A Different Republican Icon

[OSR stands with Israel]

Key Moments of the first Presidential Debate



Key Moment 1:

Cronkite: Its now been more than 4 years since the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed Congress in 1964 , and despite the fact that we have sent in over 500 thousand more troops to Vietnam in those 4 years the situation in Vietnam has not gotten any better and some may argue has gotten even worse. Due to this most Americans in a recent poll want the next President to end the war in Vietnam, and question whether either of you can do it due to you Vice President Humphrey being the Vice President of an administration which has presided over the war , and you Senator Goldwater due to you seemingly want to be even more aggressive.

Goldwater: Well the reason is pretty simple, as the fact is the North Vietnamese wont be willing to negotiate a treaty with fair terms as long as they are the side that has much less to lose. This is why  I believe we should go on an offensive strategy so we force the North Vietnamese on the defense instead which then will incentivize them to come to the negotiating table and allow us to end this war with honor.

Humphrey: If I am elected I would begin negotiations with the North Vietnamese to end the war as soon as possible and yes that may require some concessions on our behalf but the fact is the goal of the war was to guarantee that the South Vietnamese dont fall to the communists and if it that happens then we will have met the goals and ended the war in Vietnam with success.

Goldwater: While Vice President Humphrey and I agree that there have to be negotiations, the fact is the Vice President hasn't explained how would get the North Vietnamese on the bargaining table or get them to agree to an agreement which is not totally favorable to them.

Humphrey: Its by using other tactics not just military to get them on the table and secondly I am surprised that Senator Goldwater would accuse our campaign of not providing any successes since he hasnt given any specifics either on how he would go on offense. Is it invading North Vietnam and risking China getting involved like in Korea, is it increase bombings of North Vietnam, is it just sending more troops our is something else. The fact is we dont now what Senator Goldwater wants to do because he hasnt given it yet

Goldwater: Vice President Humphrey's answer right there is why the war effort hasnt worked so far. He along with the President believe that the President knows more about the state of the war than the generals, and I wont repeat the same mistakes. In my opinion, it is time we let our generals on the ground decide our strategies as they know best about the situation there.

Humphrey: Senator I wasnt asking for the exact strategy, I was asking for a broad one which is something the President should set then once you give the generals that broad strategy then you leave it up to them for the decisions but you havent even given the broader strategy yet.


Important Momentent 2:

Cronkite: As you may know over the past few years the relationship between the Soviet Union and the Chinese Government have deteriorated. How important do you believe it is for the US to try to now improve relations with the Chinese Government in light of this. Vice President Humphrey you first

Humphrey: Well I think it is important as they are the most populated nation on earth, and also would provide a good check on the Soviet satellite States in the region. How I would go along to improve it is by agreeing to drop sanctions in exchange for an improvement in human rights in their nation.

Goldwater: I also think it is important that we improve Chinese relations, but not with the record their current government has. It is of my opinion that we can give them a deal agreeing not only to drop many sanctions but to expand trade there as well in exchange for improvement of human rights in China, Liberalization of their Economy and to help us bring the North Vietnamese to the  table

Humphrey: While I do agree with the other things the Senator brought up right now,we must improve our relations with 3 steps: First ask them to improve their human rights in exchange to drop sanctions , then we can ask to help end the war in Vietnam and liberalize their economy .


Goldwater: No it can be done, it just requires our leaders to have the courage to do so.


Important Moment 3:

Cronkite: Another issue Americans are moving more in favor of is agreeing to the Strategic arms limitation treaty with the Soviets, so first to you Mr. Goldwater do you support it.

Goldwater: At the current stage no, but I do agree with the policy itself. The problem is President Johnson and Vice President Johnson have been willing to support a deal even if they require us to do more to limit these missils than the Russians My beleif is we cut down at an equal rate so the cloud of nuclear war can never happen in our lifetimes.

Humphrey: I would definitely support it , as the fact is currently both our weapons aresnal has enough power to destroy our great planet multiple times over so the cloud of nuclear war being lifted from our shoulders and we need to keep it that way.

Goldwater: The fact is again , the goal has to to get rid of both our nation's nuclear arsenal but I cant and wont support a treaty that will only be enforceable against us. In my opinion, any deal with the Soviets should require third-party inspectors to make sure that they are following through on the deal.

Humphrey: I want people to remember what it was like 6 years ago during the Cuban Missle Crises, and how close we were to a potential nuclear war.  Since then we have tried to reduce tension with the Soviet Union , instead, my opponent believes its a mistake that we did try to reduce tensions with the Soviets and really wants to return to the more confrontal cold war diplomacy of the the 1950s which is something we cant afford right now

Goldwater: If you remember the Cuban Missle Crises would never happened if not for the botched handling of the Bay Of Pigs Invasion.

Viewers Say Humphrey won Debate, which propels him to take a 2 point lead nationally

Dark Color: 8+ point lead
Light Color: 4-8  point lead
Gray: Tossup

Humphrey/Sanford 216 49%
Goldwater/Rhodes 207 47%

[OSR stands with Israel]

Key Moments of the Vice Presidential Debate



Key Moment 1:

Tom Wicker: If either of you are elected to the Vice Presidency this November, what would your role be in next President's administration and if God Forbid anything happened to the President what experience would you have that would qualify you for the job. Governor Rhodes you first

Rhodes: Well I cant tell you what exact role I would play in a potential Goldwater administration but some of the potential roles I would play is helping the President in reducing the size of government and some prior experience that qualifies me in helping him with that is that I was the Ohio State Auditor for 10 years so I know first hand about how to spot and get rid of wasteful spending . That would be one role I would play along with being the President's top advisor and sitting in on cabinet meetings as well.

Now in the unfortunate event that something happens to the President, what would qualify me to be President is that I have been Governor of Ohio , which is one of the most populated states in the union for the past 6 years and since I would take an active role in the administration I would be prepared to take over from day 1.


Sanford: While the exact role I would play hasnt been decided either, one role I would play is taking a very active part in the President's Education Policy. I believe education is one of the most important issue facing our nation today so I will take a very active part in helping the President in his goal to integrate all our nation's public schools, increasing teacher pay so that very important profession can attract the best and brightest among us, making universities more accessible to poor students and more.

In the unfortunate event something happens to the President, the reason I would be qualified is I have been governor for 4 years and that would prepare me for the job.


