Thank you,efan,for these wonderful historic news programs. I have watched every election night since 1968 with the enthusiasm of a big sports event,good to relive them,even if my guy rarely wins. Where did these come from,in the years before VCRs?
Trivia regarding the North Carolina gubernatorial race. The losing Republican candidate, Congressman James Gardner, had made his fortune as it were as a co-owner of the first Hardee's franchise in Rocky Mount before entering politics.
Oh no problem, I feel the same way you do about it all! This was recorded on an early version of a VCR by the Vanderbilt TV News Archive. They have been around since August 1968 and record the network newscasts daily. The only downside to this is that they charge thousands of dollars for the complete coverages so I had to buy this from online sellers.
Two things did in the Dems in 1968. First: Bobby Kennedy's ill-fated decision to change his exit route at the last minute in the Ambassador Hotel; Second: Wallace running as a Third Party candidate and winning a number of states that were still reliably Democratic at that point.
With George Wallace, he also had enough of a vote turnout in most of the other states that (considering the actual margin of victory in those) could potentially have swung them even if the Wallace total was split between Humphrey and Nixon); including three states (North and South Carolina, Tennessee) where Wallace was the runner-up to Nixon.
Just to show you how much demographics have changed in Virginia, in 1968 Arlington and most of northern Virginia ran strong for Nixon. Today, that is the area that runs strongest for Democrats.
If Bobby Kennedy had lived to be the democratic party candidate for president in 1968 he would have won the election over Nixon by winning a few big states that Humphrey lost by narrow margins such as California, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, New Jersey, possibly Wisconsin, only in one big state would Bobby have lost which Humphrey did win : Texas with this being the case Bobby would have gotten about 100 to 110 electoral votes then Humphreys 190. Thus Bobby would have gotten approx. 300 electoral votes
They are high income areas,usually Republican,but now full of government workers,who lean Democratic. In 1968,the Republican party had not yet started opposing all big government,there was still a moderate wing. In 2012 they are so anti-government that it shows up in the voting patterns.
