Robert F. Kennedy 1968 presidential campaign
Robert F. Kennedy for President 1968 | |
---|---|
Campaign | 1968 United States presidential election (Democratic primaries) |
Candidate | Robert F. Kennedy U.S. Senator from New York (1965–1968) |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Status | Announced: March 16, 1968 Assassinated: June 6, 1968 |
Key people | Joseph Gargan, chairman[1] |
The Robert F. Kennedy presidential campaign began on March 16, 1968, when
Background
When President John F. Kennedy was
In August, Kennedy made up his mind to run for the United States Senate from New York; defeating Republican incumbent Kenneth Keating who attempted to portray Kennedy as an arrogant "carpetbagger" from Massachusetts.[9][10] His opponents accused Kennedy of merely using the state as a convenient launching‐pad for the presidency.[11][12] In an interview with PBS, political journalist Midge Decter stated that "nobody, for one minute, expected that he was going into the Senate to stay there. It was understood that it was the next move on the way to reclaiming what was rightfully the Kennedys, namely, the White House."[13]
Announcement
Kennedy was a late entry in making a
In early February 1968, after the
By late February or early March 1968, Kennedy had finally made the decision to enter the race for president.
On March 16, Kennedy declared, "I am today announcing my candidacy for the presidency of the United States. I do not run for the presidency merely to oppose any man, but to propose new policies. I run because I am convinced that this country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be done, and I feel that I'm obliged to do all I can."
On March 17, Kennedy made his first campaign appearances by marching in the
On March 31, President Johnson stunned the nation by dropping out of the presidential race. He withdrew from the election during a televised speech, where he also announced a partial halt to the bombing of Vietnam and proposed peace negotiations with the North Vietnamese.
Policy positions
Kennedy ran on a platform of racial equality, economic justice, non-aggression in foreign policy, decentralization of power, law and order, tax reform, welfare reform and social improvement.[36][37][38][39] A crucial element of his campaign was youth engagement. "You are the people," Kennedy said, "who have the least ties to the present and the greatest stake in the future."[40]
According to Schlesinger, Kennedy's presidential campaign generated "wild enthusiasm" as well as deep anger.[41] He visited numerous small towns and made himself available to the masses by participating in long motorcades and street-corner stump speeches, often in inner cities.[42] Kennedy's candidacy faced opposition from Southern Democrats, leaders of organized labor, and the business community, where he was viewed as a fiscal liability.[43][44] At one of his university speeches (Indiana University Medical School), he was asked, "Where are we going to get the money to pay for all these new programs you're proposing?" He replied to the medical students, about to enter lucrative careers, "From you."[45]
The Republican think tank Ripon Society noted that Kennedy had paid compliments to moderate Republicans by advocating for tax and welfare reform, law and order and the cooperation of government and private enterprise in building housing and creating jobs.[46]
Vietnam War
Kennedy did not support an immediate withdrawal of U.S. military personnel from Vietnam or an immediate end to the war. He sought to end the conflict by strengthening the South Vietnamese military and reducing corruption within the South Vietnamese government. He supported a peace settlement between North and South Vietnam.[47]
Job opportunities and welfare reform
Kennedy argued that increased government cooperation with private enterprise would reduce housing and employment woes in the United States.[47] He also argued that the focus of welfare spending should be shifted more towards improving credit and income for farmers.[47]
Law and order
In 1968, Kennedy expressed his strong willingness to support a bill that was under consideration for the abolition of the death penalty.
