Ohio and Governor Rhodes

Will Gov. James Rhodes throw his support to Barry Goldwater? He’s not ready to yet, says the author, and asks: just how conservative is he, anyhow?

Politics is power, and if you’re interested in Republican politics in Ohio you need only stand on a street corner in downtown Columbus to have all the major power centers in sight. From the northwest corner of Capitol Square you can look across a spacious reach to the State House where, on the ground floor (fourth window from the left), you can see the office of Governor James A. Rhodes, Republican, the man of mystery, the arch-conservative who won’t come out for Goldwater, the fabulous vote-getter, the ambitious young pro. One block east, behind the Capitol and looming above it, is the main office of the Columbus Dispatch, whose gigantic electric sign (“Ohio’s Greatest Home Newspaper”) reminds you of the stories you have heard about the critical support Governor Rhodes has received from the powerful Dispatch.