Wicker: I would like to ask a follow up to both of you , Governor Rhodes you first.  Governor Rhodes you say that you will take an active part in helping the President reduce the size of government, how will you do so.

Rhodes : Well I would use my experience as state auditor for 10 years to help the administration identify certain types of government programs which are wasteful, inefficient, or outdated which then would help the President decide what programs to cut . Also since I was governor for the state of Ohio for 6 years I know which types of programs would be better implemented at a state level and can advise the President in that as well


Wicker: Governor Sanford while you listed of what you would want to do , how would you do them

Sanford: Well as Governor of North Carolina we integrated  more and more of our schools, expanded our state university system and promoted the arts and humanities  so I would bring that experience to the administration to help them replicate that nationally

Key Moment 2:


Wicker: Governor Rhodes, you and Senator Goldwater have made it a key point of your campaign to fundamentally change our nation's economic policies. With unemployment as low as it is now why is it that we need to change it at this moment


Rhodes: Thats a good question Tom, but the fact is while unemployment is low,  inflation has reached its highest point in nearly 17 years and is growing. While it may not seem to be an immediate problem now , if we dont do anything soon it will negatively impact our economy so the time to act is now.

Sanford: Governor Rhodes the reason inflation has gone up is because demand has gone up, and the reason the demand as gone up is due to our strong economy. If the economy falls into a recession , inflation will fall as demand falls and the proper way to react to that is by using Kenyesian Economics which has worked for the past 36 years and not try out Milton Friedman's untested theory.

Rhodes: Well Governor Sanford , that is not true inflation can still go up if a recession happens if the recession is caused by a supply shock. The thing is for many years , espically in the last 4 we havent accounted one bit for Supply so that negligent handling could lead to a recession caused by a major drop in supply which would result in high unemployment and high inflation .

Key Moment 3:

Wicker: Governor Sanford , given that the Democrats have been in power for the past 8 years why should voters stick with them when it comes to Vietnam policy

Sanford: Well it is because Vice President Humphrey and I actually want to end the war and have a tangible plan to do so while Senator Goldwater and Governor Rhodes would actually expand the war. The fact is we beleive that yes we need to try to end the war through diplomatic means and while that may not end up with the best result it will end up with a free South Vietnam, which is why we are fighting this war in the first place.

Rhodes: Well again what the Democrats have been saying about our plan is totally misleading. The reason we do want to go on the offensive is so we can end the war because there is no way that the North Vietnamese will end the war with a free South Vietnam unless they have a reason to and that reason is they have something to lose if they dont.

Sanford : Well going on the offensive means you will expand and lengthen the war

Rhodes: No it doesn't, what will lengthen the war is by continuing the current straegy of treating it like a police action.



Polls move slightly in Goldwater's direction after the debate:

Dark Color: 8+ point lead
Light Color: 4-8  point lead
Gray: Tossup

Humphrey/Sanford 216 49%
Goldwater/Rhodes 213 48%

[OSR stands with Israel]

Key Moments of the 2nd Debate



Key Moment 1:

Audience Member: Senator Goldwater, while you did vote for the Voting Rights Act you did vote against the Civil Rights Act. What was the reason why you opposed the civil rights act and would you repeal it as President?

Goldwater: Thank You For the Question, and to answer it no I would not repeal the civil rights act. The reason why I voted against the civil rights act was because there were some provisions in there which I felt were unconstitutional due to the fact that those provisions gave the government the power to regulate whom a private business is allowed or not allowed to hire or dictate a businesses customer service policy. Now the reason why I wouldn't repeal the bill is because there are many great things the bill did liked desegregation and ending the Jim Crow Era.

Reynolds: I have a follow up to that question, so what would your administration to the provisions you oppose

Goldwater: I would ask Congress to get rid of the regulations I believe are unconstitutional and replace them with ones that are constitutional.

Humphrey: While I have no doubt that Senator Goldwater did not vote against the civil rights act for racist or political reasons, his reason why he did vote against is still concerning but not surprising. The reason why it is concerning is that he essentially believes that the rights of businesses should trump the right of the people and that is just wrong. It is not surprising because Senator Goldwater as said throughout the campaign that he will make America Great Again, and in some ways I agree because while he would take our nation back to the 20s, he would make America great for the Rich and most Privileged among us by allowing for businesses to trample on the rights of the people once again. I on the other hand dont believe that would make our nation as a whole great , and as President, I will always put all our people first, just not the ones who my opponent and his party cater to.

Goldwater: Vice President Humphrey, the people who own the businesses are people as well and the idea that they dont have the same struggles like everyone else is just not true. Remember the vast majority of businesses are small businesses and small business owners have the same struggles as everyone when it comes to getting money they need.

Also the Vice President also misquoted me like usual, as what I believe is those provisions of the bill should be replaced with ones that are constitutional not that they should be entirely repealed.


Reynolds: Moving on


Key Moment 2:

Audience Member 2: Vice President Humphrey, what is your opinion on the draft and do you think the penalties for draft dodgers are too strict.

Humphrey: While I believe we need to end the draft we have to do it in a gradual way to make sure our military doenst get negatively affected. In the meantime, I would support increasing the amount of exemptions which exempts you from the draft, and reduce penalties for people who were drafted but dont want to fight.

Goldwater: I oppose the draft and believe we need to go to a full volunteer army as soon as possible. I believe a full volunteer military force would result in us having troops with higher morale since they joined because they wanted to join, not because they wanted to be forced too. On the other hand I don't believe penalties for draft dodging should be reduced because if a person dodges the draft that would result in someone else being drafted in his place and I dont think its fair for some people to not partake in the draft while other have to.

Humphrey: The problem with ending it now is that we need a transition phase and that is what I believe we should do

Reynolds: Moving on


Key Moment 3:

Audience Member: Senator Goldwater , throughout the campaign you have said you would restore law and order in this nation , so the question is why do you believe it needs to be restored and how would you do it

Goldwater: The reason why I believe it needs to be restored is due to all the violent protests we have had in our nation over the past few years which has led to unrest getting worse and worse. My belief is that we need to make it clear that while everyone has the right to protest but when they get violent they will be stopped immediately and the people responsible for the violence will get server penalties for it. This requires us to work with local law enforcement to be able to stop the type of unrest on the streets before it happens.

Humphrey: My belief is we need to increase the number of cops on the ground and that would require us to invest more money into local law enforcement so they have the ability to put more cops on the ground. My belief is also that if we as a government address the problems facing our nation in a more affective way much of the anger we are seeing today wouldnt be there.

