The American public's perception of the Tet Offensive and its accompanying credibility gap was a big boost for the antiwar movement. Americans had been protesting the war for many years, but in 1968 the clash between "doves" and "hawks" nearly tore the country apart.

War protesters, sometimes called "doves," were against the war for many reasons. Some did not believe that a Communist Vietnam threatened the interests or national security of the United States. They argued that the war was a civil war between North and South Vietnam and that the United States had no business supporting either side. "Doves" also maintained that Americans and American technology were killing tens of thousands of innocent Vietnamese, a practice that had to stop. Many protesters were students, but people from almost every segment of society, including veterans of the war, housewives, civil rights leaders...