In the 1964 presidential election, Republican candidate Barry Goldwater ran against the incumbent, President Lyndon B. Johnson. This election occurred at the height of the Cold War, a war between the U.S. and Soviet Russia that began just after World War II. It was called the Cold War because it did not involve direct combat between U.S. and Soviet forces; instead, each side armed itself heavily in preparation for nuclear warfare. As you read the text, take notes on the ways that the campaign’s advertising impacted the American audience. This informational text is for grade 8 readers. The Daisy Girl Ad by CommonLit is a derivative of Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
