At the 1968 Republican National Convention , Richard Nixon asked Agnew to place his name in nomination , and named him as running mate . Agnew 's centrist reputation interested Nixon ; the law and order stance he had taken in the wake of civil unrest that year appealed to aides such as Pat Buchanan . Agnew made a number of gaffes during the campaign , but his rhetoric pleased many Republicans , and he may have made the difference in several key states . Nixon and Agnew defeated the Democratic ticket of incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey and his running mate , Senator Edmund Muskie . As vice president , Agnew was often called upon to attack the administration 's enemies . In the years of his vice presidency , Agnew moved to the right , appealing to conservatives who were suspicious of moderate stances taken by Nixon . In the presidential election of 1972 , Nixon and Agnew were re-elected for a second term , defeating Senator George McGovern and his running mate Sargent Shriver
1968 Republican National Convention
1968 Republican National Convention
Spiro Agnew