“Nixon wins by slim margin” read the front page of the New York Times on Thursday, November 7, 1968, two days after Election Day. Richard Nixon won about 4 times the margin he lost to John F. Kennedy in 1960. The madness that occurred during the election went hand in hand with the chaos of 1968. In this election there were three candidates: Richard Nixon of the Republican Party, Hubert Humphrey of the Democratic Party and George Wallace of the American Independent Party. The candidates didn't know it at the time, but they would become part of a presidential election that would help shape American politics into what it is today. The election of Richard Nixon in 1968 marked a turning point in American political ideology, ultimately sparking a conservative revolution that would last for much of the next 24 years. 1968 was one of the most chaotic and violent years in American history. During this year the Vietnam War was being fought and with the war came many protests. Over 40% of Americans were against the war, polarizing the nation. Nearly half a million American soldiers were fighting in Vietnam and the death toll was approaching 20,000 (Gould 7). To add to the madness, James Earl Ray assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. in March. As a result, crime rates were higher than ever. Murders, rapes, assaults and robberies have occurred far more than ever before. The number of reported crimes increased by 60% (Gould 14). Riots occurred in many cities such as Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The summer of 1968 was known as the “red hot summer” because of all these riots. The last madness that occurred before the 1968 election was the Democratic Primary season which ended with the Democratic National Convention in September... middle of paper... made possible by the collapse of the New Deal Order, due to disillusionment with the New Frontier and the Great Liberalism of Society" ("1968" n.pag.). Similarly, a PBS article on the 1968 presidential election considers the close election a mandate against the Democratic Party ("Thematic" n. .pag.) The 1968 election also marked the split of the South from the Democratic Party. Wallace's promise of segregation intrigued Southern male voters and then Nixon's Southern Strategy led them to the Republican Party can be seen in politics today. Southern states predominantly vote for the Republican Party in elections. Furthermore, the United States of America is still a fairly conservative nation, as demonstrated by the Republican majority in Congress and the majority of governors belonging to the party. Republican Party.