a son, mitt romney on the left hand side. So i its hard to know whether are they from michigan or are they from massachusetts . Are they from utah . George romney was actually born in mexico because he was born during a missionary work that from the mormons mexico. So romney is the first one. Again, good money connected but but really makes the mistake a candidate of peaking too soon if you kind of come out too early it gives the media a chance to really feast you and really study you and do a lot Opposition Research against you. So romney was really had fizzled out even by the time of the New Hampshire primary, had withdrawn and was was gone by hampshire. Then you have and you know, we always talk about the Republican Party sort of the conservatives and its because more conservative democrats are coming over to the Republican Party. But romney, like nixon was from that sort of moderate to liberal internationalist side of the party. I would put romney just a hair to the left of richard a little bit more to the left than that is a new york governor nelson everything. I said about romney double it Nelson Rockefeller new york city so prominent governor of an even bigger state. A more important even more resources to run Major Political brand name. A lot of republicans were kind of turned off to him because hed had a divorce is actually controversial back and also because in 1960 some republicans believe that nixon and rockefeller had arranged a kind of backroom deal called the compact fifth avenue, it was called, and the history books. So you can look that up later. But so conservatives werent thrilled about about rockefeller, but no question, had he had the resources to go all way, the trouble is he never did. His pattern was he was sort of in you know, he was in he was out, wasnt really committing to a campaign the way through, whereas nixon was in all the primaries beginning in New Hampshire and the only primary, nixon didnt and was in california. And the reason is because of the next picture im going to show you. I had a reporter call me maybe two weeks ago. Actually, i was going up to the Reagan Library to do it. Theyre just starting to open up the 84 campaign files. And a reporter called me and said, if gavin newsom read your book in 1968, what would you say him if he calls you . And i said i would i would say to the california governor that you should do exactly. The california governor did in 1968, which is interesting. Another great parallel between the years. California governor Ronald Reagan ever nixon lost. Nixon couldnt win in california, but more conservative, Ronald Reagan did after becoming a republican in 64 and being elected in 66, reagan was a popular one to to appear with four for nixon. But nixon didnt want to take him head on. So the california, the only primary that nixon didnt enter because it would have forced republicans take sides. So thats a note you try not to do that against popular challengers. Reagan 68 i think probably like although we dont know and might know for a long time, why newsoms arrangement is with President Biden. Reagans arrangement with nixon. As far as we can tell, was that if nixon didnt have the nomination locked up by wisconsin, then reagan was free to move in and challenge him. So reagan had basically this red line that he had, that he had committed to a kind quid pro quo with nixon and reagan never had cross that red line because nixon was so dominant in the early primaries that there was hereby wisconsin. He he did have it locked up. But this was largely where reagan sat. And if you think about it in a way, i say the reason i say reagan is the model for newsom is because what what you dont want to do if youre reagan in 68 or newsom in 2024 is you dont want to mortgage your political future one because you might have another chance wait choose your time timing you dont need to be in a hurry although things can change and you might regret running. And secondly, whatever you do, whether you leave the sidelines and join the race or whether you decide not to what you dont want to be is to be blamed by your own party for dividing the party. So those are the two cardinal rules. 1968 for reagan and for newsom today in terms of youve got to have your youve got to have your red line and you dont want to mortgage your political future, whatever that red line is. And you do not want to be blamed for dividing your party. And that year, if things come up. So reagan ultimately is never a challenger. And i think i think probably reagan played it right. He wasnt hurt a nixon victory. He ultimately wasnt hurt by nixons resignation or by watergate. And he waited for his timing and ran again in 80 and won. So probably in hindsight, it looks like reagan probably did the right thing by not running. And i think thats one of the lessons to newsom is the right thing might be not to run, but see, he hasnt called me. If he does, ill let know. Nixon on the issues. Nixon on the issues. Again, i would call him a kind of a moderate to liberal, moderate to liberal Wing International of Republican Party. I think he was probably in terms of what was he politically i think he if you take nixon in large and 60 and you take goldwater the right in 64, nixon was somewhere in between the two. I think nixon felt in 60 he drifted a little to left. Never. He promised the first African American in the cabinet nixon lodge one. I mean really bold declaration on civil rights at a time when that was still controversial before the 64 civil rights act, goldwater showed the pendulum went the other way and republicans got wiped out. So nixon, i need to be somewhere in between those two lines. This is where i need to be. So nixon was really a centrist in 68, the way i look at it and that rockefeller and romney to be on his left, it allowed reagan to be on his right, conceding nixon the big in the middle and the party to reach out to both sides. Nixon wasnt loved by liberals in the party, and he wasnt by conservatives in the party. But he was acceptable to each and 68. Whereas, you know, the press, i think, fantasized about of reagan rock afl or dream team running in eight. The problem was their supporters hated each other. You know, they were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, whereas