1964 Republican Party Platform -the last conservative year-

NWU - Party Platforms ^ | 8/1/03

[tpaine]

Interesting site. Party platforms from history:

Address:http://faculty-web.at.nwu.edu/polisci/janda/c95/PartyPlatforms

[Mears]

Where's Barry Goldwater when we need him?

I was living in Massachusetts in 1964(still am) and he was considered a joke.well the joke is on Massachusetts---it's become a socialist,politically correct nightmare.

[tpaine]

The GOP itself has become 'the joke'.

It has become the right wing of the Republocratic Party.

[tpaine]

What a difference four years made:


1968 Republican Party Platform

PREAMBLE, PURPOSES AND PLEDGES

Twice before, our Party gave the people of America leadership at a time of crisis ‹ leadership which won us peace in place of war, unity in place of discord, compassion in place of bitterness.
A century ago, Abraham Lincoln gave that leadership. From it came one nation, consecrated to liberty and justice for all.
Fifteen years ago, Dwight D. Eisenhower gave that leadership. It brought the end of a war, eight years of peace, enhanced respect in the world, orderly progress at home, and trust of our people in their leaders and in themselves.

Today, we are in turmoil.

Tens of thousands of young men have died or been wounded in Vietnam.
Many young people are losing faith in our society.
Our inner cities have become centers of despair.
Millions of Americans are caught in the cycle of poverty ‹ poor education, unemployment or serious under-employment, and the inability to afford decent housing.
Inflation has eroded confidence in the dollar at home and abroad. It has severely cut into the incomes of all families, the jobless, the farmers, the retired and those living on fixed incomes and pensions.
Today's Americans are uncertain about the future, and frustrated about the recent past.
America urgently needs new leadership ‹ leadership courageous and understanding ‹ leadership that will recapture control of events, mastering them rather than permitting them to master us, thus restoring our confidence in ourselves and in our future.

Our need is new leadership which will develop imaginative new approaches assuring full opportunity to all our citizens ‹ leadership which will face and resolve the basic problems of our country.

Our Convention in 1968 can spark a "Republican Resurgence" under men and women willing to face the realities of the world in which we live.
We must urgently dedicate our efforts toward restoration of peace both at home and abroad.
We must bring about a national commitment to rebuild our urban and rural slum areas.
We must enable family farm enterprise to participate fully in the nation's prosperity.
We must bring about quality education for all.
We must assure every individual an opportunity for satisfying and rewarding employment.
We must attack the root causes of poverty and eradicate racism, hatred and violence.
We must give all citizens the opportunity to influence and shape the events of our time.
We must give increasing attention to the views of the young and recognize their key role in our present as well as the future.
We must mobilize the resources, talents and energy of public and private sectors to reach these goals, utilizing the unique strength and initiative of state and local governments.
We must reestablish fiscal responsibility and put an end to increases in the cost of living.
We must reaffirm our commitment to Lincoln's challenge of one hundred six years ago. To Congress he wrote: " The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country."
In this, our stormy present, let us rededicate ourselves to Lincoln's thesis. Let the people know our commitment to provide the dynamic leadership which they rightly expect of this Party -- the Party not of empty promises, but of performance -- the Party not of wastefulness, but of responsibility -- the Party not of war, but the Party whose Administrations have been characterized by peace -- the Republican Party.

_____________Partial______________



"Let the people know our commitment to provide the dynamic leadership which they rightly expect of this Party"


They gave us Nixon. - And socialism.
Case closed on "leadership".

[MEG33]

You are either working to reelect President Bush or you are supporting the election of a democrat.I voted for Goldwater.His book was my first political book.

[onyx]

What a difference four years made.

Yes, in 1964 the GOP was shellacked. In 1968 the GOP eeked-out a win.

[exnavy]

Boy, those were the days!

[Brian S]

Sidebar bump! Good post.

[tpaine]

Goldwater was my first Republican vote.
And nearly my last after the nixonian disaster. But I rallied round to Ron..
Imo, todays GOP, just like '68's, has been very busy, working hard in "supporting the election of a democrat".
They are not aware of what they're doing, of course, but that's typical.

[tpaine]

Yep, they 'eeked' out a win, at a terrible cost.
The whole country lost with nixon.

[RJCogburn]

I was living in Massachusetts in 1964(still am) and he was considered a joke.

I was in school in Boston and did door to door in Southie for Goldwater.

Now that was interesting.

[MEG33]

Ron Paul could not win the Presidency no matter how fervently his supporters wish it.

[bruinbirdman]

"I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' interests, I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can." - - Barry Goldwater (demonized just as Joe McCarthy)

[headsonpikes]

I loved Barry's rhetoric:

'Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue; extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice'.

Or something like that - it's a long time ago. ;^)

Remember the Goldwater slogan 'In your heart, you know he's right', which the lefties countered with 'In your guts, you know he's nuts'.

He was a better man than LBJ; that's for sure!

[tpaine]

Yep, in '64 we all knew where we stood, and the platform said it.

In '68, nobody stood for anything but the GOP version of the 'great society', and nixon's secret plan for ending the war.

Probably the biggest 4 year political flip flop in american political history.
Emphasis on the flop.

[tpaine]

I agree. So what?

[alphadog]

I can only hope that the Bushbots/RINOs move in this direction...fat chance

[Brian S]

That reminds me of the rats slogan for Nixon in '72.

Why change "Dicks" in the middle of a screw, vote for Nixon in "72"! ;)

[tpaine]

Slim chance, or none, imo.