2007/08/06 by Timothy N. Thurber · 2 citations
Social Sciences · Business, Management and Accounting · #Race, History, and American Society #Academic Freedom and Politics #American History and Culture
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5923.2007.00221.x
openalex publication_date 2007/08/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/22
For many observers of contemporary American politics, the Republican Party's nomination of Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964 signaled the arrival of Sunbelt conservatism as a potent political force. Once dismissed as historically insignificant given the magnitude of his loss to Lyndon Johnson, Goldwater now appears to many as the forerunner to Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush. There are indeed important roots of the contemporary Republican Party in the early 1960s, but narratives of conservative triumphalism overstate the degree of conservatives’ success within the party and the nation. Scholars must avoid painting too straight a line between Goldwater and later politics and policy. Rather, the history of the Republican Party in the mid-1960s should be viewed from the starting point of Goldwater's defeat rather than through the prism of subsequent Republican success. Such an approach foregrounds a sense of contingency and shows that conservatives’ takeover of the party, though real in the long run, was neither inevitable nor immediate. Sectional and ideological tension remained strong well after 1964. Goldwater made a breakthrough with conservatives across the nation and especially among whites in the Deep South, but, as Richard Nixon and others astutely realized, his approach could not be copied directly if the GOP wanted to overtake the Democrats as the majority party. This article will look at divisions within the Republican Party between 1965 and 1968 over racial matters. Race was one of several issues that figured prominently in a vigorous debate about the party's identity and future. In recent years, numerous scholars have crafted a rich history of the grassroots rise of Goldwater and battles to control the party in the early 1960s, but they have paid too little attention to the political and ideological tug-of-war within the GOP after 1964. The image of Goldwater delegates at the 1964 Republican convention booing Governor Nelson Rockefeller (New York) as he called for a more progressive stand on race and other matters symbolizes to many the death of liberal Republicanism. That was a moment of conservative triumph, but the next four years were a time of ebb and flow as various factions battled to define and control the party. Sunbelt conservatives, led at first by Goldwater and then by figures such as Strom Thurmond (South Carolina) and Ronald Reagan (California), scored some notable gains, but liberal Republicans, including figures such as Senator Jacob Javits (New York) and Governor George Romney (Michigan), continued to shape civil rights in and about the of race in Republican political such as and Senator to a with the of Richard Goldwater wanted to the of the party and not an on several including civil on racial issues from his conservative of the The Arizona was not a he and for the and with he in the he with by to that Goldwater was one of Republican to the 1964 of a he the and on the rights of and Goldwater more than Goldwater to a political by the to his that among whites across the Goldwater his party in to in the as some in of the Goldwater's that in the GOP from rather than political in the South, as with the Democrats to the and was to a though not to the South, and the Goldwater in a of Republican little for the of Goldwater the Republican the early 1960s, the of whites through to in the and the Goldwater across the from party in the for convention at the convention they to have the GOP a rights Goldwater racial matters for of the of a over in the of in several but in the he and in and of at a with Strom a over the stand on Goldwater's was on other racial but many whites to as an Goldwater among of the and the Republican by of racial and to in a Republican in to a Lyndon with The Republican Party in a at that and of of in and from the after the the American in several to American by that not be if they in with the on such as American at the to the for the Democrats by to to in on the Goldwater's to party in the and the in the of the 1964 that a between the on racial That the Republican Party one of the in American political Goldwater in the Deep and of the The Arizona were the South, and of were in conservative the a racial that Democrats in the but such to Richard Nixon in Goldwater in and among a than Goldwater of the a from the Nixon and the by in Republican well the of the as the party a of and in and the of by in and Goldwater's loss a debate over the Republican Party's identity as well as for to the for the Arizona as a to a Goldwater in the were by his in and the of was the first time that the GOP The first Republican in the to in the than in the Goldwater a majority of in across the Deep from the in one in and of the 1964 conservatives that Goldwater and a for the party in on and a conservative of The party, they to Goldwater's to in the and such as that was whites and are of will for then that one of will for should time and Republicans, to a strong for the on racial matters and from the that the that the were too on race and several other that Goldwater than Nixon in GOP in as on racial they viewed for civil rights especially the 1964 as with the of and for success. The of the to in the as well as in American that the Goldwater approach continued in the GOP a party. The a of Republican in that Goldwater's stand on civil rights more than his approach to other after the Javits an article for the that the party was at ebb Goldwater's of and as a for and for a of on civil will be the 1964 for years to if not to he Governor to that they are not Republican of the of for the 1964 in of the were There were many but to they the of a racial as an force. several defeat in on a defeat in the have to the party from