LBJ wanted to send troops to Vietnam for one reason, the domino effect. This domino effect feared that if communism grows in a country in a specific region, then it will spill into other countries in that region. The domestic support for this war was terrible, even Sweden hated it so much that they supported the Vietcong. Nixon did support it for a bit, but he knew his administration will be very popular if he took the troops out and so he did.