Gun control
Kennedy supported laws that would reduce casual firearm purchases.[50] He said he believed in keeping firearms away from "people who have no business" with them—specifying criminals, individuals with mental health issues, and minors as classes of persons who should be prevented from purchasing firearms.[51][52]
Tax reform
Kennedy argued for legislation, which would reform flagrant tax loopholes.[47]
Campaign
Opinion polling
A
Primaries
April: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts
After President Johnson's withdrawal, the Wisconsin primary on April 2 was effectively uncontested. Senator Eugene McCarthy won 56–35%; Kennedy received 6 percent as a
May 7: Indiana
On March 27, 1968, Kennedy announced his intention to run against McCarthy in the Indiana primary. His aides told him that a race in Indiana would be an extremely tight race and advised him against it.[66] Despite the concerns of his advisors, Kennedy traveled to Indianapolis the following day and filed to run in the Indiana primary. At the Indiana Statehouse, Kennedy told a cheering crowd that the state was important to his campaign: "If we can win in Indiana, we can win in every other state, and win when we go to the convention in August."[67]
On April 4, 1968, Kennedy made his first campaign stop in Indiana at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, followed by a speech at Ball State University in Muncie. In his speech at Ball State, Kennedy suggested that the 1968 election would "determine the direction that the United States is going to move" and that the American people should "examine everything. Not take anything for granted."[68] In addition, Kennedy enumerated his concerns about poverty and hunger, lawlessness and violence, jobs and economic development, and foreign policy. He emphasized that Americans had a "moral obligation"[clarification needed] and should "make an honest effort to understand one another and move forward together."[68]
Before boarding a plane to attend campaign rallies in Indianapolis, Kennedy learned that Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot in Memphis. Upon arrival, Kennedy was informed that King had died.[69] Despite fears of riots and concerns for his safety, Kennedy went ahead with plans to attend a rally at 7th and Broadway—an African American neighborhood near the north side of Indianapolis. That evening he addressed the crowd, many of whom had not heard about King's assassination. Instead of the rousing campaign speech they expected, Kennedy offered brief, impassioned remarks for peace.[70] That night, riots erupted in over 100 cities (but not Indianapolis); 43 people were killed and over 3,000 were injured.[71]
The following day, Kennedy addressed the City Club of Cleveland at the Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel in Ohio; delivering the famous "On the Mindless Menace of Violence" speech.[72] After attending King's funeral in Atlanta, Kennedy turned his attention back to the primary campaign. He drew huge crowds at campaign stops across the country.[73] Kennedy's Indiana campaign resumed on April 10.[74]
Kennedy's campaign advisor, John Bartlow Martin, urged the candidate to speak out against violence and rioting, emphasize his "law enforcement experience" as former U.S. attorney general, and promote the idea that the federal government and the private sector should work together to solve domestic issues. Martin also urged Kennedy to speak out on the war in Vietnam—support for the cessation of hostilities and reallocating war funds to domestic programs were ideas which "always got applause."[75] To appeal to Indiana's more-conservative voters, Kennedy "toned down his rhetoric" as well.[73]
Kennedy delivered a speech before the Indianapolis real estate board on May 2, advocating for reliance on private enterprise instead of the federal government. During this speech, Kennedy argued that the national economy would be "restored" by the Vietnam War's conclusion.[76]
The Indiana primary was held on May 7: Kennedy won with 42 percent of the vote; Governor Roger D. Branigin (a "favorite son candidate" and stand-in for Johnson)[77] was second with 31 percent of the vote; and McCarthy, earning 27 percent, came in third.[78][79]
May 7: Washington, D.C.
On May 7, Kennedy won the Washington, D.C. primary with 62.5 percent of the vote; Humphrey received 37.5 percent.[80][81] Two-thirds of Washington's 810,000 residents were African American, and Kennedy's campaign staff successfully geared its efforts to win their support. "But here a light turnout and Mr. Humphrey's inaction," reported the Washington Post, "makes this only mildly interesting as a test for popularity."[82]
May 14: Nebraska
Campaigning vigorously in Nebraska, Kennedy hoped for a big win to give him momentum going into the California primary, in which McCarthy held a strong presence. While McCarthy made only one visit to Nebraska, Kennedy made numerous appearances.
Kennedy won the Nebraska primary on May 14, with 51.4 percent of the vote to McCarthy's 31 percent.
