The Bright Sunshine: The Presidency of Hubert Humphrey (updated)

Chapter 1: Prologue

1968 will go down as a year divided like no other. The year was marked by divisions in the country. Young students across America rioted over the war in Vietnam. There was staunch significant opposition to it from many democrats. So much that Eugene McCarthy challenged President Lyndon Johnson in the primaries over Johnson’s stance on the war. This campaign was originally expected to be dead on arrival. But that didn’t happen. McCarthys lead grew in the polls. By the New Hampshire primary, he had achieved 42%, surprisingly well for a challenger. Soon, Robert Kennedy joined to challenge the president. All of this led Johnson to realize a long bitter battle lied ahead of him. With the stresses of the presidency and his family history of heart problems, this all would have taken a toll on him. Soon, on March 31st, Lyndon Johnson shocked the nation announcing he would not seek another term. Johnson’s drop out led to an unlikely hero however. Johnson’s Vice President, Hubert Horatio Humphrey, was to run for President as a Johnson stand in. However, Humphrey was going to take everyone in the country on a different path than expected.
 
Chapter 2: Humphrey for President?

Hubert Humphrey was to run in place for Lyndon Johnson. This meant to take the same platform of economic liberalism and hawkish stance of Vietnam. Now this platform did not please Humphrey. Humphrey in truth was an anti war critic in private but he had to save face in public. However if he went with his true views, Johnson promised to bring holy hell upon his campaign. Humphrey was walking a fine line between winning the general electorate and pleasing the party bosses who wanted their own views. Humphrey announced for president on April 2nd 1968. His announcement speech was criticized in the media for not really taking a stand on any major issues. Not to mention with Kennedy and McCarthy being more popular, this hurt Humphrey’s standing. The fact he could win without any real support and with backdoor deals was upsetting to the electorate. Humphrey was accosted by protestors frequently in the events. Humphrey ran immediately into early trouble on April 4th. In Tennessee, Martin Luther king jr was shot to death and died early the next day. The response to this lead to riots over the nation in cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Humphrey was in Washington under heavy protection and saw first hand the damage being done. Humphrey thought to himself in the protection, “was it worth it?” He thought that if the administration was this unpopular that his security was in question, was it worth it to run as Johnson? Humphrey thought, “I will not do this.” Humphrey decided once the riots subdued, he would run his own campaign. However, Johnson was still a major threat. Somehow Humphrey would need to find a way to avoid the issue. The issue pressed him hard. Humphrey and his team settled on one bold brash decision that would shock Washington.
 
Chapter 3: Humphrey’s speech- April 27th

“Good afternoon my fellow Americans. There has, as of late been many protests in the country as of late, over many issues. The war, the race issues, the poverty, and many other issues. This has been a blemish on the face of this beautiful country. Now as I campaign for the presidency, I am not just the candidate for my party’s nomination. I am also Vice President to the incumbent administration. I must say, at the cost of my career in public service, my campaign and my safety, that I am displeased with the course of my administration. The uncaring nature as our boys are shipped overseas to die. The cold nature as young negroes riot through the country and destroy businesses and not even flinching to help these issues. We have waged war on poverty and it is yet another war apwe are behind in. So what am I to do. President Johnson will not change his tune no matter what. I can’t convince him to do this. He refuses to let me have power over any decisions. Johnson does not show signs of change. Therefore, I shall resign the Vice Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. President Johnson knows about my resignation and whether I am replaced or not is not known by me. But this move is not one of political gamesmanship, or winning over people for my campaign. This is not any sort of move of that nature, this is a move that is just plain and simple disgust with the course of our nation. I want to campaign full time against all the moral ills our country faces before us. Now I must go, this was my final speech from this office, now I will move forth with my campaign. Thank you to all the people who supported me during these tough times, my wife Muriel, my friends in the senate and House. I thank you all for the work I’ve done as Vice President, but now I must campaign so I may be able to do work as president in January next year. Thank you, good night, and god bless the United States of America.”
 
Political suicide.

HHH was the Democratic establishment's candidate. If he removes himself like this, he runs afoul of them. Possibly divides votes with Kennedy and McCarthy.

Opening for McGovern??
 
Political suicide.

HHH was the Democratic establishment's candidate. If he removes himself like this, he runs afoul of them. Possibly divides votes with Kennedy and McCarthy.

Opening for McGovern??

Don't worry. I have a strange plan that might work. It might seem implausible but you will see how it works.
 
Chapter 4: Aftershock

The resignation of Hubert Humphrey left a cloud over America. First, Johnson’s approval ratings which were going up, took a hit over his own VP’s lack of faith in him. Second, Humphrey shot up in the polls for his opposition to the war and support of Johnson’s economy. Humphrey was once the establishment but now he was seen as ok to win youth vote and liberals turned off by the war. Humphrey had a good chance of winning but the problem was the establishment. There were now 3 anti war candidates and none f them were even remotely close to the views that party bosses wanted.

Phone Call LBJ and Mayor Richard Daley:
LBJ: now that Hubert is gone, we have 3 anti war candidates and all of them are not gonna change. We have no one representing us.
Richard: You can say that agin.
LBJ: I’ve never seen us go down so fast.
Richard: we have no one at all?
LBJ: unless...
Richard: who?
LBJ: I have a plan we need to execute at Chicago.
Richard: what?
LBJ: well (audio drops out and silence)
Richard: that’s a great plan. We have convince him to run for it.
LBJ: I’ll get on that as soon as possible.
(Call ends)

Humphrey in May was riding high. Increasing in the polls and out on state ballots, he was winning primaries and was charging for the nomination. But then the race was shook up once again.

“This is NBC News live from New York, this Chet Huntley.”

“We have some breaking news at this hour. Robert Kennedy, the candidate for the democratic nomination was shot at the ambassador hotel last night. After his victory speech he was shot by an unidentified assailant, we will keep you up to date as developments occur.”

Bobby Kennedy, the senator of New York, was shot after his win in California on June 5th. He was rushed to the nearest hospital but it was no use. By the next day, he had become the second Kennedy to be gunned down by an assassins bullet in just 5 years. The country mourned for the loss of Kennedy and felt the wave of sadness losing two Kennedy’s in 5 years.

Hubert Humphrey speech June 7th New York City:
“My fellow Americans, I like many of you, am deeply saddened by the loss of your senator and a great man and great father. Robert Kennedy. I did not know him too well but I could see he was a great man. A great politician. And he would have been a great president should he have been elected. He was classy, talented, and everything you would want in a leader. His death is a tragic one. I hope that you all may not let his death be in vain. We must remember him and never forget him.”

Humphreys speech gave him a boost in the polls. Humphrey had wooed over many Kennedy supporters. George McGovern, the senator of South Dakota, was thinking of running to substitute Kennedy but decided to endorse Humphrey. This wave of support should have assured success in the nomination process. However, some old party bosses had some old tricks up their sleeves.
 
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