Volume 10 , Issue 28

1960 July 10, Presidential Politics

Forty-eight years ago a Democrat family of six from Northwest Oklahoma piled into their father's Cessna airplane and flew out west across the rockies, grand canyon and other spots in between Alva, Oklahoma and Los Angeles, California for the 1960 Democrat National convention. This NW Okie was twelve years of age at the time and oblivious to the political scene of that time.

Anyway... according to The Oklahoman, dated 1960 July 10, front page, written by Allan Cromley (Oklahoman-Times Washington Bureau), Governor (Edmondson) Gets In New Uproar.

It was the time of the Democratic National convention in Los Angeles, California with Lyndon Baines Johnson and John F. Kennedy as Democrats campaigning for President.

Members of the Oklahoma delegation were arriving in Los Angeles on a Saturday and were greeted by headlines quoting Gov. Edmondson as saying the Sooners had "quit" Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson for president.

My Dad, Gene McGill, who was state chairman, took one look at the headlines and issued an "angry denial."

The article goes on to state, "Edmondson said at a news conference there are at least 10 votes 20 delegates for Sen John F. Kennedy in the Oklahoma delegation. He said the Massachusetts senator would make the strongest Democratic candidate in Oklahoma.

A Los Angeles newspaper interpreted Edmondson's statement as a "crack in Johnson's delegate strength.

Jim Rinehart, El Reno, was so angry he promised to move at an Oklahoma caucus Sunday to withdraw Edmondson's half-vote in the delegation.

Smith Hester, chairman of the state convention, said Kennedy couldn't get five votes in theh Oklahoma delegation.

Edmondson pledged all-out support for Kennedy and spent much of the day with Robert Kennedy, the senator's brother and campaign manager.

They were meeting with Gov. Grant Sawyer of Nevada in the Alexandria Hotel at the moment the Massachusetts senator made a triumphal arrival.

Edmondson said he had become an active worker in the Kennedy campaign.

McGill said, "I wish to deny categorically published reports the Oklahoma delegation will "quit Lyndon Johnson."

McGill goes on to say, "Gov. Edmondson has one-half vote in the Oklahoma delegation. I doubt if he can control a single vote except his own. He definitely will not be a major influence in the Oklahoma delegation. Everyone in Oklahoma knows this to be true, and it will become very evident here when the voting starts."

The first ballots were to be taken that coming Wednesday. McGill said he would be "greatly surprised" if there are five full delegate votes (10 delegates) favoring Kennedy.

McGill goes on to say that Kennedy's strength in the Oklahoma delegation was a must question because of the unit rule under which the state convention instructed the entire 58 member delegation (29 votes) to support Johnson.

In another article written by Otis Sullivant, Daily Oklahoman Political writer, dated 1960 July 10, the headlines read: State's 29 Votes Wait for Lyndon.

Los Angeles -- "Anxiously watching developments, the Oklahoma delegation to the Democratic National convention is ready to make its formal declaration for Sen. Lyndon Johnson of Texas for the nomination for president at the first caucus here Sunday afternoon.

"The early arrivals scouted reports from all camps and hoped for a Johnson build-up to keep the bandwagon of Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts from rolling to a first or second ballot nomination.

"If the Kennedy forces can be stopped, then the Oklahomans expect Sen. Johnson to climb further, and the Oklahoma crowd will be in on the win.

"If Kennedy smashes through to victory, it will be a glum Oklahoma delegation for the most part. However, Gov. Edmondson and a few others on the delegation will be wildly jubilant.

Kennedy is so close to the 761 votes needed for a majority that the Oklahoma backers of Johnson were on edge as they mingled with the delegates from 49 other states.

"The caucus at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Alexandria Hotel, Oklahoma headquarters, will be the first formal gathering of the delegates since they were selected in district meetings and the state convention at Oklahoma City April 29 and 30, 1960.

"Sounding of the individual delegates then showed an overwhelming majority for Johnson, and apparently few have waivered since then despite the West Virginia primary victory for Kennedy and his continued build-up of delegate strength.

"Gene McGill, state chairman and chairman of the delegation is actively working and is expected to recommend to the delegation that it declare itself ready to vote for Johnson on the first ballot.

