November 10, 1964

Republican Drought

The Republicans suffered a dual defeat in last week’s election. Failure to wrest the presidency from the Democrats is disappointing to the party faithful, but the loss of so many top-flight senators, representatives and governors is a disaster.

No Republican-Goldwater, Rockefeller, Eisenhower or Nixon-had any real chance to win the big prize. During Johnson’s year in office, the president guided the nation calmly through the storm of assassination, made no big mistakes, gave lip service to the loudest minorities and was titular head of a country eating well.

It is a political axiom that you can’t beat an incumbent during a period of peace and prosperity. Despite the dying in Vietnam and the poverty in Appalachia, we enjoy many of life’s blessings for the moment.

No matter that the United States trembles on the edge of serious financial trouble -- that inexorable forces are shaping a major war. These are things that may happen tomorrow. Today the Sun shines, the birds sing and promises are sweet to the ears.

Indeed, it is possible that American industry will find a production “break through” to close the economic gap; and that Red China will seek to relieve her economic pressure in communist Siberia rather than in free Asia. With such luck we would survive to implement the Great Society.

* * *

It is my belief that the Republican king makers, albeit under pressure, ALLOWED the conservatives to have a go at the presidency this year. With the odds as slim as they were, a long shot was needed. In any event, an assessment of conservative sentiment would be useful in planning future strategy.

Unfortunately, the inner circle badly miscalculated the loyalty of Republican liberals and the savvy of conservatives.

The vehemence of Democrats was to be expected. However, the unreasoned and unwarranted attacks by Rockefeller, Romney and Scranton were a shock.

It is one thing to speak rashly in the heat of a convention, but to persist in back biting during a campaign is party treason. One precinct worker we know put it this way, “The party expects me to ring door bells and distribute literature no matter who is nominated. The leaders of the party can do no less. I will not work next time for anyone who did not work this time.”

A large part of Goldwater’s defeat can be blamed on his own ineptness. His acceptance speech at the convention was an out-and-out defiance of liberals.

We may never know whether his statement “extremism in defense of liberty is no vice” was made in a sense of pique, or was a wish to demonstrate he would not compromise his principles.

Nevertheless, he kicked away his best opportunity to unite his party and convince a listening America of his good judgment.

Goldwater ran his campaign on the importance of such abstract principles as truth, integrity, liberty and responsibility. This is great stuff with independent thinkers, and he is dead right on the influence of character on progress, but this doesn’t win elections.

The average voter-who really decides every election-is interested only in “bread and butter issues,” –what’s in it for him. Incumbents run on the record. Challengers run on specific proposals.

With party harmony and a few specifics, only Goldwater would have been defeated. Failure to win the support of the entire party or to shuck the scare labels pinned on him-and specific proposals would have accomplished both-spelled Goldwater’s doom and that of many other prominent Republicans.

* * *

The defeat of Bob Taft in his bid for the Senate is a great blow to the Republican Party. Taft is an able and experienced politician with the personality and philosophy that could have united the Republicans and led the moderates of both parties-providing he had remained in office.

Taft was the Republican’s best hope to win the presidency. However, the inability to carry his own state against all odds is likely to be too big a handicap for the party professionals to accept.

In my opinion, neither Rockefeller, Scranton or Romney will be the 1968 Republican standard bearer. They cut their throats by spitting on the conservatives -- after the convention and again after the election.

Agree with them or not, the conservatives are a potent factor in American political life. They are a larger segment, by far, than any of the other ethnic and economic blocs throwing their weight around these days.

Twenty-five million conservative and/or faithful Republicans are a powerful force. They constituted 38 percent of the voters, and you can’t ignore more than a third of the population.

Panicky Republicans and gleeful Democrats should remember that Al Smith polled only 28 percent of the popular vote in the 1928 election, but the Democrats came back in the next election with their all-time record win.

* * *

Currently there is much talk amongst Republicans about remaking the party into a duplicate of the Democrat organization. The breast beaters would cast out the conservatives, punish Goldwater and conduct an immediate convention to draft a new platform.

For the sake of two-party government in this country, it is hoped that cooler heads will prevail. Democrats were a minor party for 60 years after Lincoln, and yet survived to play an important role in U.S. progress. The Republicans may be only half way through their drought.

Perhaps it is the destiny of the Republican Party to remain the loyal opposition for some years yet to come.

It is impossible to out-promise the party in power. Long periods of political domination are triggered by great internal crises. Inasmuch as crises are relative to the times, it is inevitable that one will occur. And in that unhappy hour the “out” party must be ready to step in.

A mad race between the two major political parties to buy votes with the national treasury will lead only to ruin. For the nation’s sake, the Republican Party must tie a knot in the end of the rope and hang on.

There is unintended good sense in the remark of one good Republican to a disheartened colleague:

“Cheer up. Now that we’re a minority, we can demonstrate!”

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist