The election of 1964 was one of the most important elections in American history. Lyndon Johnson was the incumbent of the race, becoming president only after John Kennedy was assassinated, and Barry Goldwater, a radical conservative and senator of Arizona. After Kennedy was assassinated and Johnson was sworn into office, the American people were in a state of shock and fear. This contributed to Johnson's campaign, because people were not ready for three presidents within eighteen months. Goldwater with an already tattered image from his extreme conservatism, found it hard to run against the current president, and lose. Johnson won the election by a landslide, leaving Goldwater with a mere 60 electoral votes. Although there were many factors that contributed to the phenomenal turn out of the polls, the war in Vietnam and the candidates personalities were the most influential.

The war in Vietnam, one of the most notable wars...