The Original Rockefeller Republican

online.wsj.com ^ | 10/17/14 | Robert K. Landers

[cotton1706]

It was the most memorable scene from the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco: Nelson Rockefeller standing tall on the speakers’ platform, insistent on having his say—“This is still a free country, ladies and gentlemen”—as conservative yahoos below sent up a roar of hatred to this embodiment of the despised Eastern Establishment who dared denounce extremism. Operatives of the party’s impending presidential nominee, Barry Goldwater, aware of the damage the nationally televised scene was doing to his image, frantically tried to quiet the delegates, but to no avail.

On His Own Terms

By Richard Norton Smith Random House, 842 pages, $38 . So the scene made its fateful impression, not only of extremism on display but of its brave antagonist. Rockefeller, wrote Norman Mailer in Esquire later that year, “had an odd courage which was profound—he could take strength from defying a mob. Three hundred thousand years ago, a million years ago, some gorilla must have stood up to an enraged tribe and bellowed back and got away alive and human society was begun. So Rocky finally had his political moment which was precisely right for him.”

Richard Norton Smith builds a 20-page prologue around that telling moment in his splendid biography of Rockefeller. “On His Own Terms” is a clear-eyed, exhaustively researched account of a significant and fascinating American life.

In retrospect, Rockefeller’s moment in San Francisco told of more than his courage and a changing GOP. It also vividly suggested that, if he wanted to be president, he was in the wrong party.

[cotton1706]

“If I became a Democrat, I’d always be in the position of holding the party back, whereas if I stayed a Republican, I’d be pushing the party forward.”

This telling line is a window into the mindset of moderate-liberal republicans. They remain republicans to both prevent the advance of conservatism (holding seats that conservatives might hold), and also to move the republican party in a liberal direction.

This is why they get so upset when conservatives succeed in moving the party further to the right, and why they rarely endorse conservative nominees, and often endorse democrats (witness John Warner endorsing Mark Warner and Richard Lugar endorsing Michelle Nunn this year, Colin Powell endorsing Barack Obama, Dede Scozzafava endorsing the democrat for congress in NY, Lisa Murkowksi and Charlie Crist running independent campaigns to prevent conservative victories, Jim Jeffords becoming an independent, Arlen Specter switching parties, and on, and on).

[Dr. Sivana]

So the scene made its fateful impression, not only of extremism on display but of its brave antagonist.

I thought he was supposed to hold his nose, suck it up, and support the party.

[Sherman Logan]

I think you’re missing the most critical idea in that line.

It is that takes for granted that the direction liberal Democrats want to move the country is “forward.”

[Graybeard58]

It also vividly suggested that, if he wanted to be president, he was in the wrong party.

Lot of that going on nowadays.

[hoosierham]

Rockefeller embodied all that is evil in the Republican party.

[Awgie]

The Republican “Brand” is in dire need of an re-invention.

The Republican “Brand” is about as attractive to young low info voters as a “Buick.”

How hard would it be to start running PSA’s featuring a group of healthy happy optimistic “diverse” group of people, looking into the camera and saying, “We Love our Families, God and The USA! We believe in the American Dream and we believe that the best way to make it come true is for Families to be Strong, To recognize that our Rights come from God and that a limited Government that protects our Borders and her citizens, is the key to Individual Liberty...Oh and by the way, we vote Republican.”

The Republican spin misters need to get busy re-branding and reintroducing America to a New and Improved Republican Party.

[PJ-Comix]

Rockefeller embodied all that is evil in the Republican party.

Except that years later, Rockefeller grew more conservative. There is a great pic of him out there giving the Finger to a bunch of leftwingers.

[PJ-Comix]

[WilliamofCarmichael]

I have to subscribe to read the article but I remember that election.
Three things
1. In the words of Nelson Rockefeller’s public relations head, Stuart Spencer, “We had to destroy Barry Goldwater as a member of the human race.”
2. At the convention Rockefeller was given five minutes to argue that the platform needed to denounce “purveyors of hate” — the very invective he, Gov. Scranton, Gov. Romney (Mitt’s father), et al. were calling us Goldwater supporters!
3. Rockefeller’s speech was interrupted so often that he finally gave the hecklers the finger — I still recall the photo of him at the podium giving the finger to the crowd and the look on his face.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Thanks for posting a photo of Nelson giving the finger. But that is not from the convention.

The posted photo is from VP Rockefeller giving the finger to a crowd of hecklers as he stepped out of his limo.

[cotton1706]

“I have to subscribe to read the article but I remember that election.”

I’m not a subscriber. Go to Bing, then put in Original Rockefeller Republican and the book review should come up.

[bondsman]

If you want a great read,a mind blogging book, of how Rockefeller was appointed Vice President and a was almost President for real read THE WATERGATE AMENDMENT. It’s on www.amazon.com/Watergate-Amendment-John-Fitzgerald

[hinckley buzzard]

This book sounds like a desperate attempt at turd polishing. Rockefeller was the worst of the east coast elitist scumbags. I wonder how this "author" treats the Attica riots in 1971 while Rockefeller was governor, resulting in 43 deaths.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Thanks for the information.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

I just read your post immediately above the photo. My earlier comments to you were in response to some who may think that the photo was the one I described.

But this does offer an opportunity to contrast Nelson's attitude vis-a-vis leftwing hecklers and Goldwater supporters. Facing leftwinger it's like "Screw you."

At the convention podium facing Goldwater supporters the look on Nelson's face was like what a lone surviving soldier must have firing an M-60 machine gun at on rushing enemy hordes; to wit, I know it's a lost cause but I'm going to kill as many of you bastards that I can!"

[cotton1706]

Actually Richard Norton Smith is a very good writer. I read his book on Herbert Hoover. But he is of the moderate persuasion. He’s written books on Hoover and Dewey, and now Rockefeller.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

So the scene made its fateful impression, not only of extremism on display but of its brave antagonist.

Those wascawy pwutocwats at the wsj.

[Yollopoliuhqui]

Rockefeller was a plutocrat oligarch crypto police state Nazi.

Anthony Sutton “Wall St. and the Rise of Hitler”
Carrol Quigley “Tragedy and Hope”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq9yjt_JbWs

The fascist faction of the Republican Party USA has made fools of us and continues to do so with their step n’ fetchit Mitt Romney.

[Excellence]

“If I became a Democrat, I’d always be in the position of holding the party back, whereas if I stayed a Republican, I’d be pushing the party forward.”

Why we lose, in a nutshell.

[Verginius Rufus]

I think the booing was partly of his having divorced his wife and married his mistress. The second wife had had his child shortly before the convention which reminded people of what had happened. It was the second wife whom he was cheating on when he had his fatal heart attack.