Whether Barry Goldwater wins or loses in November, his nomination by the Republican Party in 1964 is now history, and its consequences will predictably be enormous. For the first time since the Party assumed its modern form, it has shaken off the domination of its Eastern backers and nominated the overwhelming choice of the Midwest, the West and the South. It is not hard to see that a new road has been taken, from which there can be no turning back. For better or worse, the future of the GOP now lies with new and vigorous elements emerging from the lusty West—a West that, to use the inescapable figure, has at last come of age as a dominating force in the American society.
It would be foolish to pretend that a development so fundamental and so inevitable was the product of any mere faction’s plans or efforts. Yet this great movement had its human vectors, and their actions deserve to be chronicled accurately for the benefit of historians and all others who would like to know exactly how it happened. Various obscure and partial accounts have already appeared in the press; it is time for a complete and accurate description of the relevant events leading up to the public launching of the National Draft Goldwater Committee in April 1963. This is what this article proposes to be.
Comments