KKD: Civil Rights at The 1960 Republican National Convention

Source:KKD- President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican, Texas) at the 1960 Republican National Convention.

Source:The Daily Times 

“Now that the 2008 Republican National Convention has concluded, I thought I would go back into my old film clips & kinescopes to give everyone a sample of what old-time politics was like 48 years ago!

The 1960 Republican National Convention was held from July 25 – 28th, 1960 in Chicago, IL at the International Ampitheatre. Vice President Richard Nixon nearly had the nomination sewed up but he still had two contenders: NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. Civil Rights was in the forefront and Rev Martin Luther King was in Chicago for the event. We also briefly see former President Herbert Hoover as he addresses the Convention. (An expanded view of his comments is seen in an earlier upload of mine.)

As the Convention continues, we’ll see Gov. Rockefeller withdraw from the race and into Day Three with an address from the President, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Part Two is posted which contains a statement by Barry Goldwater and finally Richard Nixon as he accepts the nomination.

July 1960”

From KKD

Nelson Rockefeller, was a politician without a national political party in the 1960s and 70s, because he was an Right-Progressive (Center-Right Progressive) in a party that was moving right on economic policy. And Republicans were moving far away from progressive programs. Especially ones that were centralized at the Federal level. And we’re looking for politicians that were in favor shrinking the Federal Government and decentralizing power at the Federal level and giving more power to the states and individuals.

Nelson, was essentially a Theodore Roosevelt Progressive Republican, but who was also a Federalist and someone who believed in public infrastructure, public education, aid to the poor, but who was also a Federalist and wanted these social investments run at the state and local levels. Who was also a big believer in a strong defense and law enforcement and tough law enforcement, as well as equal rights.

Nelson was Progressive on economic policy and equal rights and even national defense. Who was able to win as a Republican, because he was a Northeastern Republican that had a strong Progressive faction, even into the 1960s.

And this debate or discussion about civil rights in the Republican Party in 1960s, is the perfect example of what type of party they were back then. You had the Progressive-Federalists, led by Nelson and others, but you also had a growing Conservative-Libertarian wing, led by Senator Barry Goldwater and other Republicans in Congress. That were strong economic Conservatives and didn’t want big government in people’s personal lives either. But we’re such believers in property rights that they believed that individuals had the right to deny service people even based on race. And Vice President Richard Nixon, trying to please both factions.