Goldwater: I agree partially on the need to increase the number of cops and the fact that we have to fix problems our nation has had to reduce anger but that fact is we are worse of as a whole now then we were 4 years ago so it is time for a change so we can begin to solve the many problems our nation faces.



New Poll shows both candidates are tied, but the electoral map remains unchanged

[OSR stands with Israel]

Key Moments of the 3rd Debate:



Key Moment 1:

Brinkley: Senator Goldwater, you have made economic policy a major part of your campaign. If you are elected you have said you want to dramatically change our tax code by reducing the current 25 tax brackets which have rates as low as 14% and go as high 70% to all the way down to 5 brackets which have rates as low as 10% to a high of 40%. Wouldnt this tax cut dramatically reduce revenues

Goldwater: Firstly what you have decribed is the changes we would make in the amount of brackets and the new tax rates , but thats not the only thing we would do in tax reform. We would get rid of many of the exclusions and deductions in our code that were created to benefit special interests and allow the goverment to pick and choose winners instead of letting the market decide. Also if you cut taxes it would increase the amount of disposable income the average American has and make it easier for buisnesses to increase supply which then would reduce consumer prices, expand their operations and all these would result in our economy growing at a faster rate with inflation dropping as well.


Humphrey: Senator Goldwater's tax proposal is another example of him continuing to propose policies that are sweked greatly in favor to the wealthy few in our nation, and while that type of attitude of favoring the wealthy and big business over the working man and women of the nation is typical of the Republican Party it has definetly been exacerbated by Senator Goldwater to ways we havent seen since the 1920s. The reason for this is the ways Senator Goldwater would pay for it is by taking away exemptions and deductions in the tax code which are there to incentivize them to treat workers well . Also that still wouldn't pay for it so the way he would pay for those tax cuts, is by cutting programs that benefit the working class.

Goldwater: After that statement you just made Mr.Vice President, I think its time for a little economics lesson(laughter).

Say you are a movie theater and you currently charge $2.00 per movie ticket and you decide to raise the price of the ticket to $2.50 a ticket , now theortically that should result in you having more revenues right , well in reality that is not true because now that you have raised the price of the ticket , less people come to watch it and due to that overall sales drop. Now say instead you decide to cut the price of the ticket from $2 to $1.50 , you now have made more in revenues why , because now you have gotten customers who could previously couldnt afford the $2 ticket who can afford the $1.50 ticekt and due to that your revenues go up.

Similarly in taxes when you cut taxes you do the same thing. The reason is say because of the tax cut one family disposable income has gone up $500 dollars. This means now they have $500 dollars more to spend in the marketplace and to keep up with the demand businesses will have to higher more workers and more workers mean more revenue for the government. Similarly if we cut taxes for businesses that would increase the amount they can spend to increase supply or expand their business to a new city and that too would require them to create new jobs thus increasing revenues the government receives.

Humphrey: Comparing a movie ticket to taxes is ridiculous. The fact is the Government is not a business no matter how much my Republican Friends would like it to be so , it is not so the comparisons between a business and government is just ridiculous. As President I will instead use government money to help improve our education system, increase access to healthcare and reduce poverty all which would stimulate our economy than this tax cut, my opponent, as proposed.

Goldwater: While a Government is not a business, the fact is there are some basic economic facts which are the same for both of them. That economic fact is that , just because a business keeps prices high or in the case of government taxes high does not mean revenues will be high and the same is true visa versa. Now while my Democratic friends don't believe in following these basic economic facts I will

Brinkley: Ok Moving on


Key Point 2:

Brinkley: Vice President Humphrey, you have made expanding the Great Society a big part of your campaign. What types of ways would you expand the Great Society and where would you get the money to do so

Humphrey: Two major places where we need to expand the Great Society is Education and Healthcare. Education is the best vehicle for people to get out of poverty and I will make sure if I am elected President that we will expand the school lunch program to make sure no child has to sit in class with an empty stomach, increase teacher pay to attract the best and brightest among us to that profession and make going to universities more accessible for Americans. Another issue where we need to expand the Great Society is by expanding Medicare and Medicaid so we can eventually reach a goal of universal coverage . We would get the money to pay for it by one using our growing economy to expand prosperity to everyone, and an end to the war in Vietnam would allow us to spend money in these areas.

Goldwater: I have a very different approach when it comes to Government Programs. My belief is instead of directly running programs at the federal level , we give that money to cities and states who know the problems facing their cities or states better than we do and this change in policy would result in us getting better results while spending less money.

Humphrey: The problem with block grants which my opponent has proposed is that it puts too much faith that states would actually use the money on those programs. Secondly the money is coming out of people federal income taxes so it is our responsibility to use it to directly benefit the people .

Goldwater: Well one problem is each state and in many case city faces a slightly different problem so the fact is they would know better what problems they face and would be able to use the money to directly confront those .

Humphrey: The fact is if those states wanted to create programs they would have by now but havent so its the responsibility of the federal government to come in for the general welfare of our people.

Brinkley: Moving On

Key Moment 3:

Brinkley: One issue where you two differ is on the issue of free trade. Senator Goldwater believes we would get rid of many of the trade barriers we currently have and especially do so with Canada and Mexico. On the other hand Vice President, Humphrey believes in keeping the current barriers we have to protect American workers. Why is one policy better than the other here, Senator Goldwater you first

Goldwater: Well the fact is protectionism results in us having to pay higher prices un the market and reduces competition. Instead, if we got rid of trade barriers we could lower prices for consumers in our nation, increase quality of products as now established companies here will have to compete with more business and that will result in an increase in quality and third help us improve relations with natins around the world.

Humphrey: While I oppose getting rid of the current barriers at the moment , I do not oppose free trade. It is just my belief that it has to be fair for our workers so we dont see corporations use free trade laws to ship jobs overseas for cheap labor. It is my belief that any trade deal we sign must benefit the workers first and then can we get rid of the barriers.

Goldwater: Lower prices do benefit workers and so do an increase in competition because to match the competition, companies would have to hire more employees to match the quality or keep their employees more motivated.

