In 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson quit the presidential race following public pressure. Nearly 60 years later, the public appears to want the two leading candidates in the 2024 presidential election, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, to do the same.
However, Johnson's surprising departure from the race has altered the political nomination process, making it less probable that candidates such as Biden and Trump will simply step aside.
The aftermath of Johnson's withdrawal, which was marked by the Democractic nomination of Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who did not contest in a single primary, catalyzed a move towards a more democratic selection process — one that is now based on primaries and caucuses.
The political parties "established new rules that basically created the primary-and-caucus system," presidential historian Joshua Zeitz told USA Today.
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This change has facilitated the rise of underdog candidates and incumbents alike, altering the landscape of American presidential politics.
"It's much more expensive to wage a fight for the presidency," presidential historian Mark K. Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation in Austin, told the outlet.
The current system's emphasis on early primaries and substantial fundraising has particularly advantaged sitting presidents and affluent challengers, making it increasingly challenging for lesser-known candidates to gain traction, USA Today noted. Because of this, Biden and Trump have effectively secured their nominations well ahead of the official election season.
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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