Richard Nixon

==== 1972 presidential campaign ====
{{main|1972 United States presidential election}}
[[File:ElectoralCollege1972.svg|thumb|1972 electoral vote results]]
Nixon believed his rise to power had peaked at a moment of [[political realignment]]. The Democratic "[[Solid South]]" had long been a source of frustration to Republican ambitions. Goldwater had won several Southern states by opposing the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] but had alienated more moderate Southerners. Nixon's efforts to gain Southern support in 1968 were diluted by Wallace's candidacy. Through his first term, he pursued a [[Southern Strategy]] with policies, such as his desegregation plans, that would be broadly acceptable among Southern whites, encouraging them to realign with the Republicans in the aftermath of the [[civil rights movement]]. He nominated two Southern conservatives, [[Clement Haynsworth]] and [[G. Harrold Carswell]], to the Supreme Court, but neither was confirmed by the Senate.{{r|Mason-Small}}

Nixon entered his name on the New Hampshire primary ballot on January 5, 1972, effectively announcing his candidacy for reelection.{{sfn|Black|p=766}} Virtually assured the Republican nomination,{{sfn|Black|p=795}} the President had initially expected his Democratic opponent to be [[Massachusetts]] Senator [[Ted Kennedy|Edward M. Kennedy]] (brother of the [[John F. Kennedy|late President]]), who was largely removed from contention after the July 1969 [[Chappaquiddick incident]].{{sfn|Black|p=617}} Instead, [[Maine]] Senator [[Edmund Muskie]] became the front runner, with [[South Dakota]] Senator [[George McGovern]] in a close second place.{{sfn|Black|p=766}}

On June 10, McGovern won the California primary and secured the Democratic nomination.{{sfn|Black|p=816}} The following month, Nixon was renominated at the [[1972 Republican National Convention]]. He dismissed the Democratic platform as cowardly and divisive.{{sfn|Black|p=834}} McGovern intended to sharply reduce defense spending{{sfn|White|p=123}} and supported amnesty for draft evaders as well as [[abortion rights]]. With some of his supporters believed to be in favor of drug legalization, McGovern was perceived as standing for "amnesty, abortion and acid". McGovern was also damaged by his vacillating support for his original running mate, [[Missouri]] Senator [[Thomas Eagleton]], dumped from the ticket following revelations that he had received [[Electroconvulsive therapy|electroshock treatment]] for [[Major depressive disorder|depression]].{{sfn|''Time''|1972-08-14}}{{sfn|''Time''|1970-11-20}} Nixon was ahead in most polls for the entire election cycle, and was reelected on November 7, 1972, in [[List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin|one of the largest landslide election victories in American history]]. He defeated McGovern with over 60&nbsp;percent of the popular vote, losing only in Massachusetts and D.C.{{sfn|Parmet|p=629}}
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