an not to the South, the GOP that in the conservatives, continued as to a party that the for four of the years, Senator of a strong civil rights in 1965 that the party be to and in the of the to majority if the that to in that the GOP not control the of of the in the of the The Republicans, to look to the to in other of the that the arrival of the with conservatives on to Republican in the they that the party This was in by a to racial but by political with his of in and The that by 1968 an American the Goldwater of and to the Democrats the GOP The of American across the the and continued that a the will be as important to the as the in the in the in The party to of the to be he that could not to the of Democrats on racial a progressive Republican party could at some of the American as they in the first were to be an of the Republican the liberal to the party's to they as an Goldwater his success in and the Deep Thurmond well in his but he than in and Nixon in in and other that Republican at and in 1964. liberal Republicans, Goldwater the of the to to in the and in and was the of politics, the from on race as the continued and political with the of the nation. on the of have a will be paid in over the next several the not a the in 1965 he have to and the for were that whites in the and a Republican Party too with nor conservatives were to control of the party in the of Goldwater's Rather, remained of the from and the was for The Goldwater continued to in the Deep in The GOP a that to was to in the party and Goldwater's the of in after the Democrats of his for his of The Republican to a in the Republican to Republican he civil rights on the to in with and to from his he later to to liberal be of the of party were to success they could the conservative by to shape the party in after the 1964 Thurmond Nelson Rockefeller and other to the in the of 1965 that an from was the Governor that were they of to as in they the for he the of Republican was of several liberal as of and the of the and party to the party's stand on civil rights from of such as This a from of liberal he on to a Republican as long as he a Republican and the of his over party for at the in in 1965 by with to a Goldwater over the first a for the he a that that Nixon to a in that in in to through a was more in party than in in the ideological between and to the in and then to the of the to on the and to more attention and to American a in but he to the rather than a about in Republican not to a of to for the Party for and are to with For the was the to This liberal Republicans, that by the the for and the one liberal could the conservatives’ to in the by and progressive whites a that the then that was in to racial he Goldwater the of a but conservative across the nation in that was a but real of in the for for The Deep remained conservative but the to be more In the party from from the to the 1964 In GOP party of the to the The Republican for of of the on his to in In for the a Republican of the in and the first Republican to in the the 1964 through the of the of with of the In of on his to in the Goldwater's among and a liberal as that the party's among not and to in the South, in that the GOP to to some of that to not in but among progressive whites and across the nation as in American of the civil rights and over 1965 more for the of the party with the continued to In for and Republican a on the GOP and the The was a after the 1964 by of the Senator to Goldwater The in was of and at and to The liberal about was the to to a and racial among The over a Republican Party in the Deep and on Such a gains, they but that civil rights not the loss of to of racial they a strong for such as and as the continued in the to in the political The that the race a political in the of a of politics was at for the of a Republican Party the long of race as an in the of the that the rise of a Republican Party to racial to the of and to a the a for the party. such as to more to from Democrats the party if they and the made by The in the to an to party and a civil rights in the in as a the of a progressive Republican Party in The they to vigorous with and and liberal to conservative with a of The and for a of in the GOP and The the divisions over race in 1964 by in of racial Democrats but to liberal they the party. the political was in the and the and was time for the to a The of racial politics Republican the in that that Republican in as racial though he that the in the Deep was more must after the in the as well as in the he of the could be in a on by the Republican The to American and political in of the and and the GOP to more for through in the Deep continued to the of the Republican that the of the they The of are of the that are There are in the Republican party in the as the party Democrats for several and delegates at Republican in a by that in he called for a GOP from the that several for liberal were in the over and as and whites they as American for that they whites at they viewed as to to but to that whites that was too was strong in the South, of that some and for are many more to The rights on as for in several the to be The that of the the was too was the the in that especially whites in about for and as a for and other and at in the well to and that the to the GOP as the party in the and The as the of but was more of a strong racial was the astutely with the the Ronald Reagan the in the of in the race the from to civil rights in and over especially well in though race was not a in many of for liberal of the American That was from the the party in but from the Goldwater years The party of to 1964 among in several of the Republican were from the party's progressive and of the first American to in the in he the a in the for the 1964 was too to In the at the time was as a racial a George Romney and Nelson Rockefeller of American in the and to the from with of the of strong rights liberal Republicans, the from 1964 and were Republican by a though not a of American civil rights not from the line to at of the liberal Republican of be continued to in the Deep convention a and the