States. Although Strauss did not regard himself as part of the President's inner circle of political advisers, Connally certainly was, and Strauss's connection to Connally brought him closer to the President. In Texas, Connally was finding himself at odds with the more liberal wing of his party. Democrats were becoming divided over the Vietnam War on the national stage. Johnson solicited Strauss's advice on the issue. Strauss feared that continued involvement in the war was a mistake endangering Johnson's presidency. However, he felt too intimidated by the imposing Johnson to share his true feelings. Strauss immediately regretted withholding his genuine opinion from Johnson. He resolved that if any president ever sought his advice again, Strauss would tell him the truth regardless of what he wanted to hear. National political activity The 1968 presidential election brought the Republican Richard Nixon to power and left the Democratic Party deeply divided. Strauss had long expected that his friend, Connally, would run for president and hoped that he would seek the Democratic nomination in the next election. Strauss opened a Washington, D.C., office for his law firm and became Treasurer of the Democratic Party in 1970. However, less than a year later, Connally accepted an invitation from Nixon to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. Strauss resigned from his treasurer position in 1972. In 1972, the Democrats nominated George McGovern, and Connally supported Nixon. McGovern and the Democrats suffered a crushing defeat, losing in 49 of the 50 states. Strauss was then elected Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Although emboldened by its success in 1974, the party had no obvious frontrunner for the presidential nomination in 1976. While remaining studiously neutral in the struggle for the nomination, Strauss carefully rebuilt the party's finances and planned a tightly-disciplined national convention in New York City to erase memories of the chaotic gatherings of 1968 and 1972. By the time the Democrats met at Madison Square Garden, the nomination had been secured by an unexpected candidate, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. Strauss expertly managed the convention. At the 1972 convention, party infighting had delayed candidate McGovern's acceptance speech until late at night, when the television audience had gone to sleep. Strauss made sure that Carter's acceptance speech ran in prime time, and the convention ended with a memorable tableau: the leaders of the party's opposing wings, conservative George Wallace and liberal George McGovern, flanking Carter with