May 28: Oregon
In contrast to Nebraska, the Oregon primary posed several challenges to Kennedy's campaign. His campaign organization, run by U.S. Congresswoman Edith Green, was not strong and his platform emphasizing poverty, hunger, and minority issues did not resonate with Oregon voters.[88][89] Mills wrote the following about Kennedy's calls for unity amongst Americans: "As far as Oregonians were concerned, America had not fallen apart."[90] The Kennedy campaign circulated material on McCarthy's record; McCarthy had voted against a minimum wage law and repeal of the poll tax in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The McCarthy campaign responded with charges that Kennedy illegally taped Martin Luther King Jr. as U.S. attorney general. Kennedy admitted these mentions of McCarthy's record did not bother his supporters.[91]
Ten days ahead of the primary, Kennedy recognized the uphill battle he faced in winning the primary: "This state is like one giant suburb. I appeal best to people who have problems."[50] During a speech he gave in California, Kennedy said, "I think that if I get beaten in any primary, I am not a very viable candidate." The comment further intensified the importance of the Oregon primary.[91] Kennedy realized that losing the Oregon primary would pose a risk to his credibility and began what Dary G. Richardson dubbed an "Olympian-like pace". He campaigned for sixteen hours a day; in the weeks before the election, his campaign canvased 50,000 homes.[92] During a May 27 campaign stop in Roseburg, Oregon, Kennedy made an impassioned appeal for federal gun control legislation. "At the present moment, a person who is insane, a man with a long criminal record of killing a dozen people, can go in and buy a rifle," Kennedy remarked.[93]
On May 28, McCarthy won the Oregon primary with 44.7 percent; Kennedy received 38.8 percent of votes.[94] After Kennedy's loss was confirmed, Kennedy sent a congratulatory message to McCarthy in which he asserted that he would remain in the race.[95]
June 4: California and South Dakota
Kennedy began campaigning in California before the Oregon primary; after his loss in Oregon, California's winner-take-all primary became crucial to both his and McCarthy's campaigns.[96] In South Dakota, he also hoped to simultaneously pull off an upset victory over McCarthy and Humphrey, both from neighboring Minnesota.[97] For Kennedy, a defeat could have ended his hopes of securing the nomination.[98]
On June 1, Kennedy and McCarthy met in a televised debate on ABC's "Issues and Answers",[99] which observers generally considered a draw.[100] "It was a conversation rather than a debate," said The New York Times, "and it demonstrated that the two rivals are in substantial agreement on every major issue."[101] Though Kennedy considered the debate "indecisive and disappointing," subsequent polling showed that undecided voters favored his performance by a margin of two-to-one.[102]
On June 3, Kennedy made a "final dash" through the state's major urban centers, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego; along with suburban Long Beach, in a single day.[103] As his motorcade moved slowly through cheering crowds in San Francisco's Chinatown, gun shots appeared to ring out. However, it was just the sound of celebratory firecrackers.[104] The campaign entourage and traveling press were all "scared to death," recalled Bill Eppridge, a Life magazine photographer in the car just ahead of the Kennedys.[105] Polls by CBS showed Kennedy leading McCarthy by 7 percent.[106] On June 4, Kennedy won the California primary with 46 percent of the vote to McCarthy's 42 percent.[107] Author Joseph Palermo referred to the victory as Kennedy's "greatest."[108] Kennedy also won the South Dakota primary, winning approximately 50 percent of the vote.[109] He was now in second place with 393 total delegates, against Humphrey's 561 delegates.[110] Around midnight on June 5, Kennedy addressed supporters at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, confidently promising to heal the many divisions within the country.[111] At approximately 12:10 a.m., concluding his victory speech, Kennedy said: "So my thanks to all of you and on to Chicago and let's win there."[112]
Assassination
After addressing his supporters during the early morning hours of June 5, Kennedy left the Ambassador Hotel's ballroom through a service area to greet kitchen workers. In a crowded kitchen passageway, Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian-born Jordanian,[113] opened fire with a .22 caliber revolver and mortally wounded Kennedy. Following the shooting, Kennedy was rushed to Central Receiving Hospital and then transferred to The Good Samaritan Hospital, where he died early in the morning on June 6.[114][115]
Kennedy's body was returned to New York City, where he lay in repose at
"My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."[116]
Kennedy concluded the eulogy by paraphrasing
Kennedy's death continues to be the subject of much historical analysis, in addition to multiple conspiracy theories.[118]
Relationships with groups and people
Black communities
Kennedy had been a supporter of the civil rights movement.[119] During the campaign, there were signs in black neighborhoods that read "Kennedy white but alright / The one before, he opened the door."[120] In the Indiana primary, Kennedy secured 86% of the black vote.[121] His performance was strongest in cities with the largest black populations.[122] Richardson noted that Kennedy was appealing to low-earning black voters. Kennedy had received support from black people by "an overwhelming margin."[56] Support amongst black voters was one of the key factors in Kennedy's victory in Indiana, where he gave a notable speech on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Indianapolis days before the primary took place.[123] Samuel Lubell argued that the victory was partially inspired by Kennedy's support for corporate attempts to hire blacks; he wrote that Kennedy had largely won "the Negro wards."[124][125] However, Indianapolis Star journalist Will Higgins noted that Kennedy got a boost from the King assassination speech, which, unlike many other American cities, aided Indianapolis in being spared of riots.[123] Higgins also noted that the crowd which Kennedy spoke with that evening was estimated to be only 2,500 people.[123]