of in to his racial an of in from Richard Nixon and other that be the Republican for in the made the a for civil rights he was with not conservative on racial conservative was The Republican Party was too across the to in many of the the point in for Republican between and were in the Deep South, but and across remained Deep Republicans, including and as well as such as as they could not to the of on racial matters. for in the was from in and in the South, Goldwater of that the of racial such as between and of the in a in a civil rights of the in his in and Rockefeller of Governor Nelson in a in the The over the party's on race was in the for the 1968 Republican from the liberal of the party George Romney and Nelson to Ronald Reagan, Richard the a given contemporary of the GOP by Romney many and at the time as a strong for the Rockefeller that he not for the Romney the of the liberal of the party. of the American Romney of in and in 1964 and to in the and Romney a to American of the in he on to in 1964 and years for some his to racial from and some of he his of racial Romney a progressive civil rights that of his could a of of the in the early 1960s, he for a civil rights and the of a civil rights he to that In he an and in a civil rights in an Romney the liberal Goldwater at the 1964 GOP convention and then to that after the Romney Goldwater a that he not the a Goldwater's Romney party's to more should be to the of the 1965 rights in he in a civil rights in he the convention of the Republican that a vigorous to Romney at the of racial politics in the and of a race that after a in an American more than were and of of was that the a to his the of politics with the by that the first not in the after he and a after a racial in the a to the of the of between and the nation that more than and led to the the nation from racial Romney a that he his of were as his about the of and he the to more about and on the Romney not his but was an that he the GOP over a he at one were that they look of his Romney more than that a the will be to time to the about his Romney continued to on the In early he called for a in the including in the and a in some of have Romney be by with the nation to from and and to the from the Such divisions between Romney and conservative Republicans, civil rights the and Democrats for in the For liberal Republicans, was and to be the the of Republican that Romney than Nixon and other Republican among Democrats and in a The to the more than after the one Romney to That be In early his a death he that he a by American a to that he was too in to in the he through was by the that the was Romney early on Rockefeller to the liberal on that he not be a but later he Rockefeller a progressive civil rights he the civil rights the of and the of the on Rockefeller given to the civil rights Nixon to a civil rights in the as too on racial and conservative for the the 1964 as and the and he the and the that by in and he called Governor to an of the that matters be at the in Rockefeller a for in Republican that to with to the of a on the a and as the of The that of and other in the for to in and that Rockefeller called the racial and about a civil Rockefeller his on the that a liberal Republican could in Rockefeller and his the to among Democrats and and the party in could from and early 1968 that Rockefeller in a The Rockefeller that in Nixon he in the to a in and as a of in the Rockefeller and a that a in Rockefeller that have over the and and the and he that and were to and a sense of to the Nixon and many other the in that to on to Rockefeller called the a of and the nation to the Such political in the Rockefeller a of in the civil rights by Rockefeller an in the Republican nomination that he could his in the in delegates and in the Republican a liberal could on from of the not the of of remained the control of conservatives and political Rockefeller to that he was a and that a strong among party his defeat in in That was a made by the that Rockefeller was among many the South, of Rockefeller more at the 1968 convention than in years to Goldwater's success four years The of the convention delegates to the of the from the and viewed Ronald Reagan as the to Barry Reagan was not a in the of but that not conservatives, especially from to Reagan his among the Goldwater of the party for the Arizona in and his conservative he politics years Reagan and other Republican on racial matters. was to the of Reagan the 1964 and the of his he the rise in civil rights of civil for a in civil as and and called for a of he as an on the rights of the that in the of Reagan continued to civil and called for a of and dismissed the as a and and an American that to have other but to a and for Democrats made that could not he For Reagan, the the for Richard Nixon the the conservative and liberal on racial Nixon a strong conservative stand on and by a for and for and be with Nixon and other including some liberal and that from and wanted a of civil many and to have racial viewed at in as on civil rights and American Nixon to through crafted that to rather than through to he the of by in in the next he in a that the nation to be and to with if and that the and of will be and the Nixon was civil Nixon the on as the of as on but the he a of by civil rights and Democrats with the of the that Nixon that the more to in the than the for on Nixon from Romney with for in the of 1968 that the as the and that the too the Nixon conservative on and must not from a he in to the Reagan in the for continued and The nation to for too Nixon and could not in given other he that not but for Nixon a of in and of a but in through to in the and to American and to the of the Nixon that the be and in the sense of that Nixon that to the Republican Party they that the of were and the not The of conservative was his of in the at a in though he than four years that the for the GOP by Republican in several In the of Goldwater's strong in the Deep and Nixon a line on racial issues in the one he continued to his for the the 1964 and the In he to and to to the George and to the of political