Humphrey: The fact is it is our job as President to put our workers interests in mind and that includes Steel Workers, Miners, Construction workers and much more so I will make sure any Free Trade Deal will benefit the workers

Goldwater: The best way to put our workers interests in mind is by making our economy even better which Free Trade will do


Goldwater takes back Lead in Polls

 

Dark Color: 8+ point lead
Light Color: 4-8  point lead
Gray: Tossup

Goldwater/Rhodes 224 50%
Humphrey/Sanford 207 48%

[OSR stands with Israel]

Summary of Final Weeks of Campaign:

California Governor Reagan campaigns extensively in California and partly in Texas for Senator Goldwater



Brinkley: California Governor Ronald Reagan has hit the campaign trail for Senator Goldwater and Senate Candidate George Deukmejian so far doing 8 rallies in the state of California, 7 of them taking place in Southern California . He has also done two rallies in the state of Texas for Senator Goldwater , one in Dallas and one in Houston .


Ted Kennedy campaigns for Vice President Humphrey in the Midwest



Brinkley: Massachusettes Senator Ted Kennedy campaigned for Vice President Humphrey today in the state of Illinois, saying that if you want to keep the legacy and dreams of both his brothers: President John F Kennedy and Senator Robert F Kennedy alive we must vote for Vice President Humphrey in November.

Breaking News: President Johnson orders halt to bombing in North Vietnam, as apparent talks to end war begin:



Johnson: Due to developments in the latest rounds of talks between the North and South Vietnamese, I have ordered a halt to all bombing in North Vietnam .

Breaking News: Peace Talks Fall Apart:




Brinkley: We have some breaking news to report to you and that is that peace talks in Paris have fallen apart as neither side could come to an agreement to end the war.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Polling of Presidential Race with one day to go:

Dark Color: Solid R or Solid D
Light Color: Lean R or Lean D
Gray: Tossup

Humphrey/Sanford 228 49%
Goldwater/Rhodes 224 49%


Polling of Tossup States:

Arkansas: Humphrey 50% Goldwater 49%
Georgia: Humphrey: 49% Goldwater 49%
Illionis: Humphrey 50% Goldwater 49%
Kentucky: Humphrey 51% Goldwater 48%
South Carolina: Humphrey 50% Golldwater 48%
Texas: Goldwater 50% Humphrey 49%

[OSR stands with Israel]

NBC News: Election Night 1968(Part 1)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8dPRhuE1s&t=145s

Brinkley: Good Evening and Welcome to NBC News's coverage of the 1968 Presidential Election. After a back and forth campaign , the campaign is finally over and we are ready to cover for what looks to be a very close election and potentially a very long night. Ok I will send it over to John Chancellor who will explain a new feature we have created to make you at home have a better understanding of the state of the election throughout the night

Chancellor: As you can see behind us , we have a map of the United States of America and as the night progresses we will fill it in one of 3 colors. If a state is won by Senator Goldwater we will fill it in Blue, if it is won by Vice President Humphrey we will fill it in red, and if we are unable to make a projection it will be filled in green.

As you can see we have already been able to project that Indiana has been won by Senator Goldwater and we can also project that the states of Florida, Virginia and Vermont all will also be won by Senator Goldwater tonight and currently we are unable to make a projection in the states of Kentucky , South Carolina and Georgia .

Goldwater 42
Humphrey 0

Brinkley: No surprise so far

Huntley: Now lets look at our exit poll

Exit Poll:

Race:
White Voters: 89% ; Goldwater 55% Humphrey 45%
Black Voters: 9%; Humphrey 91% Goldwater 9%

Gender:
Men Voters: 50% ; Goldwater 52% Humphrey 48%
Women Voters 50% ; Humphrey 52% Humphrey 48%

Where people live:

Urban Areas: 32% ; Humphrey 66% Goldwater 34%
Suburban Areas 37% ; Goldwater 59% Humphrey 41%
Rural Areas 31%; Goldwater 56% Humphrey 44%

Income Level:

Less than $5000: 17% ; Humphrey 61% Goldwater 39%
$5000-$20000: 60% ; Goldwater 50% Humphrey 50%
More than $20000: 23% ; Goldwater 58% Humphrey 42%

Huntely: So the exit polls show a very close race and it will come down to where those votes are coming from.

7:30:

Brinkley: We can now project that the state of West Virginia will got to Vice President Humphrey. We are unable to make a projection in either Ohio or North Carolina at the moment

Goldwater 42
Humphrey 7

In the senate we can project that in Florida- Congressman Edward Gurney will win the senate seat meaning Republicans will have won a Senate seat from Florida for the first time since reconstruction.

[OSR stands with Israel]

NBC News: Election Night 1968(Part 2)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8dPRhuE1s&t=145s

Brinkley: It is 8:00 in the east and the polls have just closed in many states. At this hour NBC News can project that the states of Alabama, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma will all be won by Senator Barry Goldwater. Vice President Humphrey will win the states of Connecticut, Deleware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.. Currently we are unable to make a projection in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey , Tennessee, and Texas

Goldwater 82
Humphrey 74


Huntely: So Alabama and Mississippi like expected go to the Republicans for the first time since reconstruction. Now lets look at our projection in the House so Far.

Currently we are projecting that the Republicans will make gains in the house when this night is all said and done and have anywhere from 203 Seats in the House to 218 Seats which means that they do have an outside chance of taking the house. John with these house projections what do you think it means for the senate

Chancellor: Well I think it probably means the Senate will have Republicans gaining anywhere from 1 to 8 seats which even in the best case scenario would leave the Democrats with 53 seats in that chamber.

Brinkley: I agree but what I am more interested to see is what the ideological composition is at the end of the night


8:30

Brinkley: The polls have closed in Arkansas and we are currently unable to make a projection there. On the other hand we are able to make projections in the state of New Jersey where we can project that Vice President Humphrey will indeed win that state and its electoral votes.

Humphrey 91
Goldwater 82

Huntley : In the senate we are able to make another projection and that is Former Oklahoma Governor Henry Bellman will defeat Senator Mike Monroney to become the next Senator of Oklahoma . This will give the Republicans their 2nd pickup of the night

[OSR stands with Israel]

NBC News: Election Night 1968(Part 3)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8dPRhuE1s&t=145s

Brinkley: Its 9 PM in the east and NBC News can project that Senator Goldwater will win the states of Arizona, Colorado, Lousinia, Nebraska,  New Mexico, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming while Vice President Humphrey will win the states of Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin .

