McCarthy for President Peace

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Eugene McCarthy was a U.S. Congressman and Senator who ran for president against President Johnson in the 1968 race. He was encouraged to run by liberal antiwar activists looking for a peace candidate to run against Johnson. McCarthy had supported the Vietnam war until 1966, but agreed to run for President on a platform to end the war. His strong showing in early primaries encouraged Johnson to drop out of the race and Robert Kennedy to run. He was supported early on by many young people and antiwar activists, many of whom later left to join the Kennedy campaign. McCarthy lost to Vice President Hubert Humphrey in the Democratic Primary.