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1964 Republican National Convention
1964 presidential election
RP1964.png RV1964.png
Nominees
Goldwater and Miller
Convention
Date(s) July 13–16, 1964
City Daly City, California
Venue Cow Palace
Chair Thruston Ballard Morton
Notable speakers Richard M. Nixon
Nelson Rockefeller
Candidates
Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater of Arizona
Vice presidential nominee William E. Miller of New York
Other candidates Nelson Rockefeller
William Scranton
Voting
Total delegates 1,308
Votes needed for nomination 655
Results (president) Goldwater (AZ): 883 (67.50%)
Scranton (PA): 214 (16.36%)
Rockefeller (NY): 114 (8.72%)
Results (vice president) Miller (NY): 100% (Roll call)
Ballots 1
‹ 1960  ·  1968

The 1964 Republican National Convention was a big meeting where the Republican Party chose its candidates for president and vice president. It happened in the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, from July 13 to July 16, 1964. This was only the second time a Republican convention was held on the West Coast. Many people thought this showed that the Republican Party was becoming stronger in the western parts of the United States.

Who Ran for President?

The 1964 Republican primaries were like a competition to see who would be the party's presidential candidate. The two main candidates were Nelson Rockefeller from New York, who was seen as more liberal, and Barry Goldwater from Arizona, who was more conservative.

Right before the important California primary election, something happened in Rockefeller's family life that made some conservatives less likely to support him. This helped Goldwater win the primary. Even though some people tried to get William Scranton, the Governor of Pennsylvania, nominated instead, it didn't work. By the end of the primaries, Goldwater had enough support to become the nominee.

It's important to know that Margaret Chase Smith, a Senator, also had her name put forward for nomination at this convention. This was a historic moment because it was the first time a woman's name was officially entered for president at a major political party's convention.

What Happened at the Convention?

1964 Republican National Convention
Governor Mark Hatfield speaks at the convention in the Cow Palace

The 1964 Republican Convention was full of excitement and disagreements. Goldwater's conservative supporters and Rockefeller's more moderate supporters often clashed. Goldwater was known as the main voice for conservatives. This meant he wasn't as popular with the moderate and liberal members of the Republican Party.

When Rockefeller tried to give a speech, some conservative delegates booed him. They saw him as part of the "eastern liberal establishment." Even with all the disagreements, Goldwater easily won the nomination. He chose William E. Miller, a Representative from New York, to be his running mate for vice president.

In his speech accepting the nomination, Goldwater talked about Communism as a big problem in the world. He also said, "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Some people, even those on his own team, thought these words might make it harder for him to win the election. They felt he was pushing away the moderate and liberal voters in his party.

Richard Nixon, who was a former vice president and would later become president, introduced Goldwater. He called him "Mr. Conservative" and "Mr. Republican." Nixon said Goldwater would be "Mr. President." This was the only Republican convention between 1952 and 1972 where Nixon wasn't nominated for president or vice president himself.

During the celebrations, some Republican officials tried to remove reporters from the convention floor. A reporter named John Chancellor refused to leave. Police officers escorted him out, and he famously said on air, "This is John Chancellor, somewhere in custody!" Another journalist, Belva Davis, reported that she and another Black reporter were chased out by attendees yelling mean things.

The main meeting place for the convention was the newly opened San Francisco Hilton hotel.

What Was the Party's Plan?

1964 Republican National Convention Platform Committee
A Platform Committee meeting held before the convention on July 9

The 1964 Republican Party's platform, which is like a list of what the party believes and plans to do, was mostly shaped by Goldwater's conservative ideas. It called for:

Who Else Ran for President?

Here are some of the other people who were considered for the Republican presidential nomination in 1964:

How Were the Votes Counted?

The delegates at the convention voted for their preferred candidate. Here's how the votes for president turned out:

Who Was the Vice Presidential Nominee?

William E. Miller, a Representative from New York, was chosen unanimously as the vice presidential candidate. He had been the chairman of the Republican National Committee since 1961. Goldwater said he picked Miller because he thought Miller would annoy President Johnson. However, some people believed Johnson barely knew who Miller was.

Miller's background from the Eastern U.S. and his Catholic faith helped balance the ticket in some ways, even though he was also a conservative like Goldwater. He wasn't very well-known, which led to a popular question at the time: "Here's a riddle, it's a killer / Who the hell is William Miller?"

After the convention, Dean Burch, a strong supporter of Goldwater from Arizona, took over as the chairman of the Republican National Committee.

See also

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