The 1964 Election, Lbj And Goldwater Essay, Research Paper

Barry Goldwater, Arizona province senator, decided to run for the office of President of the United States of America in 1964. His opposition was Lyndon Baynes Johnson who had held the office the twelvemonth old due to the blackwash of John F. Kennedy. One of the biggest issues for both campaigners was the state of affairs in Vietnam. Vietnam was the longest war in which the US took portion. It lasted between 1957 and 1975, but the US did non go officially involved until 1965. Vietnam, a little state in Asia, was divided into Communist-ruled North Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam. North Vietnam and South Vietnamese Rebels fought to take over South Vietnam. The US and the South Vietnamese ground forces tried to halt them, but failed in the terminal. This was a major issue which affected many people in the US. Everyone was related to or cognize person who had been drafted or enlisted to travel and contend in the Vietnam war. Inevitably, the two campaigners for the presidential term had to confront this issue and take a unequivocal stance on it. Normally, the President would merely be asked what his sentiment was on a war like this to measure what their character was similar, but this election it was really of import to happen out precisely what the manque president would make about Vietnam. In 1964, Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. This act gave the President the power to take all necessary steps and to forestall farther aggression in Vietnam. This came after two US destroyer ships, the Maddox and the C. Turner Joy were both sunk in the Gulf of Tonkin near North Vietnam. The President-elect would hold the power to pay war against Vietnam if he saw tantrum.

Barry Goldwater was against the war from the beginning. Knowing that this was a immense issue in the approaching race he was careful what he said, but seemingly non careful plenty. In an interview with Howard K. Smith on the Television plan Issues and Answers, Goldwater was asked what he would make about secret trails that the Chinese were utilizing to acquire supplies to the North Vietnamese. In response he said Well, it is non every bit easy as it sounds, because these are non trails that are out in the unfastened. There have been several suggestions made ; I don t think we would utilize any of them. But defoliation of the wood by low-yield atomic arms could be good done. When you remove the leaf, you remove the covering ( Shadegg 124-125 ) . While he thought his response was guiltless plenty, the media misinterpreted it and blew it manner out of proportion. He was labeled as an extremist who would utilize atomic arms in a war and finally provoke a atomic war. On October 3rd, 1964 Goldwater appeared in a Television special called Brunch With Barry in an attempt to make the daytime audience. Throughout the show he talked with legion invitees on assorted issues, but the high spot of the show came towards the terminal when Mrs. Shank, widow of Captai

n Edwin Shank Jr. , a victim of the Vietnam war, appeared. Captain Shank s letters to his married woman had been published in US News & World Report. These heart-gripping letters provoked a moving ridge of outrage against the presidential disposal ( Johnson ) who allowed non merely the war to travel on, but hapless supplies and equipment for the soldiers who were at that place. Captain Shank himself had died because of the equipment terminal of it. He was winging in an highly old plane because the authorities had made no attempt to replace it. On the show, Shank asked Goldwater: I would wish to inquire you why the American people are non able to be told the truth about the state of affairs in Vietnam. A figure of times on Television I have heard that our state has the greatest arsenal arms in the history of the universe, so I would wish to inquire you why my hubby and others die in aeroplanes that fall apart? ( Shadegg 251 ) . Goldwater complimented Mrs. Shank on her inquiry and went into statistics on Vietnam, and complained that Johnson had non produced any new military planes for jungle warfare. and so eventually told her that if he was president he would see to it that this error ( allowing people fly in faulty or antiquated planes ) would non be made once more. Goldwater was viewed as a adult male with values, yet sadly it would non be plenty to win him the election.

Lyndon B. Johnson was a militarist. Although ab initio it seemed that he wanted to maintain us out of the Vietnam war, it appeared that this position was non wholly true. The sinking of the Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin was really good documented, yet people were much more disbelieving of the C. Turner Joy. Many sceptics believed that the sinking of the C. Turner Joy was a complete fraud made up by LBJ. his motive of class was so that he could acquire the Tonkin Gulf Resolution passed and later have the power to do all determinations for the US in the Vietnam state of affairs. Peoples who were against directing American military personnels to Vietnam in 1964 were in the bulk. In polls taken by Camp Johnson merely 28 % of Americans in the US wanted to direct military personnels to Asia, but 78 % thought that halting the spread of Communism was a really of import thing to make. One would think that LBJ thought that by traveling transporting out soldiers he was, in fact, assisting to halt the spread of Communism. Under the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, LBJ ne’er had to declare war against Vietnam because under it, he was taking the necessary steps, as he saw tantrum, to protect the US and its involvements. Johnson ended up winning the election of 1964 in an electoral landslide: 486 to 52 over Goldwater. Many felt though that this election was a radical one in that eventually people realized that there was more to the president than what they originally thought. There were many other issues in this election, evidently, yethow the president would respond towards Vietnam was decidedly on the heads of the people as they went to the polls on November 8th, 1964.