Date of Award
12-2017
Document Type
Thesis
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree Program
History
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Thesis Advisor
Dr. Andy Doyle
Committee Member
Dr. Eddie Lee
Committee Member
Dr. Virginia Williams
Keywords
Nelson Rockefeller, Barry Goldwater, 1964, Liberal Republican, Election, President
Abstract
This thesis seeks to examine if the conservative victory in the 1964 Republican presidential primaries was inevitable. Based on archival research, primary source materials, and secondary source materials, it is concluded that conservative candidate Barry Goldwater faced numerous instances when his campaign could have been defeated by Republican challengers, campaign blunders, and internal party factions. This thesis focuses on liberal Republican Nelson Rockefeller’s campaign with the intention of articulating the fracturing of the Republican Party in the early 1960s. Rockefeller’s quest for the nomination is emblematic of the changing nature of presidential politics in the post-World War II era leading to changes in voter preferences, campaign tactics, and ultimately the path to the White House.
Recommended Citation
Eller, Christopher, "Running from Behind: Nelson Rockefeller and the Liberal Republicans During the 1964 Republican Primaries" (2017). Graduate Theses. 72.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/graduatetheses/72