In the Nebraska primary, Kennedy ended his campaigning in the state with a speech in a black neighborhood in
Working class whites
Kennedy had broad support among blue-collar white voters during the campaign.[57] Schmitt observed that "It was the allure of Kennedy as a bare knuckles advocate for their interests that led some of these same white voters to support the insurgent candidacy of George Wallace in the fall of 1968."[57] An internal memo released during the Indiana primary showed that Kennedy-backing voters had favorable opinions of Wallace.[57] Samuel Lubell, though noting Kennedy's support among blacks, stated that he "had also carried the racially sensitive low-income white workers who come in from rural areas to settle in east Omaha."[124]
Farmworkers
Kennedy endeared himself to
Hispanics
Cesar Chavez claimed there were fifty Hispanics supporting the Kennedy campaign for every one that had backed his brother's campaign eight years prior.[131] In the California primary, 95% of voting Hispanics supported Kennedy and he won 100% in several precincts.[60] By the time of the primary, he had become "the leading candidate among Latinos in California."[133] Hispanic input heavily impacted Kennedy's victory.[134]
Lyndon B. Johnson
Even before Kennedy announced his candidacy, President Lyndon B. Johnson was convinced that Kennedy wanted to challenge him.[135] Johnson was convinced that his presidency would be "trapped forever between the two Kennedys" administrations.[121] Jeff Shesol wrote that Johnson took the prospect of a contentious primary seriously, after having underestimated the political skillfulness of John F. Kennedy in 1960.[136] During a December 19, 1967 press conference, Johnson said the following about what he called the Kennedy-McCarthy movement: "I don't know what the effect of the Kennedy-McCarthy movement is having in the country ...I am not privileged to all of the conversations that have taken place ...I do know of the interest of both of them in the Presidency and the ambition of both of them."[137] Prior to Kennedy's announcement of his intentions to run, close friend Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote in a journal that he'd never seen Kennedy "so torn about anything...I think that he cannot bear the thought of consigning the country to four more years of LBJ, without having done something to avert this."[138]
Kennedy announced his candidacy after Johnson almost lost the New Hampshire primary. The day after announcing his candidacy, Kennedy predicted that Johnson would lose the general election if he was the party's nominee, if he continued to "follow the same policies we are following at the moment."
Kennedy was at his apartment in the United Nations Plaza the night President Johnson announced his withdrawal from the primary, though unlike his supporters he was not optimistic about the news. He reportedly said, "The joy is premature."[144] Smith observed that Johnson's withdrawal meant Kennedy would have to shift the focus of his critiques from the administration's policies on the Vietnam War.[145] Shesol wrote that Kennedy moved to a praising tone of Johnson, crediting Johnson with fulfillment of "the policies of thirty years" during an April 1 appearance in New Jersey. While in Philadelphia, he called Johnson's withdrawal an "act of leadership and sacrifice."[146] On April 3, 1968, three days after President Johnson announced that he would not seek the nomination, Kennedy and the president met at the White House. When asked about his intentions for the primary, Johnson replied: "Stay out of it." Although Johnson's withdrawal from the race meant Vice-President Humphrey would enter, Kennedy had gained the president's declaration of neutrality.[147] In comments to Henry Ford II and Gregory Peck, Johnson concluded that Kennedy won his June debate with McCarthy.[60]
Eugene McCarthy
After the primaries, Senator Eugene McCarthy claimed that Kennedy had promised in November 1967 that he would not run.[148] Prior to entering the race, Kennedy worried McCarthy lacked a platform, as the latter had rarely spoken about domestic issues. In mid-March, Ted Kennedy attempted to broker "a political deal" where his brother would remain out of the race, if McCarthy spoke out on domestic problems. McCarthy declined and the refusal propelled Schlesinger's unsuccessful suggestion that Kennedy endorse McCarthy.[149] The day before Kennedy announced his entry into the primary, he told reporters Hayne Johnson and Jack Newfield: "I can't be a hypocrite anymore. I just don't believe Gene McCarthy would be a good president. If it had been George McGovern who had run in New Hampshire, I wouldn't have gotten into it. But what has McCarthy ever done for the ghettos or for the poor?"[55]
The day Kennedy announced his entry into the primary, McCarthy reversed his decision to not enter the Indiana primary; he didn't want to help Kennedy's chances of winning any primaries.[150] According to Dominic Sandbrook, Kennedy's entry into the primary caused a shift in McCarthy's campaign—McCarthy was forced to further develop his own platform, instead of merely being antagonistic to the Johnson administration's policies.[151] Walter LaFeber believed that animosity between the Kennedy and McCarthy campaigns had grown by the end of March.[121] Following President Johnson's withdrawal from the primary, McCarthy said: "Up to now Bobby was Jack running against Lyndon. Now Bobby has to run against Jack."[152] Mills wrote that Kennedy's focus on providing assistance for the poor and powerless during the Indiana primary was meant to highlight an issue that the McCarthy campaign had neglected.[153] After his Nebraska victory, Kennedy said that McCarthy supporters should support him to prevent the nomination of Humphrey at the Democratic National Convention.[58] McCarthy rebuked Kennedy's proposals about fixing cities during a late May speech at University of California, Davis.[154] The McCarthy campaign believed that if Kennedy did well enough to survive the California primary, it would lead to a fractured Democratic National Convention where McCarthy would be the alternative for those opposed to both Kennedy and Humphrey.[155] After Kennedy's assassination, some Kennedy advisors joined the McCarthy campaign with plans for supporting it toward gaining the nomination.[156]