Humphrey: 160
Goldwater: 123

Brinkely: No Surprise Again

Huntely: In the Senate We can now project that Representative Charles Mathias will defeat Senator Daniel Brewster to become the next Senator from Maryland. This so far gives the Republican a net of 3 seats in the Senate

Brinkley: He is a liberal Republican so even if Goldwater wins , he may not go along with Goldwater's agenda as much as the Republicans would like him to .

Huntely: Back to the Presidential race, while people may think that Humphrey is starting to pull away , remember its still a very close race as California which is probably going to be won by Goldwater has more than enough Electoral votes to make up for that margin so the race is still a long way from being even close to over.


9:21:

Chancellor: We can now make a call in both the Vice Presidential Homestates and we can project that Senator Goldwater will win Ohio and its 26 electoral votes while Vice President Humphrey will win North Carolina and its 13 electoral votes

Humphrey 173
Goldwater 149

Brinkley: Two major victories for both candidates as Ohio was a must win for Republicans and same with North Carolina for the Democrats

Huntely: We can also project that the Democrats will retain control of the House as the Republicans best case scenrio of the night has dropped form the 218 it needs to win the house to 216

9:51

Huntely: We have major projections we can make right now, and that is the states of Michigan and Missouri will be won by Vice President Humphrey tonight. While they were expected to go to Vice President Humphrey, them being called before 10 shows a stronger than expected performance by Humphrey there. A sigh of relief in the Goldwater camp as well , as Tenneesse, as been won by his camp .

Humphrey: 206
Goldwater: 160

[OSR stands with Israel]

NBC News: Election Night 1968(Part 4)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8dPRhuE1s&t=145s

Brinkley: Its 10 in the east and NBC News is ready to make some more projections. We can project that Senator Goldwater will win the states of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Utah. We are unable to make a projection in Iowa .

Humphrey: 206
Goldwater: 175

Brinkley: So far this night is going exactly like all of anticipated it would go

Huntley: Yes it has but I have something interesting to point out. Currently Vice President Humphrey has a narrow lead in the popular vote but after California comes in , Goldwater probably will take the lead in it so there is a chance for one candidate to win the popular vote but not the electoral vote. Lets take a look at some of the major races.

In Texas Goldwater currently has the lead and it has mainly come in from winning the Dallas and Houston Metro Areas by large margins  and so far Humphrey is not performing well outside those areas as he needs to to win this state. While there is still much of the state left to count if Humphrey doesnt start doing better in those areas this state will likely be called by Senator Goldwater by 11:30-11:40

In Illinois we cant make any predictions as there is still lots of the vote to come in Chicago which will come in strongly for Humphrey and its Suburbs which will come in strongly for Goldwater. Its likely we wont be able to make a projection in this state till very late in the night.


Chancellor: Hold up, Hold Up we have a projection to make in a key Senate Race. In Pennsylvania we can project that Representative  Richard Schweiker will defeat Senator Joesph Clark to become the next Senator of that state. This pickup means the Republicans so far have picked up a net of 4 seats in the Senate.


10:49:

Brinkley: We interrupt coverage of your local races as we have two more projections to make in the Presidential Race. We can project that Vice President Humphrey will win the State of Kentucky and its 9 electoral votes and Senator Goldwater will win the State of Georgia and its 12 electoral votes.

Humphrey: 215
Goldwater: 187

Chancellor: And we have two projections to make in Key Senate races. In Kentucky we can project the Democrat Kentucky Commerce Commissioner Katherine Pedan will be the next senator of the state and in Ohio we can project Lieutenant Governor John Brown will be the next Senator of that state. So the net change of the night remains at Republican+4.

[OSR stands with Israel]

NBC News: Election Night 1968(Part 5)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8dPRhuE1s&t=145s

Brinkely: Its 11 in the east and we have a major projection to make and that is we can project that the State of California and its 40 electoral voteswill be won by Senator Goldwater. In the state of Hawaii we can project Vice President Humphrey will win it . We are unable to make projections in either Oregon or Washington

Goldwater: 227
Humphrey: 219

Brinkley: So what made it that California could be called this instantly

Huntley: Its because in our state exit poll , it shows us that Goldwater will win LA county and by at least 5 points. Humphrey needed LA County for it to be even close and since he wont we can safely call this state for Goldwater.

Brinkley: So this must be good news for Mr.Deukmijian as well

Huntley: Yes it is but that race is far closer but it looks like Senator Goldwater with the help of California Governor Ronald Reagan were not only able to match the get out of vote efforts in SoCal but exceed it. Margin wont be in double digits though since Humphrey is doing better than Former Governor Brown as well.

Chancellor: In the Senate, we can project that in Missouri Lieutenant Governor Thomas Eagleton will be elected as the next Senator of the state. We can also project that in Arizona Former Governor Paul Fannin will be elected the next Senator of the state. This means so far the Republicans have picked up a net of 5 seats tonight

Brinkley: How are some of the other races going
 
Chancellor: Well in Indiana currently Senator Birch Bayh is trailing to State Representative William Ruckelshaus, but its close so he still has a chance to win. In Iowa the Democrat former Governor Harold Hughes is winning so far but there is still much of the vote left. In Oregon and California we just received their exit polls so theres not much we can predict of that race and in Alaska polls wont close for one more hour.

11:30

Brinkley : We have another major projection to make and that is Senator Goldwater has won the state of Texas. With that the President's home state and a major tossup state, Texas will be won by the Republicans tonight. We can also project that Vice President Humphrey will win Iowa

Goldwater: 252
Humphrey: 228


Huntley: Now there is actually a chance Senator Goldwater can win win the election without Illionis . To do so though he must hold both Oregon and Alaska and win both Arkansas and South Carolina. Is it likely no but there is a possibility now that he can.

[OSR stands with Israel]

NBC News: Election Night 1968(Part 6)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8dPRhuE1s&t=145s

Brinkley: Its the day after the election, and we can project that Senator Goldwater will win the states of Oregon and Alaska while Vice President Humphrey will in Washington

Goldwater: 261
Humphrey: 237

Brinkley: That puts Goldwater just 9 away from the Presidency and either winning Illions or a combination of Arkansas and South Carolina would put him over the top.

Huntely: Yup lets take a look at Illinois, its more than 90% in and Senator Goldwater still has a lead of 52,000 votes and while much of that 10% left to come in is from Cook County there is still some left in the Collar Counties as well so that is good news for Senator Goldwater.

