South Bend, November 4, 1968
On the Evening Before the Election
On the evening before tomorrow’s election of the U.S. president, the outcome is still as uncertain as it was months ago. Hubert Humphrey has recently caught up with Nixon’s lead, while the third party candidate, George Wallace, has the South behind him. It is quite possible that the Wallace votes can thrust the election into the House of Representatives, if neither candidate of the two major parties wins a plurality of the electoral votes. The election would then be decided in January. The War in Vietnam has been the decisive issue of this election to the very end.
South Bend, November 6, 1968
A Very Close Election Result
During last night, Nixon and Humphrey were leading alternately. Until the morning hours nobody could tell for sure who would win this election. The East Coast voted solidly for the Democrats. Altogether, the Democratic Party machinery proved to be very tenacious. But the mood of the country indicates that a political era is coming to an end. For the first time also viewers in Europe, Australia and Asia could follow this most important election of the free world on television via satellite. By 9 a.m. the result was still open. Only toward 10 a.m. the news came through that Nixon was leading in Illinois, and with its 26 electoral votes has won the election. The result is extremely close. Total popular votes:
Nixon 27,905,165, Humphrey 27,663,293, and Wallace about 8,000,000.*
The two party system in America has again proven its strength. George Wallace was leading in the South, but with only 8 million votes his American Independent Party was left far behind. With the election of Richard Nixon, American-European relations will be revived. The main attention of U.S. foreign policy will again turn to Atlantic affairs.
*[According to The New York Times of 8 November 1968, the final results of the election are as follows: Nixon 30,446,028, Humphrey 30,122,715, and Wallace 9,184,703 votes. In the Senate the Democrats have 58, the Republicans 41, and in the House of Representatives the Democrats have 243, the Republicans 192 seats.]
South Bend, November 28, 1968
Thanksgiving Day
America enjoyed a very peaceful Thanksgiving Day with the traditional turkey, the Macy Department Store monster parade on 5th Avenue in New York, and watching a number of football games on television. Thanksgiving is the festive occasion of the family, when relatives from across the continent visit each other. A feeling of quiet and confidence has been spreading, as peace negotiations to end the War in Vietnam are forthcoming. After having gone smoothly through the presidential election, the general mood of the country is calming down. The period of transition from the election until the new president takes office is always a political breather in Washington. The change of administration, especially when the ruling party is leaving, brings about a large move of officials and politicians. Moving companies and realtors benefit the most from this transfer.