Hubert Humphrey
Two days after Kennedy announced his candidacy, Vice President Hubert Humphrey said that RFK had supported the JFK administration's policies on the Vietnam conflict. Humphrey's office produced a statement from Kennedy, written six years prior, saying the U.S. would win in Vietnam.[157]
Kennedy was in Nebraska when Humphrey entered the race on April 27. Kennedy welcomed Humphrey into the race, saying Humphrey's candidacy offered "clear alternatives" between the Johnson administration's policies and those of the primary candidates.[158]
LaFeber wrote that Humphrey's entry seemed to be hinged entirely on President Johnson's distaste at the idea of Kennedy being the party's nominee in the general election.[159] Kennedy took direct aim at Humphrey's "politics of joy" line during his announcement speech while campaigning in Indiana: "It is easy to say this is the politics of happiness—but if you see children starving in the Delta of Mississippi and despair on the Indian reservations, then you know that everybody in America is not satisfied."[160]
The morning after his Oregon loss, Kennedy hosted a Los Angeles airport press conference in which he critiqued Humphrey for what he called an inability "to present his views to the voters of a single state."[161] Kennedy also emphasized that there would be no anti-war presidential candidate, if Humphrey were the Democratic nominee in the general election against Republican Richard Nixon.[162] After winning the California primary, Kennedy said that he intended to follow Humphrey "all over the country" in pursuit of the nomination.[156][163]
Reflecting on Kennedy's assassination, Humphrey said: "I was doing everything I could to get the nomination, but God knows I didn't want it that way."[164] Humphrey went on to become the Democratic Party's nominee in the general election.
Richard J. Daley
Shortly before entering the race, on February 8, 1968, Kennedy met with
Richard Nixon
After President Johnson withdrew from the primary, Nixon commented that Kennedy seemed favored for the nomination.[166] When Richard Nixon heard that Kennedy had announced his candidacy, Nixon reportedly said, "We've just seen some very terrible forces unleashed. Something bad is going to come out of this."[167] However, Nixon was relieved by Kennedy's entry into the Democratic primary—he believed the divisions created by Kennedy's candidacy would be an advantage for Republicans. In April, Nixon proposed a debate between Kennedy and himself.[168] Nixon, who during his own campaign for the presidency spoke about federal power to the states and economic empowerment for blacks in a late May speech, said: "Bobby and I have been sounding pretty much alike."[154] Kennedy tied with Nixon in polls conducted in the latter part of 1967.[169] When Kennedy was announced the winner of the California primary, Nixon told his family: "It sure looks like we'll be going against Bobby."[170]
Kennedy family
Kennedy's wife, Ethel, regularly joined Kennedy when he was campaigning. His brother Ted and brother-in-law Steve Smith, were involved in the campaign as informal advisors.[171] His sisters Jean Kennedy Smith and Patricia Kennedy Lawford were in the entourage of the Kennedy campaign at the Ambassador Hotel after Kennedy won the California primary.[172] Kennedy met with his father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., ahead of making the announcement; the elder Kennedy dropped his head "to his chest in regret." Bzdek wrote, "He no longer wished to see three sons as president; he only wished to see the last two alive."[173]
Endorsements
- Organizations
- U.S. Congress
- Ralph Yarborough, Senator from Texas (1957-1971)[175]
- State officials
- Philip H. Hoff, 73rd Governor of Vermont[176]
- Notable individuals
- Lauren Bacall, actress[177][178][179]
- Warren Beatty, actor[180][179]
- Candice Bergen, actress[179]
- Milton Berle, actor[177][181][179]
- Joey Bishop, comedian[182]
- Bill Cosby, actor and comedian[183][179]
- Rosemary Clooney, singer and actress[179]
- Tony Curtis, actor[184][179]
- Bobby Darin, singer[185][179]
- Marlene Dietrich, actress and singer[177][187][179]
- Kirk Douglas, actor[179]
- Henry Fonda, actor[188][179]
- Lesley Gore, singer[189]
- Michael Harrington, author of The Other America[175][190]
- Rita Hayworth, actress[177][191][179]
- Mahalia Jackson, singer[177][192][179]
- Jefferson Airplane, band[179]
- Gene Kelly, actor[179]
- Peter Lawford, actor[193]
- Janet Leigh, actress[177][194][179]
- Jack Lemmon, actor[195][179]
- Trini Lopez, singer[177][196][179]
- Shirley MacLaine, actress[197][179]
- Henry Mancini, composer[175][179]
- Melina Mercouri, actress and singer[198][179]
- Elizabeth Montgomery, actress[177][199][179]
- Kim Novak, actress[177][200][179]
- Jack Paar, talk show host[201][179]
- Gregory Peck, actor[179]
- Sidney Poitier, actor[177][202][179]
- Otto Preminger, film director[175][203][179]
- Rod Steiger, actor[204][179]
- Connie Stevens, actress and singer[177]
- John Fell Stevenson, son of Adlai Stevenson II, Democratic presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956[175][205]
- David Susskind, film producer[206][179]
- Marlo Thomas, actress[177][207][179]
- Andy Williams, singer[179]
- Nancy Wilson, singer[179]
- Shelley Winters, actress[177][208][179]
See also
Notes
- ^ Damore, Leo (1988). Senatorial Privilege; The Chappaquiddick Cover-up. New York: Dell Publishing. p. 64.