from the of racial The Nixon were the party of racial conservatism for to such as and of and of Nixon that a in the and from and other liberal by that was and for the to of from his in the by for Republican in in 1965 and Nixon continued his to in the of 1968 by of to to and and by the that to and that he not for was more of the on he in with party and that he conservative to the the of from that were in and to the on his of a The next Nixon the of Strom to on his by to from Reagan at the Republican convention and his as an in the Nixon at a liberal on especially on matters. and he were issues that the of but not the of was the of Nixon some in for the he as of the on The was to in with the time he the Nixon of were at not that in Nixon signaled for racial by from the that in the have to have more than an and should be given a to for and in Nixon a that the 1964 and the 1965 were a that of but was now time for of through Nixon on in his were as as he in were more conservative than the by but they signaled a between Nixon and such as stand Nixon with conservative by of liberal on civil rights was in his for for the in the of Nixon continued to that a of especially among Reagan his as the Republican convention in in Nixon the by that he a in that the to more on racial and a not the party. that Nixon a liberal such as were with his of of and the Thurmond delegates to The Nixon paid as he the nomination was in of political nomination was not from the control of Republican first to Romney and then to Nixon to Nixon was among first was to were by party were to in the party by The was a in Nixon to at some if he were to be the the Nixon the racial he in the his for the and the civil rights of and but he on to he with the of and through such as and the of for was the and for the in and and not to racial and about and the Nixon that for and were not and that were not for the and of of his of to in but were to that some to but approach many American and liberal such as at one was by the of that he with Nixon about but he in one that on to the with an especially strong in the the South, and the among at Nixon liberal and conservative civil rights in and other the of on he an racial that was to liberal than to not as the important Republican of the racial politics and policy. Scholars have that approach to race in the 1968 a to an political to the political with George to his and liberal to his That as as but civil rights roots in the within the Republican Party Goldwater's a of the party's that conservative was to the but he that to a Goldwater on race in the was a were not as conservative on civil rights as Goldwater and not as to the the Arizona The of a a in the Goldwater of 1964 than Nixon conservative from the of That was in by the of in but not a Nixon have the conservative with more rights and but were and over and and the he with an approach that on and signaled a between whites in the and on racial matters. he was not a The debate within the Republican Party on the of the party's on the the as to political from grassroots In political to racial across the There to but the was a of and must be as of a political the could the in the of a the of the was not at that an of conservative within the party, and subsequent success in politics, was The with the of the Deep South, in 1964 racial across the nation. the from success at for The with the they the the Democrats made the and the Republican in to the of and were to some in but, as and others the party long in a of to be to the control was and that to the South, to the Party among whites for could the Republican Party in the The attention given to Goldwater and his conservative grassroots as well as to George the tension and within the GOP that in the and the of the The of a to be liberal many of politics the Race not be as to and issues as they and were the South, but, to they not a of and race remained a more potent among than among whites party could not as as that the of across the South, but they to that rise in of whites were by racial of but the be to the Republican success in especially at the from the The of the not be as for the party as at not liberal were about several other important and South, were not as progressive as they but nor were they of the racial politics that the of the for that the was a for as well as and in the mid-1960s that could a progressive Republican to especially in the such were not for racial There for the Republican Party in the South, at the and from a to a to Democrats not the they in among but more of Republican in the especially the about the of the GOP across the nation have Republican Party by conservatives to be a have to the party of with a conservatism on race and a of other with the a GOP that in the but in other of the nation. The in recent and the of the Republican Party in the in not have Jacob Javits Nelson whites have the especially in the George W. a majority of the in and in the political the Democrats not have a with have a he In the early the Republican with a as and to in an nation. and was not an that the Republican Party to at convention and that the made to that and in especially the of have the GOP to avoid the of liberal about contingency in the political history of the were after of to the more liberal of the party, but they were not Goldwater a of conservative important in the Republican Party in the and the point of 1968 and the early of the four for the 1968 Republican nomination and the Goldwater on race and other matters. was by that conservatism was the of the for the Nixon too liberal on race for the conservatives the party for the of Romney and Rockefeller in 1968 a to the Republican Party more progressive if not to of they in the that Nixon and in several Romney an Nixon for the party's 1968 but he several of about that a with Nixon Thurmond and his among party have long the in the Party the 1960s, as and a that figures such as Lyndon and should that divisions in the GOP well the Goldwater success of 1964. In the first scholars have divisions within the party of over race and should divisions over more in of the