Nixon was a popular incumbent president in 1972, as he seemed to have reached détente with China and the USSR. He shrugged off the first glimmers of that, after the election, because of the massive Watergate scandal.
Polls showed that Nixon had a strong lead. He was challenged by two minor candidates, liberal Pete McCloskey of California and conservative John Ashbrook of Ohio. McCloskey ran as an anti-Vietnam war candidate dedicated to a much more clearer liberal position compared to Nixon's ambiguity approach within the party, while Ashbrook was dedicated to a much more clearer conservative position than Nixon and opposed Nixon's détente policies towards China and the Soviet Union. In the New Hampshire primary McCloskey's platform of peace garnered 19.7% of the vote to Nixon's 67.9%, with Ashbrook receiving 10.9% and comedian Pat Paulsen receiving 1.1%.[10] Having previously stated that he would withdraw from the race had he not achieved 20% of the vote, McCloskey did so.
Nixon won 1,347 of the 1,348 delegates to the GOP convention, with McCloskey receiving the vote of one delegate from New Mexico.[11]
^ a b"Remarks at a "Victory '72" Luncheon in San Francisco, California". 27 September 1972.
^ a b c d e f"Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in New York City". 9 November 1971.
^ a b c d"Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in Chicago, Illinois". 9 November 1971.
^ a b c d e f g"Many Southern Democrats Plan To Back Nixon for Re‐election". 13 August 1972.
^ a b c d e f g h"Nixon Entertain Their Hollywood Backers". 28 August 1972.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m nCritchlow, Donald (2013). When Hollywood was right : how movie stars, studio moguls, and big business remade American politics. New York : Cambridge University Press – via Internet Archive.
^ a b c d"Black celebrities have a long history of endorsing Republican presidents". 3 November 2020.
^ a b c d"Nixon's Political Football". 21 October 2021.
^"US President - R Primaries". OurCampaigns.com. 16 Nov 2004. Retrieved 29 Oct 2020.
^"New Hampshire Finals". The Miami Herald. UPI. March 15, 1972. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t uKalb, Deborah, ed. (2010). Guide to U.S. Elections (6th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. pp. 412–415. ISBN9781604265361.