Chancellor: We have some news also to Project in the Senate and that is in Iowa, Governor Harold Hughes has won so the Republicans overall net gains for the night will drop from 5 to 4. In Alaska we can also project that Mr. Mike Gravel will win.


1:13

Brinkley: In South Carolina, we can project that the state will be won by Senator Barry Goldwater. In Illinois at this moment Senator Barry Goldwater is holding a lead of 46,000 votes

Goldwater: 269
Humphrey: 237

Chancellor: In the Senate, we can also project that State Senator George Deukmejian will defeat State Controller Alan Cranston to become the next Senator of California.

Huntley: The Republicans also lead in both Oregon and Indiana so if the state of the races remain the same they will have picked up 6 seats in the Senate tonight.


Brinkley: NBC is now projecting that in the House the Democrats will have between 222-225 seats while the Republicans will have between 210-213 seats . Now lets look at the ideological balance where we are projecting that the Conservatives will have a majority in the chamber and have between 244-246 seats while the Liberals will have between 189-191 seats.

Huntely: This means if Senator Goldwater wins the Presidency he will have a defacto majoirty in the House to pass much of his economic agenda , but even with Conservatives having a majoirty the fact Democrats hold the House and Senate will mean many Great Society Programs likely wont be axed either. So his success will depend on what route he chooses if he wins

Chancellor: I agree if he chooses to tackle tax reform, regulatory reform, change how Great Society Programs are implemented say instead directly by the means of block grants he will likely have the numbers to get them through but if he chooses to try to get rid of many programs all together in the Great Society it likely wont pass.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Breaking News: Barry Goldwater Elected  

3:05 am:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8dPRhuE1s&t=145s

Huntley: Goldwater is the one. We can project now that Illinois will be won by Senator Goldwater, meaning Barry Morris Goldwater will become the 37st President of the United States of America.

Goldwater: 295
Humphrey: 237

Brinkley: The reason we were able to project Illinois is that Cook County is now fully counted and Senator Goldwater still has over a 30,000 vote lead in the state and the math isnt there for Vice President Humphrey to make up that deficit now that Cook County is in.

Lets go to New York where we can see Nelson Rockefeller's reaction to the results

Rockefeller: I want to start of by congratulating Senator Goldwater for his impressive win tonight , and I wish him the best of luck over the next 4 to 8 years.

Reporter: What does this election mean

Rockefeller: Well I dont think you can gain say around the fact that it is a conservative victory and their hour has arrived. What I want to see is , what his cabinet appointments are, what his first economic proposal is, what his first budget is and 4  to 8 years from now we will see what they have done with the mandate they received tonight.

Reporter: Thanks for the thoughts


Chancellor: Ok NBC News has another projection to make and that in the Indiana Senate Race State Representative William Ruckelshaus will defeat Senator Birch Bayh to become the next senator of Indiana . That gives the Republicans a net gain of 5 seats tonight so far with one left outstanding in Oregon.



3:35:

Brinkley: NBC News can now project the final state outstanding, Arkansas will be won by Vice President Humphrey and that makes the final electoral total Goldwater 295, Humphrey 243.

Goldwater: 295
Humphrey: 243


Chancellor: We can also project that in Oregon , their Secretary of State Henry Myers will defeat Senator Wayne Morse to become the next senator of Oregon. So the change in Senate composition come next January will be +6 for the Republicans which will make the overall composition 55 Democrats to 45 Republicans.


Huntley: Wait we are just getting word that Vice President Humphrey has just called Senator Goldwater to concede the election. So Senator Goldwater will now be officially called President-Elect Goldwater.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Vice President Humphrey Concession Speech and President-Elect Goldwater Victory Speech:

Humphrey Concession Speech:



Humphrey: A short while ago , I called Senator Goldwater and congratulated him on winning the election(Boos). No dont boo, while we may be sad about the results of the election, I certainly am , the American people decided to elect Senator Goldwater as our next President and in a democracy no matter how sad we may be over a result of an election, we must accept the results of them. Also since Senator Goldwater will be our next President, the successes and failures of President-Elect Goldwater will be all of our successes and failures and since we want our nation to be successful we must pray for his success as well since his success will be all of ours success(Applause).

I want to thank Governor Terry Sanford for being an amazing running mate, a great friend and I am certain you will have a great future as well(Applause). I also want to thank President Johnson for giving me the opportunity to work with him as our nation's Vice President and I will always be proud of the things we accomplished over the past 4 years(Applause) . Lastly I want to Thank all the people who supported me in this campaign, as Vice President, as senator and throughout my political career as I would not be here today without all the support you gave me and I will always be grateful for that support(Applause). I want to end tonight by saying that while I lost the election, the ideas we fought for such as universal healthcare, expanding access to education and expanding the war on poverty are not loss, because at the end of the day change doesnt come from me or anyone running for President but from you and if you keep up the fight one day we will make those policy dreams reality(Applause). Thank You, May God Bless You, and May God Bless America


Barry Goldwater Acceptance Speech:



Goldwater: A Short While Ago, I recieved a call from Vice President Humphrey who congratulated me for winning the election(Applause), while I accomplished him for running a tough and spiritied campaign. I also told him that I look forward to working with him over the following weeks to help unite our nation after this close campaign as the best way for our nation to move forward is if we remain united.

I want to Thank my good friend Vice President-Elect Jim Rhodes, for being an excellent running mate and I am sure he will be an even better Vice President(Applause). I also want to thank all of you and anyone who has supported me through the years as we wouldnt be close to being where we are today without the hard work and dedication you not only put in this campaign but throughout my career(Applause). I also want to thank the American people for trusting me with the honor of being their President and I promise to work hard everyday to prove to them that they made the right choice by trusting me(Applause). While many problems we face may be difficult to solve, I am confident more than ever we can solve and move past those problems and make our nation a better place for our kids(Applause). Thank You, May God Bless You, and May God Bless America .


Brinkely: That marks the end of our coverage of the 1968 election , It has been a long night but its finally over and I hope you turn in tommorow evening to the Huntley-Brinkley report.

