The war in Vietnam has been influential in policy and decision making for decades following the end of the war. Public opinion has a strong influence over decisions made by presidents during wartime. This strategy can be used to bring troops home or to find a fast solution to ending a war. Wars can be used to make or break a presidency. If a president makes unpopular decisions during his presidency, it will reflect in the polls. Americans have used many methods of getting their voices heard; one of the most popular is anti-war protests. Decisions made by presidents reflect public opinion. .
Public opinion has always played a crucial role in any war. This can determine if a president is re-elected or not. An example of this is Lyndon B. Johnson, who in 1967, the year before an election year, traveled to Vietnam and declared a victory. The public wanted a victory, and if Johnson did not produce one, he knew he did not stand a chance of re-election. In 1968, Johnson did not run for president again because of the continuance of the war in Vietnam. Democratic nominee, Richard Nixon, used Johnson's failure to help him gain election. He promised a quick, decisive end to the war. In his Republican nomination acceptance speech he declared, " When the strongest nation in the world can be tied down for four years in a war in Vietnam with no end in sight, when the richest nation in the world cannot manage its economy, when the nation with the greatest tradition of the rule of war is plagued by unprecedented racial violence, when the President of the United States cannot travel abroad, or to any major city at home, then its time for new leadership for the United States." Previous proof of this concept was Harry Truman during the Korean War. When North Korea invaded South, Truman was blamed, which led to him not running for the presidency again. The United States does not fully support war, especially when the effect of the war is not seen in the United States.