- ISBN 0-7656-1119-8.
- Daily Beast. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ISBN 0-7656-1119-8.
- ISBN 978-1620402825.
- ^ Shesol, Jeff (1998). Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and the Feud that Defined a Decade. W. W. Norton. p. 179.
- ^ Shesol, Jeff (1998). Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and the Feud that Defined a Decade. W. W. Norton. p. 180.
- ^ Shesol, Jeff (1998). Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and the Feud that Defined a Decade. W. W. Norton. p. 180.
- ^ Levy, Daniel S. (June 5, 2018). "Robert F. Kennedy Was Killed While Campaigning for President. Here's What Drove Him to Run". TIME.
- History.com.
- ^ "Another Senator Kennedy?". The New York Times. May 16, 1964. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- ^ Tye, Larry (2017). Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon. Random House Publishing Group. pp. 319–320.
- ^ "The Kennedys". PBS American Experience.
- ISBN 978-0684834801.
- ^ ISBN 978-0253350893.
- ISBN 978-0230613676.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Clark, Thurston (June 2008). "The Last Good Campaign". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2012-05-18. Excerpt from The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and the 82 Days that Inspired America (New York, Henry Holt, 2008) by Thurston Clark.
- ^ Thomas, p. 356.
- ^ a b Thomas, p. 357.
- ^ Thomas, pp. 357–358.
- ^ PBS, "American Experience" (2004-07-01). "RFK, People and Events: Cesar Chavez". PBS. Archived from the original on 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
- ^ Schlesinger, Arthur M. (1978). Robert Kennedy and His Times. Vol. 2 (book club ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 884.
- ^ Thomas, p. 359.
- ^ Kennedy, Robert F., "Robert F. Kennedy's Announcement of his candidacy for president" Archived 2012-02-05 at the Wayback Machine (speech, Washington, DC, 1968-03-16). Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- ^ Thomas, p. 360.
- Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who died of cancer in August 2009, chaired hearings in the room on a health-care bill that bore his name. CNN Political Tracker blog (2009-09-14). "Senate Caucus Room renamed to honor Kennedy brothers". CNN Political Tracker. Retrieved 2012-05-18.)
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help - ^ Schlesinger, p. 860.
- ^ Tye, p. 405.
- ^ "1968, A Seismic Year" (PDF). John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
Robert F. Kennedy campaigns for the presidency in South Boston, Massachusetts, March 17, 1968
- ^ Kennedy, Robert F., "Remarks at the University of Kansas" (speech, Lawrence, KS, 1968-03-18), John F. Kennedy Library. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
- ^ Thomas, p. 365.
- ISBN 9780393018066.
- ^ Schlesinger, p. 923.
- ^ Solberg, pp. 327–328.
- ISBN 9781568024516.
- ^ "Robert F. Kennedy 1968 for President Campaign Brochure". Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ Newfield, Jack (1969). RFK: A Memoir. pp. 36–37, 73–74.
- ^ Schlesinger (2002) [1978], p. xii, xv.
- ^ "Robert F. Kennedy and the 1968 Campaign". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.
- ^ Sullivan, Patricia (2021). Justice Rising: Robert Kennedy's America in Black and White. Harvard University Press. p. 393.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Schlesinger 2002 1978, p. xvi
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Clarke, p. 26, 166, 255.
