Nixon 's Democratic opponent in the general election was Vice President Hubert Humphrey , who was nominated at a convention marked by violent protests . Throughout the campaign , Nixon portrayed himself as a figure of stability during a period of national unrest and upheaval . He appealed to what he later called the " silent majority " of socially conservative Americans who disliked the hippie counterculture and the anti-war demonstrators . Agnew became an increasingly vocal critic of these groups , solidifying Nixon 's position with the right
a convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
Richard Nixon