Johnson vs. Goldwater

The 1964 presidential campaign took place against the backdrop of the African American civil rights movement and the increasing American military presence in Vietnam. Lyndon Johnson, who had assumed the presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, was facing the voters on his own for the first time. His Republican opponent, Arizona senator Barry Goldwater, was well known for his right-wing views, especially his statement at the Republican convention that "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice."

Lyndon Johnson's television ads demonstrate an increasingly sophisticated approach to political advertising. They also were consistently negative in tone, attacking his opponent and putting Goldwater on the defensive throughout much of the campaign. Of these negative ads, none is more famous or controversial than the "Daisy" commercial, which was aired only once before it was pulled in response to protests from the Goldwater campaign.