k ▁advice ▁contributed ▁to ▁Johnson ' s ▁decision ▁in ▁March ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁president ial ▁election . ▁ ▁N ixon ▁presiden cy ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁President ial ▁election , ▁the ▁Republican ▁nom ine e ▁Richard ▁M . ▁N ixon ▁triumph ed ▁over ▁the ▁Dem ocrat , ▁Vice ▁President ▁Hub ert ▁Hum ph rey . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁election , ▁President ▁Johnson ▁invited ▁President - E lect ▁N ixon ▁to ▁his ▁L B J ▁R anch ▁in ▁Texas ▁for ▁a ▁discussion ▁of ▁current ▁events . ▁There ▁he ▁introduced ▁N ixon ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁members ▁of ▁his ▁inner ▁circle : ▁Dean ▁Rus k ▁at ▁State , ▁Clark ▁Cl iff ord ▁at ▁Def ense , ▁Gen . ▁Ear le ▁Whe eler , ▁and ▁D CI ▁Richard ▁Hel ms . ▁Later ▁Johnson ▁in ▁private ▁told ▁Hel ms ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁represented ▁him ▁to ▁N ixon ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁neutral , ▁" a ▁mer it ▁appointment ", ▁a ▁career ▁federal ▁official ▁who ▁was ▁good ▁at ▁his ▁job . ▁ ▁N ixon ▁then ▁invited ▁Hel ms ▁to ▁his ▁pre - in aug uration ▁headquarters ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁where ▁N ixon ▁told ▁Hel ms ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁J . ▁Ed gar ▁Ho over ▁at ▁F BI ▁would ▁be ▁retained ▁as ▁" app oint ments ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁ar ena ". ▁Hel ms ▁expressed ▁his ▁ass ent ▁that ▁the ▁D CI ▁was ▁a ▁non - part isan ▁position . ▁Ev ident ly , ▁already ▁N ixon