[OSR stands with Israel]

1968 Election Final Resuts:

Presidential Race:

Senator Barry Goldwater(R-AZ)/Governor James Rhodes(R-OH) 295 50.1%
Vice President Hubert Humphrey(D-MN)/Former Governor Terry Sanford(D-NC) 243 49.6%

Close States(Under 5 Points):

Arkansas: Humphrey 50.01%, Goldwater 49.89%
Illionis: Goldwater: 50.07%, Humphrey 49.71%
Georgia: Goldwater: 50.77%, Humphrey 48.91%
Texas: Goldwater 51.04% , Humphrey 48.64%
Kentucky: Humphrey 51.99%, Goldwater: 47.26%
North Carolina: Humphrey 52.24%, Goldwater: 47.26%


Senate:

Democrats: 55(-6)
Republicans: 45(+6)


House of Representatives:

Democrats: 223(-12)
Republicans: 212(+12)


Gubernatorial Races:

Republicans Gain 4 Seats

[OSR stands with Israel]

President Johnson reacts to results of the election



Johnson: Good Morning, everyone. Last night millions of Americans went to the polls to decide who would become our nation's next President. While it took a long time for the outcome to be decided, as soon as it was decided I called President-Elect Goldwater to congratulate him on winning the election, and invited him to come to the White House on Friday to talk about how we can make sure their is a smooth transition between our Presidencies. While its no secret that I desired a different outcome in yesterday's election and its also no secret that the President-Elect and I have some pretty significant differences but now that he has been elected as our 37th President I will pray for his success as his success will be all of our successes.

I also want to congratulate Vice President Humphrey for running a great campaign as well, and let him know it has been an honor for me to have someone like him as my Vice President for the past 4 years . Thank You



NBC White House Corrospondent : Last nights results were a major shock to the President as his most fierce opponnent won the Presidency. We have also heard he phoned , Democratic leaders in the Senate and told them its time to fight, or much of what we accomplished over the last 4 years will be washed away. Anyway his speech today was classy and we should applaud the President for that.

[OSR stands with Israel]

President-Elect Goldwater names Head of Transition Team, Chief of Staff and meets with President Johnson for Transition Meeting:

Head of Transition Team:Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen



Chief of Staff: Former Congressman William Miller




President-Elect Goldwater and President Johnson meet for Transition Meeting:



NBC White House Corrospondent: President Johnson and President-Elect Goldwater met in the oval office today for two hours and I am told they discussed a wide variety of issues from setting up a White House organzation , on how to make sure the transition can be smooth between their presidencies and also discuessed Vietnam and other foreign policy issues .

[OSR stands with Israel]

Goldwater makes First Cabinet Appointments and media reacts to them

President-Elect Goldwater makes very Conservative picks for the Treasury, Commerce departments as well as the OMB:

Secretary of the Treasury: Economist Milton Friedman



Secretary of Commerce: Businessman William E. Simon



OMB Director: Congressman John Jacob Rhodes




What Cabinet Picks Mean for Economic Policy:

David Brinkley: As we all know since 1933 and Franklin Roosevelt's new deal nobody has changed the main thrust of the US Government, more taxes and more spending and nobody has tried. It is clear with these picks President-Elect Goldwater will try

Chet Huntley: Not only that but remember conventional wisdom has been that while Presidents come and go the federal bureaucracy either remains unchanged or grows even larger. It is clear with these picks conventional wisdom may be wrong. With an Economic Team such as Friedman, Simon and Rhodes it is clear that the tax code will be significantly altered, many of the current protectionist policies will be tossed for policies favoring free trade, and regulations will be cut

David Brinkley: More changes also which would be harder to implement but it will be clear they will try to implement as well : is changing the funding of programs to more of a block grant-style, cutting payrolls and spending as well, and an attempt to shrink the bureaucracies. What very likely will not happen though is a full bourne repeal of many of the programs already implemented as that would be political suicide.

Chet Huntley: Yup , I think  the President-Elect and his team so far while are very conservative understand that outright cutting many of the programs which have already been implemented such as Medicare and Medicaid would be political suicide.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Goldwater Selects an Bipartisan more Establishment Foreign Policy Team highlighted by selections of Nixon and Connally.

Secretary of State: Former Vice President Nixon



Secretary of Defense: Texas Governor John Connally



National Security Advisor: Congressman Melvin Laird




What Picks Mean For Foreign Policy:

Brinkley: What do you think the picks of names such as Nixon, Connally, and Laird mean for foreign policy. Also what made the President-Elect decided to select a Prominent Democrat for a top cabinet role

Spivak: Well the reason we are told he selected Governor Connally to head the Pentagon was the fact that he didnt want his cabinet to have some members from the other party, and remember Governor Connally is quite Conservative for a Democrat and a position like Secretary of Defense is not supposed to be a partisan or ideological role so he was the perfect pick for this role. President Johnson requested to the President-Elect at their transition meeting he select his friend Governor Connally for the role and Former Vice President Nixon and Senator Dirksen agreed with his advice.

Huntley: I agree picking Governor Connally was a great decision, as remember before he was Governor he was Secretary of the Navy so that gives him experience for this role, and the fact he is not considered that much of an ideological figure makes him a great choice for the role

Brinkley: So Chet what do you think these picks mean for Foreign Policy

Huntely: Well choosing Nixon and Laird means there will be some differences in Foreign Policy as we are told that they believe that the US needs to be on the offensive to get the North Vietnamese on the table. So Connally may have some differences with Nixon and Laird but I think its something that will be worked out .

[OSR stands with Israel]

Infighting between Factions in the Democratic Party intensify after loss as each faction blames the others for the Democratic Defeat in 1968.








McCarthy: The Democratic Party's support of the War in Vietnam is what cost us this election. The fact is most people in our nation oppose the Vietnam War and if we took a stand against it we would have won this election. The fact is the  Party for the First time allowed the Republicans too cast themselves as the change party, and the fact that the Democratic Party stood for the status quo in a time like this is a disgrace and that is why the lost.

Wallace: The election results showed that the Democratic Party abandoned their base down South and thats why they lost. After 8 years of stepping over the South , and 8 years of only caring for the liberal special interest elitists the American people said enough and threw them out of office. The fact is unless we get rid of those liberal special interest elitists out of our party, we will continue to lose elections to Goldwater and the Republicans who will do nothing but stomp on us to benefit their rich elitist buddies.

