Final answer:
Richard Nixon won the 1968 Presidential election using the Southern Strategy, capitalized on the national turmoil, and benefited from the candidacy of independent George Wallace.
Step-by-step explanation:
Richard Nixon won the 1968 Presidential election by utilizing a strategy often known as the Southern Strategy. This approach was designed to capitalize on Southern white resistance to the Democratic Party's civil rights agenda. Nixon effectively used coded language, or 'dog whistles', to signal support for states' rights and 'law and order', which were often seen as indirect criticisms of federal civil rights legislation and the urban unrest following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Also, the election occurred in a year of profound national turmoil, including the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. Nixon's campaign promising 'peace with honor' in Vietnam also resonated with many voters.
A third factor was the candidacy of independent candidate George Wallace, a staunch segregationist, who likely drew votes away from Nixon's opponent, Hubert Humphrey, thereby facilitating Nixon's victory.
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