May 28, 2021
Barry Goldwater emerged from the 1964 Republican National Convention as his party's nominee, but the contentious event transformed the GOP. Goldwater's pugnacious conservatism appealed to an angry segment of the electorate that included, as we see in this colorized photo, the out-and-out racists of the Ku Klux Klan.
In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater squared off in what turned out to be one of the most lopsided elections in United States history. The assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 put a pall over the nation and a feeling of foreboding over the election. Johnson succeeded Kennedy after his death, running in ‘64 for his first full term. Goldwater easily won the Republican nomination over Nelson A. Rockefeller. Nevertheless, he polarized the conservative party with his failure to support the ‘64 Civil Rights Act and his tendency for war-mongering statements. However, he found many backers in the segregationist states and the Klu Klux Klan.
Wrong Hill To Die On
The Civil Rights Acts of ‘64 immediately became the most glaring distinction between Johnson and Goldwater. Johnson continually championed the bill at every turn. On the other hand, Goldwater reluctantly voted against it; only he and five other Republican senators voted against the bill. He later called the decision “one of his greatest regrets."
Wrong Kind Of Support
Johnson, at the time, held widespread popularity within the country. Although, in the southern states and Arizona, Johnson’s unwavering support of the Civil Rights movement made him unacceptable. For those same people, Goldwater’s vote against the Civil Rights Bill garnered backing from corners of the country he preferred to avoid.
Klu Klux Klan Supports Goldwater
As an August 7, 1964, NYT article reported, “The Imperial Wizard of the United Klans of America, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, said today Klan members would be urged to vote for Senator Barry Goldwater for President. Robert M. Shelton of Tuscaloosa, Ala., The Klan leader said President Johnson's support of the Civil Rights Act makes him unacceptable.” Goldwater was smart enough to see how Klan support could only hurt, but some members of his party failed to see the potential damage.
The Klan Sinks Their Champion
The Klan leader said President Johnson's support of the Civil Rights Act makes him unacceptable.” Goldwater was smart enough to see how Klan support could only hurt, but some members of his party failed to see the potential damage.
Foot In Mouth
Goldwater firmly came out and said, “We don't want the backing of the Ku Klux Klan. It has never supported Republicans; it's been a Democratic organization all through its history.” Unfortunately, when asked about Klan support, Goldwater’s vice presidential running mate William E. Miller demurred, “Senator Goldwater and I will accept the support of any American citizen who believes in us, our platform, our position and our posture.”
Loose Cannon
Besides Goldwater’s Civil Rights voting gaffe, other Republicans also found fault with his bellicose comments. Perhaps his worst came at a news conference when he flippantly remarked, "Sometimes I think this country would be better off if we could just saw off the Eastern Seaboard and let it float out to sea." Another time he joked that the U.S. military should "lob one [a nuclear bomb] into the men's room of the Kremlin" in the Soviet Union.
Republican Infighting
The Republican dissatisfaction with Goldwater came to head at a party breakfast when he met with other 100 Republican members of Congress. Reportedly, during that meeting, Senator Jacob K. Javits of New York “called for a repudiation by the Republican party of the Ku Klux Klan and asserted that the temper of the Republican campaign was being affected because segregationists were rallying to Mr. Goldwater's banner. It is not enough, Senator Javits said, to say that the party welcomed the support of all voters. It should also reject the Klan and what it stands for.”
Landslide Momentum
After that Republican breakfast, Senator Javits announced to the gathered media, “I must in conscience withhold my support from the national Republican ticket at this time, I also stated that I would be willing to reconsider this position, but ‘this will call for some action by Senator Goldwater.’” Former President Eisenhower, still irked by Goldwater’s comments calling his administration "a dime store New Deal," never fully endorsed the presidential candidate.
Record Election Loss
Klan leaders continued to stump for Goldwater despite his repudiations of them. “Senator Goldwater has the prerogative to denounce anyone or any groups he wants. But he cannot deny the right of every citizen to make a choice in whom he will vote for,” announced Klan Wizard Robert M. Shelton. Ultimately, Johnson won 61.1% of the popular vote, the largest share since the largely uncontested election of 1820. The only state Goldwater won outside of the deep south was his home state of Arizona.
The image at the top of this post was colorized by Ahmet Asar, a Kurdish-American photographer and artist. You can see more of his colorizations on his Flickr page, and his professional portfolio at AsarStudios.com.