Jackson: McCarthy's decision to challenge President Johnson in the primaries and his supporters disgraceful behavior at the convention cost us this election. The idea that he or Wallace could win is a joke and the fact is both their supporters cost us this election and they should either apologize to the party for it or get out of this party. In fact Wallace should have gotten out a long time ago, and McCarthy should leave to if he is willing to let our party lose for his ego

[OSR stands with Israel]

1968 Election Final Resuts:

Presidential Race:

Senator Barry Goldwater(R-AZ)/Governor James Rhodes(R-OH) 293 50.1%
Vice President Hubert Humphrey(D-MN)/Former Governor Terry Sanford(D-NC) 245 49.6%

Close States(Under 5 Points)

Arkansas: Goldwater 50.01%, Humphrey 49.89%
Illionis: Goldwater: 50.07%, Humphrey 49.71%
South Carolina: Humphrey: 50.11%, Goldwater: 49.64%
Georgia: Goldwater: 50.77%, Humphrey 48.91%
Texas: Goldwater 51.04% , Humphrey 48.64%
Kentucky: Humphrey 51.99%, Goldwater: 47.26%
North Carolina: Humphrey 52.24%, Goldwater: 47.26%


Senate:

Democrats: 55(-6)
Republicans: 45(+6)


House of Representatives:

Democrats: 223(-12)
Republicans: 212(+12)


Gubernatorial Races:

Republicans Gain 4 Seats

There is no way SC would go to Humphrey. Kentucky is also a stretch.

He chose a Popular Governor from North Carolina as his running mate, so it should have a lot of affect in South Carolina as well.

Especially back then since voters were pretty fickle then

[OSR stands with Israel]

1968 Election Final Resuts:

Presidential Race:

Senator Barry Goldwater(R-AZ)/Governor James Rhodes(R-OH) 293 50.1%
Vice President Hubert Humphrey(D-MN)/Former Governor Terry Sanford(D-NC) 245 49.6%

Close States(Under 5 Points)

Arkansas: Goldwater 50.01%, Humphrey 49.89%
Illionis: Goldwater: 50.07%, Humphrey 49.71%
South Carolina: Humphrey: 50.11%, Goldwater: 49.64%
Georgia: Goldwater: 50.77%, Humphrey 48.91%
Texas: Goldwater 51.04% , Humphrey 48.64%
Kentucky: Humphrey 51.99%, Goldwater: 47.26%
North Carolina: Humphrey 52.24%, Goldwater: 47.26%


Senate:

Democrats: 55(-6)
Republicans: 45(+6)


House of Representatives:

Democrats: 223(-12)
Republicans: 212(+12)


Gubernatorial Races:

Republicans Gain 4 Seats

There is no way SC would go to Humphrey. Kentucky is also a stretch.

He chose a Popular Governor from North Carolina as his running mate, so it should have a lot of affect in South Carolina as well.

Especially back then since voters were pretty fickle then

SC is not NC. SC went to Goldwater in actual real life. KY against Goldwater now thinking about it, is not a stretch, but SC basically impossible Especially if you have Wallace winning there in 1964. If AR goes to Goldwater, so is SC.

Also very interesting TL but let's not screw up poltical demography.

Ok I will change SC once I get home

[OSR stands with Israel]

President-Elect Goldwater appoints heads of the Justice, Interior, Agriculture, and Transportation Departments

Attorney General: Nevada Governor Paul Laxalt



Secretary of Interior: Congressman Edwin Reinecke



Secretary of Agriculture: Nebraska Senator Carl Curtis



Secretary of Transportation: Congressman Rogers Morton

[OSR stands with Israel]

President-Elect Goldwater makes final picks for the Cabinet:


Secretary of Housing and Urban Development  : Michigan Governor George Romney



Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare : Former Senator Leader William Knowland




UN Ambassdor: Congressman Barber Conable



What these picks mean:

Brinkley: The picks the President-Elect made today probably rounds out what is possibly the most conservative cabinet we have seen since maybe the Coolidge Administration.

Huntley: I agree as if you look at some of these latest picks, for example, Senator Knowland and Mr.Shultz is confirmed would very much move their departments to the right. Senator Knowland is a staunch supporter of Right to Work laws, and was considered a member of the right wing of the Republican party throughout the 1950s. There is a chance that his support of right to work, and also the fact that he was very reluctant to call our McCarthyism will lead to a very contentious hearing where he may be rejected. Mr.Shultz would bring the Chicago School of Economics Thought to the Labor Department which would move the department significantly to the right as well.

Brinkley: It also seems like Governor Romney was chosen as an Olive Branch to the Liberals in the Party

Huntley: I agree

[OSR stands with Israel]

President-Elect Goldwater Holds First Press Conference since the election




Media Member 1: Mr.President-Elect, a recent study showed that your appointed cabinet would be the most conservative cabinet we have had in the past 36 years to 40 years especially on domestic issues. Dont you think thats moving the nation to far in one direction

Goldwater: No I do not. While you are right the people I appointed to the cabinet would make up the most conservative cabinet in decades, our campaign ran on one of the most conservative platforms in decades as well and won. So, in my opinion, it is my job to appoint people to the cabinet who would help implement the policies we ran on in the most competent way possible.


Media Member 1: Some people are afraid though that names such as Mr. Friedman, and Senator Knowland, are too right wing and would greatly change the departments they ran

Goldwater: Well again while yes they would greatly change the departments they ran, the American people in the last election voted for change and it is my job to deliver on that change. Mr.Friedman and Senator Knowland no matter what disagreements you have with them on policy, you cant argue they are qualified for the jobs.

Mr. Friedman is considered to be one of the top economists at the University of Chicago and during his time there he has done groundbreaking research on consumption analysis, monetary policy and its history, and different types of stabilization policies . This along with the fact he has worked for the Treasury Department before makes him a highly qualified pick to lead the Treasury.

Now Senator Knowland is also very qualified and his years in the Senate representing California represent that.

Media Member 2: Some Conservatives are though mad at your foreign policy team, especially the pick of Governor Connally . Why did you select Governor Connally to head the Pentagon

Goldwater: Well the job of secretary of defense should not be a partisan role . Governor Connally has the experience to lead the Pentagon, not only from his years as Governor of Texas but also from being the Secretary of the Navy , and the fact he is a very respected figure as well. That is why I chose Governor Connally to be the next Defense Secretary

Media Member: So Vice President Nixon has nothing to do with it

Goldwater: The choice was made about his qualifications and that alone

Media Member 3: We have gotten a word you meet with your foreign policy often to discuss changes you plan to make in the strategy in Vietnam. Will those changes be made as soon as you get into office

Goldwater: While I certainly hope we can make the changes as soon as possible, I cant give you the exact date when it would be made, but the Goal is to have the changes be made by the end of February.