nixon was except able to each, you know, as an ambassador not really considered one of each plus hed been out of office for several years as you know in the wilderness. But nixon was acceptable to all parts of the party. It can unite. It. And to give you an example, his you know, he was johnson viewed nixon. So if youre johnson why would you prefer nixon why would this make sense . Well, a lot democrats in johnsons own party were pledging to get out of vietnam within six months sort of to withdrawal to end the war and pull troops out. Johnson feared he would be the first president to be blamed to lose, to lose a war, and he didnt want that part. He felt a lot stronger on the domestic part of his legacy. The Great Society rights voting act, the the lbj used to sell a t shirt. I think it still does in the in the gift shop when you leave it has just these words over the front and back of the shirt and look carefully. Its the name of all the legislation that was passed, you know, during the Great Society whether it be the environment, whether it be education, it be Higher Education or Public Schools or medicaid and medicare. I mean, the range of legislation was was unprecedented and really terms of quantity had surpassed even fdr as new deal. I mean, johnson think felt that his only johnson could set a goal this high that as president he wanted to complete not only kennedys unfulfilled legacy, which course is what he did becoming president after kennedys assassination, but also in a way completing his hero, fdr unfulfilled legacy that johnson felt he could do both during his time in office. And so as an incredible period and nixon in 68, you would expect the Republican Campaign against a lot of that domestic legislation. Nixon really didnt act for example, after after kings assassination on april, nixon gave a prominent speech where i would say the way i interpret it is hes hes hes not saying hes going to dismantle the Great Society hes saying he just wants to shade it in of a republican direction. So of big welfare programs hes talking about hes talking about tax cuts and investment in cities instead of big spending bills for education hes talking about improving schools and cities. Hes talking about community policing. Mean a lot of later look back at nixons rhetoric in this chamber as surprisingly liberal and of course when nixon becomes president i dont want to get to where he is now hes president. So i dont get ahead of myself. Nixon no more ends. Lbjs Great Society than eisenhower did. Fdr, new deal. I mean, much to the consternation, conservative republicans, they didnt i mean the size of government under the nixon grew it didnt shrink and a lot of what nixon did as president upset conservatives, which is a theme. Well leave that with you right now. Were to come back to that later in the presidency. So on the issues, he was surprisingly moderate. The convention in miami beach is actually where actually where the democrats wish they had moved. Johnson had locked in chicago as the site of the convention for the democrats, which well talk about more in just a minute. Whereas the republicans were in miami beach so near key biscayne, it was comfortable for nixon. It was a lot easier. When you choose a convention city, its huge questions about security. And when youre in south florida, its like miami beach, you can seal off the whole area. Closing a couple of causeways, you kind of know that area. So miami beach was a much better site the democrats after johnson withdrew, actually wanted a switch to miami beach so they would both there. But i think johnson felt he committed to his friend, mayor richard daley. Chicago, that was when the site was selected, it it was intended to coronate johnson for another nomination. And johnson thought to be too disruptive to change a convention. So in miami beach is nominated again the only candidate in the race on both sides who goes all the way except the california primary. But from the snows of New Hampshire, all the way to to election day in november and he chooses and his running mate, that was at the time controversial and people question nixon he chooses Maryland Governor spiro agnew who only a few years had been a county commissioner in maryland and been governor for a couple of years. But actually, you know, in hindsight, it was a it was a good choice. And ill tell you why. The general thinking i think its the same today among nominees is that the your running doesnt really help you people vote the top of the ticket much more than than a running mate but a running mate can hurt you if you dont choose carefully. You want you really want someone whos kind of neutral and secondly, you want someone who take the spotlight away from you. You are supposed to be the spotlight on the ticket. And in 60, i think nixon learned the lesson. Lodge lodge was flashier. He a better dresser. You know, he didnt have the constant 5 00 shadow. I mean, he looked kind of like a kennedy in that sense. Yeah. The chiseled good looks of like a romney or a rockefeller and lodge did take the spotlight from nixon and thats politically threatening. So you also certainly want to choose someone whos not politically threatening whos, not going to take not just the spotlight but not going to challenge your agenda. And so agnew was enough of an unknown that he really didnt add to the ticket. He also wasnt seen to really subtract from it either, you know, lodge added. But lodge also subtracted and the of the top of the ticket so i think thats probably why nixon won for agnew another another reason i would say to is agnew was a major booster of rockefeller. And rockefeller kept threatening to come back in the race. Agnew was on kind of that moderate to liberal, really even more like liberal side. But was tough on crime because he was he was from baltimore. Baltimore was one of the cities after the king assassination that had a lot of unrest and so agnew was kind of a liberal republican who was tough on crime and looting and arson and unrest and. Thats what nixon he was sort of the whole package. He just was still kind of a political unknown. But again, that wasnt bad in the in the eyes of nixon. So that was the republican side of the aisle. And then you get into the fall