1964 Republican National Convention

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The 1964 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States took place in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, on July 13 to July 16, 1964. Before 1964, there had only been one national Republican convention on the West Coast. Many believed that a convention at San Francisco indicated the rising power of the Republican party in the west. ^[1]

[edit] Political context

The Republican primaries of 1964 featured liberal Nelson Rockefeller of New York and conservative Barry Goldwater of Arizona as the two leading candidates. Shortly before the California primary, Rockefeller divorced, hurting his popularity among conservatives and giving Goldwater the primary. An anti-Goldwater organization called for the nomination of Governor William Scranton of Pennsylvania, but the effort failed. Although former President Dwight Eisenhower only reluctantly supported Goldwater, former President Herbert Hoover gave him enthusiastic endorsement. By the end of the primaries, Goldwater’s nomination was all but secure.

[edit] The Convention

The Republican National Convention of 1964 was a tension-filled contest. Goldwater's conservatives were openly clashing with Rockefeller's moderates. Goldwater was regarded as the "conservatives' leading spokesman."^[2] As a result, Goldwater was not as popular with the moderates and liberals of the Republican party. ^{[3] [4]} When Rockefeller attempted to deliver a speech, he was booed by the convention's conservative delegates, who regarded him as a member of the "eastern liberal establishment." Despite the infighting, Goldwater was easily nominated. He chose William E. Miller, a Congressman from New York, as his running mate. In his acceptance speech, he declared communism as a "principal disturber of the peace in the world today" and said, "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Some people, including those within his own campaign staff, believed this weakened Goldwater's chances, as he effectively severed ties with the moderates and liberals of the Republican Party.^[5]

Former GOP presidential nominee Richard M. Nixon introduced the Arizonan as "Mr. Conservative" and "Mr. Republican" and he continued that "he is the man who, after the greatest campaign in history will be Mr. President — Barry Goldwater".^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Platform

The 1964 Republican Platform was dominated by Goldwater conservatives, which made the platform dominated by calls for limited government, condemnations of the Kennedy and Johnson foreign and domestic policy, calls for more open space for free enterprise, a hard-line against Communist North Vietnam, calls for reform of the United Nations, a staunch support of NATO, calls for lower taxes and a hard-line against international Communism.

[edit] Candidates for the nomination

Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona	Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York	Governor George W. Romney of Michigan	Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine
former Representative Walter Judd of Minnesota	Senator Hiram Fong of Hawaii	former Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. of Massachusetts	former Governor Harold Stassen of Pennsylvania

[edit] The Balloting

[edit] Presidential

• • Barry Goldwater 883
  • William Scranton 214
  • Nelson Rockefeller 114
  • George Romney 41
  • Margaret Chase Smith 27
  • Walter Judd 22
  • Hiram Fong 5
  • Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. 2

[edit] Vice Presidential

William E. Miller was nominated unanimously on a roll call vote.

[edit] Notes