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Quiz about The 1968 Presidential Election

The 1968 Presidential Election Quiz

Facts and tidbits about one of the wildest and most turbulent Presidential election campaigns in U.S. History.

A multiple-choice quiz by 81gaucho. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
81gaucho

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
155,120

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
9 / 15

Plays
1197

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Democrat Eugene McCarthy stunned the nation by winning the New Hampshire primary over incumbent Lyndon Johnson.

True

False

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Question 2 of 15

2. After McCarthy's showing in New Hampshire, who was the next Democrat to announce he would run against incumbent Johnson? Hint

Hubert Humphrey

George McGovern

George Wallace

Robert Kennedy

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Question 3 of 15

3. When Lyndon Johnson made his surprise announcement that he would not seek re-election, that was not the main topic of his televised address to the nation. What was? Hint

He showed off his gall baldder surgery scar and declared himself to be in good health

He announced a wage and price freeze in an effort to halt inflation

He was eulogizing Martin Luther King after his assassination

He announced an end to U.S. bombing of North Vietnam

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Question 4 of 15

4. Which of these men was not a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination? Hint

Ronald Reagan

Richard Nixon

Spiro Agnew

Nelson Rockefeller

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Question 5 of 15

5. After Johnson announced he would not seek re-election, who was the next Democrat to enter the fray? Hint

Edmund Muskie

George Wallace

Henry "Scoop" Jackson

Hubert Humphrey

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Question 6 of 15

6. Until he was assassinated, Robert Kennedy appeared to be on his way to the Democratic nomination after winning the ______ primary? Hint

New York

Michigan

Oregon

California

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Question 7 of 15

7. Of the Republicans who announced that they were seeking the presidential nomination, who was the first to drop out of the race? Hint

Nelson Rockefeller

Ronald Reagan

Richard Nixon

George Romney

8. While making a speech at the Democratic Convention, Senator ________ was shouted at by Chicago mayor Richard Daley when he criticized the Chicago police for using "gestapo tactics" in dealing with anti-war demonstrators? Hint

George McGovern

Edward Kennedy

Eugene McCarthy

Abraham Ribicoff

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Question 9 of 15

9. Who was Hubert Humphrey's running mate in the 1968 election? Hint

Edward Kennedy

Mike Mansfield

George McGovern

Edmund Muskie

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Question 10 of 15

10. Who was Richard Nixon's running mate? Hint

Spiro Agnew

Robert Dole

Nelson Rockefeller

John Connelly

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Question 11 of 15

11. Alabama governor George Wallace ran as a 3rd party candidate. Who was his running mate? Hint

Orville Faubus

Strom Thurmond

Curtis LeMay

Lester Maddox

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Question 12 of 15

12. How many states did Wallace win in the Presidential Election? Hint

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Question 13 of 15

13. Nixon became the first man since Woodrow Wilson in 1916 to win a Presidential election despite losing his home state (California).

True

False

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Question 14 of 15

14. Humphrey trailed Nixon badly in the polls in September, but slowly gained ground. In late October, he received an endorsement from ______ (and soon thereafter, the race was declared "too close to call" by pollsters)? Hint

Lyndon Johnson

Dwight Eisenhower

Edward Kennedy

Eugene McCarthy

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Question 15 of 15

15. Nationally, Nixon received how many more popular votes than Humphrey? Hint

Just under 2,000,000

Just over 500,000

Humphrey had 100,000 more than Nixon

They finished in a statistical dead heat.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Democrat Eugene McCarthy stunned the nation by winning the New Hampshire primary over incumbent Lyndon Johnson.

Answer: False

McCarthy, a Senator from Minnesota who ran on an anti-Vietnam war platform, did not actually win the New Hampshire primary. But his 42% vote total was so high for someone challenging an incumbent from the same party, that Johnson was perceived as the loser. After that, most analysts believed LBJ could not win the general election.

2. After McCarthy's showing in New Hampshire, who was the next Democrat to announce he would run against incumbent Johnson?

Answer: Robert Kennedy

The New Hampshire primary was in early March, Kennedy threw his hat into the ring in mid-March, and Johnson dropped out on March 31.

3. When Lyndon Johnson made his surprise announcement that he would not seek re-election, that was not the main topic of his televised address to the nation. What was?

Answer: He announced an end to U.S. bombing of North Vietnam

His gall bladder surgery was a couple years earlier, King was assassinated 4 days later, and it was Nixon who announced a wage and price freeze during his administration.

4. Which of these men was not a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination?

Answer: Spiro Agnew

Agnew was Nixon's Vice Presidential candidate but did not run for President. Reagan ran a late "favorite son" campaign in the hopes of deadlocking the nomination and becoming a "power broker."

5. After Johnson announced he would not seek re-election, who was the next Democrat to enter the fray?

Answer: Hubert Humphrey

Humphrey was Johnson's Vice President, so with his "boss" out of the race, he joined the race in mid-April.

6. Until he was assassinated, Robert Kennedy appeared to be on his way to the Democratic nomination after winning the ______ primary?

Answer: California

At that time, California had a "winner take all" rule for it numerous delegates to the convention. After Kennedy won, he had the most committed delegates of any Democratic candidate. He was assassinated after making his victory speech the night of the California primary.

7. Of the Republicans who announced that they were seeking the presidential nomination, who was the first to drop out of the race?

Answer: George Romney

Romney was governor of Michigan, and after he was re-elected to that post in a landslide in 1966, many considered him the favorite to win the Republican nomination in 1968. But he ran a lackluster campaign and dropped out in March. Rockefeller dropped out shortly thereafter, but then rejoined the race. Reagan entered late as a "favorite son" candidate.

Answer: Abraham Ribicoff

This intense shouting match between Daley and Ribicoff (D-Connecticut)was captured by television cameras and exemplified the deep divisions within the Democaratic party that existed at the convention.

9. Who was Hubert Humphrey's running mate in the 1968 election?

Answer: Edmund Muskie

Muskie, a Senator from Maine, was chosen by Humphrey.

10. Who was Richard Nixon's running mate?

Answer: Spiro Agnew

Agnew, governor of Maryland and a relative unknown, was chosen because of his tough law and order ideology.

11. Alabama governor George Wallace ran as a 3rd party candidate. Who was his running mate?

Answer: Curtis LeMay

LeMay was an air force general. The rest were segregationists like Wallace; Thurmond was a senator from South Carolina, Maddox was governor of Georgia, and Faubus was governor of Arkansas in the 1950s.

12. How many states did Wallace win in the Presidential Election?

Answer: 5

Wallace won Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and his home state of Alabama.

13. Nixon became the first man since Woodrow Wilson in 1916 to win a Presidential election despite losing his home state (California).

Answer: False

Nixon narrowly defeated Humphrey in California. Nixon also narrowly won California in 1960 vs. John F. Kennedy, but ironically, he lost the California governor's race in 1962 by a large margin. Had Humphrey won California, the election would have been decided by the House of Representatives because no candidate would have won a majority of the electoral votes.

Answer: Eugene McCarthy

The Democrats were badly split into the pro-Vietnam war faction led by Humphrey, and the anti-war faction led by McCarthy. McCarthy's endorsement appeared to heal those divisions; many believe had it come sooner in the campaign, Humphrey would have won.

15. Nationally, Nixon received how many more popular votes than Humphrey?

Answer: Just over 500,000

In terms of percentage of total votes cast, this was one of the closest elections in U.S. History. Nixon received 31.8 million votes, Humphrey 31.3 million, and Wallace 9.9 million.

Source: Author 81gaucho

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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