campaign. Whats going on on the democratic side, the convention in chicago, which is largely overshadowed by by the violence and whats going on in grant park and other places in chicago outside of the convention, the internional amphitheater, the incumbent vice presidency, vice presidenhurt humphrey is the one whhas the easiest path to the nomination. And why is that . Humphrey was it was committed liberal from that side of the party more than johnson. I mean, the 48 convention in philadelphia humphrey boldly declared civil rights kind of the nations next major that we should take on and caused pandemonium back in 1948 to say that he said that is the mayor of. Running for the first time for senate. He wasnt even in washington yet and as johnsons Vice President becomes wedded to, the unpopular war in vietnam and i would the way i wouldut it is that he he Vice President , he didnt have johnsons political assets, but he had his live melodies by the end of of that term of office. But humphrey is in the best situation to run as a kind of surrogate for for johnson because back then the rules were different for nominating democrats didnt change the nominating process until the results of the Mcgovern Commission started in 1972. So back in 68 it was really something more like backroom deal you didnt need to enter primaries. Humphrey didnt enter in 68. You didnt need to debate. There werent any major debates in 68. All the only debate there was was mccarthy and kennedy before. The oregon primary. No other debates that defined this year. Again, we might not have any more debates. We might be done for the year. Its going to be a little different this year. But there is historical for that. Humphrey also johnson almost every state or county chair chairman back then would have older to the administration. So once johnson withdrew and humphrey is running that most of that loyalty would shift right to humphrey. So humphrey had almost all the delegates he needed without even campaigning know before he even took a single hand in 68. And sometimes people always say, you know, could Robert Kennedy have won in 68 . How do you have an assassinated . He have gone to the Convention Like this year again theyre talking about could there be an open convention on either side and i mean possibly i mean historians arent to entertain. What if because thats not what happened although theyre fascinating to think about but i would go back to the rules the democrats the rules in the democratic to nominate 68 were really designed to coronate johnson for another term, not reward insurgent like a kennedy or mccarthy. So he might have made it interesting, but it would have been pretty long, long odds. Even with johnson out of the race to topple humphrey. So humphrey chooses senator Edmund Muskie of maine as his running mate, and is seen as someone who sort ofall em and stable in a year that doesnt have a lot of calm or stabilit you kind turns the temperatur down. Hes from maine which is kind of historically even this day, kind an independent republican state, different than conservative, kind of traditional new england republicanism. And so hes so heconsidered kind of a swing state. Look, that could be strategic. Humphrey also liked hiuse he said that muskie okkind of like Abraham Lincoln and. He thought that might be goo i mean, i dont know. You sure. Onudgment on that one. So thawas the match up there on the democratic side of the aisle t thpicture of the ca and just got a couple more points here and well well wrap it up today. 68 was also got to get my. Cursor in the right place here 68 was also one of the only campaigns where we had a strong third party challenge. Another theme of today and we dont see this often as americans. I dont know you, but when i go vote, usually the top candidates are somewhere at the top. They make it easy to find out, you know, one side or the other. And i usually at least take a scan. I feel like its my civic duty to kind of look at who the other candidates are. And i tell you, a lot of times outside of like the greens or the libertarians or one of the more Prominent Third parties, i dont know. A lot of them are. And maybe you feel the same way, but at least kind of at least take a look at whos who is down there. We dont see very often that somebody from down there know becomes a major candidate who kind of pushed up in the public light. The last time we had this was probably ross perot in 92 or 96 who polled as high as 39 . But but that didnt win any electoral votes over our elections or settled in the Electoral College. Wallace was the last major challenge where. Somebody ran and got on the ball i all 50 states and one electoral votes. Wallace poll as high as 23 and 68. And he won 10 million votes and did win electoral votes enough toind of change the outcome. And so we have a third pty candidate, i think most of the time youre not going to you dont think you ha a chance to win, but you wt to play spoiler. You might be able to cut a deal with oneidor the other. You have to be able to deny a victory. In some states, that might be enough. Overalas a goal. And so i think while it was really wallaces strategy, what reason . The second reason wallace is important today is because if youre running a Third Party Candidate or no labels or whatever it becomes, you really to stay in the wallace playbook. Wallace got the ballot in all 50 states. He everywhere the district of columbia kept him out. And i always joke theres not lot today that brings republicans and democrats together. In a moment in washington, probably concern over china concern over social media and concern over third Party Challenges in your state is going to bring those two parties. Theres one thing they can agree on is neither side wants Party Challenges because you never know who are they going to draw more from . Is it going help you or hurt you . And thats a real gamble. But better off, just not to have them is what both parties collude in. Most states. Wallace is really the first modern candidate to run in all 50 states who ran effectively antielite, antiestablishment antimedia campaign. And so that has huge resonance to recent politics, as far as i know the phrase drain the swamp never occurred to grge. But if it did, he would have