- ^ Newfield, Jack (1969). RFK: A Memoir. p. 230.
- ^ Zeitz, Joshua (June 5, 2018). "The Bobby Kennedy Myth". Politico.
- ^ Thomas, p. 371.
- ^ Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party; Geoffrey Kabaservice, 2012
- ^ a b c d e Robert F. Kennedy 1968 for President Campaign Brochure Accessed May 20, 2018.
- John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Archived from the originalon 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
- ^ Kahlenberg, Richard. "The Inclusive Populism of Robert F. Kennedy". The Century Foundation. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ a b "New Robert F. Kennedy biography examines historic loss in Oregon presidential primary". oregonlive.com. July 5, 2016. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016.
- ^ "In 1968 Robert F. Kennedy called for gun control, in Roseburg (video)". oregonlive.com. October 4, 2015. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016.
- ^ Levenson, Eric (October 6, 2015). "Video: Robert F. Kennedy once spoke about gun control in Roseburg, Oregon". Boston.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016.
- ^ Shesol, p. 305.
- ^ Shesol, p. 344.
- ^ ISBN 978-0595236992.
- ^ a b Richardson, pp. 87–89.
- ^ a b c d Schmitt, pp. 210–211.
- ^ ISBN 978-0791461693.
- ^ "Hubert Tops Pennsylvania Delegate Poll". Chicago Tribune. May 27, 1968.
- ^ ISBN 978-0791461693.
- ^ Clarke, p. 262.
- ^ "McCarthy Wins Easily in Wisconsin Primary". St. Petersburg Times. April 3, 1968. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ISBN 9780393018066.
- ^ Richardson, Darcy G. (2002). A Nation Divided: The 1968 Presidential Campaign. p. 81.
- ^ Rosen, Adele M. (May 1, 1968). "Rocky Shines in Primary; Kennedy Edges Humphrey". The Harvard Crimson.
- ^ Herbers, John (March 28, 1968). "Kennedy to Enter Indiana's PrimaryE". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- ^ Boomhower, p. 43.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Robert F., "Speech at Ball State University" (speech, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 1968-04-04). Retrieved 2012-05-24.
- ^ Boomhower, pp. 62–63.
- ^ Boomhower, pp. 67–68.
- ^ Thomas, p. 368.
- ^ "On The Mindless Menace of Violence". The City Club of Cleveland. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Thomas, p. 369.
- ^ Boomhower, p. 76.
- ^ Boomhower, p. 78.
- ^ Manly, Chesely (May 3, 1968). "Kennedy Tells Housing Plan". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Thomas, p. 369.
- ^ Thomas, p. 375.
- ^ PBS, "American Experience". "Shock Year: 1968 – May 7, Indiana Primary". PBS. Archived from the original on 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
- ^ "Fast Facts about Robert F. Kennedy". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.
- ^ "KENNEDY CAPTURES CAPITAL'S DELEGATES". The New York Times. New York, New York. May 8, 1972. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ Wainstock, Dennis (2012). Election Year 1968: The Turning Point. Enigma Books. p. 78.
- ^ a b Thomas, p. 377.
- ^ Clarke, pp. 194–195.
- ISBN 9780312161309.
- ^ Mills, p. 428.
- ^ Schlesinger, p. 929.
- ^ Dooley, p. 129.
- ^ Schlesinger, p. 906.
- ISBN 978-1562942502.
- ^ a b Gould, p. 73.
- ^ ISBN 978-0595236992.
- ^ "Watch: RFK talks gun control in Roseburg, Oregon in 1968". CBS News.
- ^ Thomas, p. 382.
- ^ Korman, Seymour (May 29, 1968). "McCarthy Defeats Bobby". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Remembering Robert F. Kennedy". California Secretary of State.
- ^ Clarke, p. 156.
- ^ Thomas, p. 24.
- ^ Wainstock, Dennis (2012). Election Year 1968: The Turning Point. Enigma Books. p. 86.
- ^ Schlesinger, pp. 910–912.
- ^ Wainstock, Dennis (2012). Election Year 1968: The Turning Point. Enigma Books. p. 89.
- ^ Mills 1998, p. 443.
- ^ Schlesinger, p. 912.
- ^ Schlesinger, p. 912.
- ^ Thomas, pp. 24–25.
- ^ Clarke, p. 265.
- ^ Clarke, p. 268.
- ^ Palermo, Joseph A. (2001). In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Columbia University Press. p. 245.
- ^ Clarke, p. 266.
- ^ Smith, Jeffrey K. (2010). Bad Blood: Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy, and the Tumultuous 1960s. p. 266.
