Republicans: This President Thing

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That Old Feeling. "But what about timeliness? Is '64 the conservative year, or would '68 be better? I think '68 might be the year, but it's too early to say yet. Even if I wanted it, now would be the wrong time to show that. The minute it becomes clear that a man is trying to get the nomination, he's a prime target for all his enemies. Being in the Senate, I'd be a sitting duck for everyone who didn't like me or who wants to hurt conservatism. And there are even Republicans who would go after me.

"Another thing that has to be figured out is how strong is the old feeling among the party pros that a conservative can't win? I haven't had any contact with the party pros from the big states like New York and Pennsylvania. I know I wouldn't be strong in the East or on the Pacific Coast. But this surge for conservatism is running strong in the South and in the Rocky Mountain West and some parts of the Middle West. But the big-money boys in the party don't want any part of me, and they don't want any part of the kind of amateur groups that are growing up for me. Now, historically, the Eastern fat cats have been able to move in and head off the nomination of a conservative candidate on the grounds that he couldn't win. A lot of people think they don't have that much power any more, but I don't know yet how strong they are.

"I've never believed in presidential primaries-people don't win nominations that way. Jack Kennedy was an exception. But if somebody sticks my name in a primary, depending on how it comes out, I might at least give tacit approval to a movement for me if there was a good showing to start with."