used i mean, that was pretty much his campaign know stand up for the little guy you know ainst the power structure he was he was at that point he was a lifelong democrat he had ma clearly kind of racist statements in 1962, threatening to personally block integration of the university of alabama when wn that were to occur in. 63 in his inaugural address, he stood in the same spot where jefferson stood in montgomery and, proclaimed segregation today. Tomorrow and forever. But by 68, the version here he was really more of a kind huey long inspired kind of southern populist who was trying to develop a National Message that would work beyond alabama and beyond the south. And so wallace is fasting. Lots of reasons. He ran as a third party in 68 because he wanted to be free to criticize both major, both parties and later becomes a like like millions democrats in the south and running mate is curti lemay, who is criticized as running nickname bombs away lemafor h cual suggestion of the use atomic weapons. He was probably most famous for the fibombing of tokyo a other japanese coastal cities in world war two, but actually probly during the cold war had done more than anyone keep us out of a world war threeei in charge of Strategic Air command and kind of being in charge orely those weapons are in the kennedy and johnn years. So lemay is an odd choice to be drafted to run. He he said he was probably to vo for for nixon b but that thats the way he configured his considered kind of a style of wartime hero and bolster the Foreign Policy credentials of the wallace side. Yeah go ahead. Do you think choice of a vice candidate, muskie or agnew, were in any way important to address shortfalls at the south to pick up those votes . I mean, possibly except wallace had made the selection of may lemay after the other two parties chose theirs. So wallace was really the last one to decide and choose his own. Wallace had trouble finding anybody who wanted to run with him, and so he went through several before he finally got to lemay. And lemay resisted. But the the republicans had had their convention and then just as this year, typically the incumbent party goes second on the conventions. So even this year, republicans go first. In july, democrats go until about the third week of august. This year. And where wallace came out, wallace didnt didnt come out announce lemay until october 3rd in pittsburgh. So he was he was much much later than the others. So there might have been little concern about that. But wallace actually was the one that had the final say. You know, i cant campaign. And the last time well talk about and then wrap up the election much has been written about 68 as as the question has been raised you know did nixon collude with South Vietnam to steal the election from Lyndon Johnson . Peace talks have been going on in paris since may, which really hadnt gone anywhere. And the figure in all of this is a woman named anna shenault, a chinese american whose family had lost everything in china in the late 1940s during the communist takeover, when the prc began on october 1st, 1949, pictured here her watergate penthouse, which is where met her in 2017, to talk about this. And theres this part in the book and the story is that she a go between between nixon and South Vietnamese president when van chou that that she had promised hugh under a nixon presidency vietnam would get a better deal. We wouldnt cut and we wouldnt abandon you. And it makes for a pretty good story. The problem is the evidence is actually pretty thin of all that. So i kind of i have a whole appendix in the book where i go through that. Whats we know and what we dont know. But at the very final weeks of the campaign were allegations that chanel had acted as a go between between then candidate and nixon to undermine johnsons peace talks, to get the cooperation of an South Vietnam to its preference for nixon or to refuse to take part in johnsons talks. And its a a its a story that had new legs after 2016 when allegations of did did trump did the candidate trump collude with russia to so that putin could signal his preference for trump and effectively steal an election. So this is not the first time this has happened. In 1980, there was a similar version. Reagan did reagan did reagan cooperate with iran behind the scenes to make sure the hostages werent released right before. The election, which would have given a boost to carter. Again, the evidence, i would say pretty thin, the election result, it was a close election. Nixon won by about a half million votes in 1968. The Electoral College was a little more decisive, not a landslide but a little more decisive, especially when you factor in wallaces 46 electoral votes that he got that year. So in effect, if you kind of add nixon plus wallace and interpret that to be kind of the anti incumbent vote its a much more decisive election that year. But what i leave you with is one final thought nixon might be the winner, but nixon, millions of people voted for nixon, not they loved him, but because go back to what i said before, because he was acceptable. He was the bad of the alternatives. He was a way to kind of rewind the clock and choose someone who whose Political Office and career was before vietnam, before the unrest and chaos of the country and. So nixon was really the best of the alternatives. But nixon coming into office in 68, not owing any political favors to anybody because he was out of for six years what really have to try to build a majority and a base of support that most candidates have automatically on january when theyre sworn in and they want to have to work really hard to have that. And so right from the beginning of nixons presidency, the idea of living with you, theres sort of tension in the oval office. The first president since 1840, not to have the house or the senate controlled by his own party. So all five and a half years of nixons presidency would have to involve cooperation and so he is the hell the president and well pick that up next time. But but again, right from the beginning, a lot of tension in the country. And its also not clear exactly how hes going to govern with a majority forjames watson, weren the Senate Tavern and house. If you judge by fords theater in