Dump Johnson movement

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The Dump Johnson movement was a movement within the United States Democratic Party to oppose the candidacy of President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson to become the party's nominee in the 1968 presidential election. Their opposition to Johnson stemmed mainly from their opposition to the Vietnam War.

The organized movement was started in 1967 by Allard K. Lowenstein and Midge Miller. They first approached Robert F. Kennedy to be a candidate. When he declined, they turned to Eugene McCarthy. McCarthy had a strong showing in the New Hampshire primary at which point Kennedy belatedly entered the race, splitting the anti-war opposition between two candidates. Johnson withdrew shortly afterwards. Although Kennedy's candidacy (which ended with his assassination after the California primary) drew more support from the electorate than McCarthy's, Lowenstein and Miller remained committed to McCarthy, seeing Kennedy's late entry as opportunistic and divisive.