- ^ Thomas, p. 387.
- ^ "Remembering Robert Kennedy 50 Years After His Assassination". CBS News.
- ^ Martinez, Michael (2011-03-01). "Sirhan Sirhan, convicted RFK assassin, to face parole board". CNN. Archived from the original on 2012-11-10. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
- ^ Issenberg, Sasha (2008-06-05). "Slaying gave US a first taste of Mideast terror". Boston.com. The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- ^ Dooley, p. 140.
- ^ a b "Edward M. Kennedy Address at the Public Memorial Service for Robert F. Kennedy". American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ Thomas, p. 393.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
- ISBN 978-0393340761.
- ISBN 978-0805077926.
- ^ ISBN 978-0742543928.
- ^ a b Cohen, p. 129.
- ^ a b c Higgins, Will (April 2, 2015). "April 4, 1968: How RFK saved Indianapolis". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Stricherz, Mark (February 21, 2008). "The Death of the Bobby Kennedy Coalition". Crisis Magazine.
- ISBN 978-1594032059.
- ^ Tye, p. 430.
- ^ Tye, Larry (July 7, 2016). "The Most Trusted White Man in Black America". Politico. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016.
- ^ Cohen, p. 82.
- ^ Pawel, Miriam. The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography. Bloomsbury Press. p. 170.
- ^ Tye, p. 359.
- ^ ISBN 978-0748638949.
- ISBN 978-1440803802.
- ^ Capps, Steven A. (May 31, 1998). "30 YEARS AGO: Remembering Robert F. Kennedy's California campaign". Kitsapsun.com.
- ^ Caldwell, Christopher (January 26, 2000). "The Electorate Bobby Built". Archived from the original on January 24, 2015.
- ISBN 978-1452084435.
- ^ Shesol, p. 309.
- ISBN 978-0791461693.
- ^ Smith, p. 235.
- ^ King, William (March 18, 1968). "Bobby Has Grave Reservations About Backing LBJ in '68 Race". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Clarke, p. 29.
- ISBN 978-0199777563.
- ISBN 978-1566630092.
- ^ Bzdek, p. 136.
- ^ Shesol, p. 439.
- ^ Smith, p. 244.
- ^ Shesol, pp. 446–447.
- ISBN 978-0743203296.
- ISBN 978-1400041053.
- ^ Smith, p. 237.
- ISBN 978-1936274413.
- ^ Sandbrook, pp. 187–188.
- ^ Cohen, p. 115.
- ^ Mills, p. 401.
- ^ a b Cohen, p. 123.
- ^ Cohen, p. 136.
- ^ a b Mills, p. 446.
- ^ "RFK Reverses Self On Viet, Hubert Says". Chicago Tribune. March 19, 1968.
- ^ "Bobby Welcomes Hubert to Vote Race". Chicago Tribune. April 28, 1968.
- ^ LaFeber, p. 122.
- ^ Solberg, p. 333.
- ^ Schlesinger, p. 907.
- ^ Mills, p. 438.
- ^ Thomas, p. 388.
- ISBN 978-0873514736.
- ^ Savage, pp. 308–309.
- ^ Gould, p. 48.
- ^ Clarke, pp. 22–24.
- ISBN 978-1586485191.
- ISBN 978-0393318555.
- ISBN 978-0333230213.
I believed that Hubert Humphrey had waited too long before declaring his candidacy, and I saw no way a Kennedy juggernaut could be stopped once it had acquired the momentum of a California victory.
- ^ Bzdek, p. 133.
- ISBN 978-1250032959.
- ISBN 978-0230613676.
- ^ "Here's What RFK Did in California in 1968".
- ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference
multiple endorsements
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
obit
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Cite error: The named reference
celebrity endorsements
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ""1968 Presidential Race"".
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ LIFE; May 10, 1968
- ^ LIFE; May 10, 1968
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ LIFE; May 10, 1968
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ LIFE; May 10, 1968
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ LIFE; May 10, 1968
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ “Celebrities Endorse Candidates,” Daily Collegian (State College, PA), May 5, 1968.
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
- ^ In His Own Right: The Political Odyssey of Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Joseph Palermo, 2001
Bibliography
- Clarke, Thurston (June 2008). "The Last Good Campaign". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2014-12-20.
- Damore, Leo (1988). Senatorial Privilege: The Chappaquiddick Cover-up. New York: Dell Publishing. ISBN 0-440-20416-X.
- Hersh, Burton (2007). Bobby and J. Edgar: The Historic Face-Off Between the Kennedys and J. Edgar Hoover That Transformed America. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0786719822.