"The 58-member delegation which will cast the state's 29 votes in the convention is bound by the unit rule. Gov. Edmondson is a delegate with one-half vote by grace of state convention action to honor the office.
,br> "Sen. Robert S. Kerr is one of the most active aspirants for Johnson. Sen. Mike Monroney is for Adali Stevenson, nominee the last two times, and will lead the cheering section from the Oklahoma angle if a deadlock develops and Stevenson emerges as a compromise candidate.

"Sen. Stuart Symington is the second choice candidate of many of the delegates, if Johnson drops out and Kennedy fails to get the nomination. The indications are the majority of the delegates will not agree to go to Kennedy until he has wrapped up the nomination. There is some undercurrent talk about missing the bandwagon.

"The party organization fight, with foes of Gov. Edmondson taking charge of the party and the state convention, resulted in more opposition to Kennedy than would have developed otherwise. The fact that Gov. Edmondson is for Kennedy resulted in Kennedy having less support than he would have had otherwise. Further, many of the delegation leaders feel that Kennedy as the nominee would be the weakest of the candidates in Oklahoma against Vice President Nixon, as the Republican nominee.

"The party delegation includes McGill, Mrs. Grace Hudlin, Hulbert, State vice chairman and seven of the members of the party executive committee. Several of those party members were active in the surprise selection of McGill as state chairman over Pat Malloy, the governor's choice, last September (1959).

"The delegation also includes Raymond Gary, Madill, former governor; George D. Key, chairman of the state election board, whose resignation the governor sought unsuccessfully; W. P. Atkinson, Midwest City, the man the governor beat for the nomination for governor; Roy Grimes, Elmore City, head of the County Commissioners' Association, which is fighting the governor's reform program.

"Then many of the anti-administration legislators are on teh delegation, including Joe Bailey Cobb, Tishomingo; George Miskovsky, Oklahoma City, senator; Ed Merrong, Clinton, senator; and J. D. McCarty, Oklahoma City, speaker-designate of the house. Brandon Frost, Woodward, head of Oklahomans for Local Government the organization fighting the governor's program, is a delegate, but reported to like Kennedy.

"Despite the anti-state administration flavor, there was no early showing of hostility toward the governor. If Kennedy is the nominee, it is likely that the nominee will look to the governor for campaign aid in the state, more than to the party organization. Regardless of the selection of the nominee, the Democrats are expected to try to close ranks for the general election.

"The early arrivals were more concerned with getting their rooms in the crowded hotel and the far-away motels assigned to the delegation.

"And the quiet guessing was whether Oklahoma would again miss the bandwagon, as it has done so often in recent years.

"In 1928, the delegation was going to be for James A. Reed of Missouri but Al Smith of New York had the nomination when the balloting got underway.

"In 1932, the Oklahoma delegates were for the favorite son, Gov. William H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray when Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York sewed up the nomination.

"In 1936, it was all roosevelt at Philadelphia. In 1940, the then Gov. Leon C. "Red" Phillips opposed the third term nomination of Roosevelt, but the delegation voted for Roosevelt.

"In 1944, at Chicago, Sen. Kerr, then governor, was the keynoter and a candidate for vice-president. Roosevelt had the fourth term nomination without dispute, and Kerr joined in for Harry S. Truman for vice-president to help nominate him. In 1948, there was nothing but Harry S. Truman at Philadelphia.

"In 1952, Kerr was a favorite son candidate with the delegation behind him. It went to Alben W. Barkley on the second ballot after a first vote for Kerr, and failed to catch the Stevenson bandwagon on the third ballot when he was nominated.

"Four years ago, Gov. Gary held the delegation in his hand and was for Gov. Harriman of Ne York when Stevenson again had the nomination. Gary did keep the delegation from voting for Kennedy for vice-president by going for Sen. Estes Kefauver, and Gary could have nominated Kennedy for vice president at one poiint by throwing the delegation to him.

"Kennedy probably would have been eliminated as a presidential candidate this time if he had been the nominee. At least, he has expressed gratitude for not having received the nomination for vice president four years go, although he was sorely disappointed at that time, as a number of state delegates observed."
  |  View or Add Comments (1 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---