Election Night 1968 CBS News Part 7

More election fun with Uncle Walter!

[@hrtvfan2870]

Regarding the House pickup for the GOP in Virginia. The winner in that 2nd district race (then as now covering parts of Norfolk and Hampton) was Bill Whitehurst, who until deciding to run for that seat worked for the local CBS affiliate; WTAR-TV 3 (now WTKR).
Also related to that seat and a bit of trivia, Porter Hardy's daughter, Lynn Yeakel, ran unsuccessful for the Senate seat in Pennsylvania then held by then-incumbent Republican Senator Arlen Specter in 1992 (Specter, hardly a favorite of conservatives under normal circumstances, had been targeted mainly for his tough questioning of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings)

[@rivaridge7211]

Humphrey's win in PA blew the socks off of the Nixon crowd - HHH's very big vote margin in Philadelphia (and surrounding areas) surpassed even the best Democratic hopes and expectations. Nixon won almost everywhere else in PA - but Humphrey's lop-sided vote totals in Philadelphia allowed for him to carry the state's popular vote, and accordingly, the big electoral vote prize. The Democratic underdog had just snatched an electoral victory which had all along been considered "safe" for Republicans. Pennsylvania was Hubert Humphrey's happiest news on this very long election night. That sweet win - along with the huge block of electoral votes from New York (and much of New England - West Virginia, too!) made the hopes of the Humphrey crowd greatly rally - during those very late night/early morning election hours. Richard Nixon would later say that he (at times) had his doubts as to the outcome of this vote - and even prepared his family for yet another presidential election defeat. Hubert H. Humphrey was called the "Happy Warrior" for good reason - Richard Nixon feared and respected Humphrey in a way he never would (or could!) when considering another of his foe's for the US presidency - John Kennedy, eight years earlier. Hubert Humphrey, like Richard Nixon, came from very humble beginings - both of these men rose to the very top of their (respective) political parties -. The old-fashioned way! Via innate brilliance and sheer hard work.

[@moncorp1]

Things were different back then, with Democrats as a whole were much more conservative than they are now, even without the Dixiecrats. It would have been interesting to see how the election would have broke without Wallace in it. Even though Wallace won the south, it might have been different without him. A lot of yellow dogs in those states back then. Still don't think it was enough electoral votes to win for Humphrey though, even if he had taken every one of Wallace's states.

[@charlesritt5088]

@@moncorp1 Many liberal and moderate republicans back then anti vietnam war republicans did very well in 1966 with Charles percy in Illinois,Edward brooke in Massachusetts and Mark Hatfield in Oregaon defeating pro vietnam war Democrats.In 1968 in Maryland the winner in a 3 way race and the only candidate against the war in vietnam was the republican Charles mathias,politically a very different universe back then