"THE SOUTH NEEDS NEW LEADERS"

HARDING ADVISED TO IGNORE LEADERS OF THE SOLID SOUTH

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On January 16, 1921, President-elect Warren G. Harding was advised to ignore Republican leaders of the "solid south"* who were said to want to "dictate Federal patronage" after his inauguration.

In addition, Mr. Harding was warned that "not a single negro should be appointed to any office in the South (which) would be irritating to...the people there."

The "advisers" remained unnamed in a New York Tribune front page story by Carter Field.  He wrote...

"The almost universal contempt in which these men are held in their own states by the respectable element...is one of the big reasons why it has been so hard for the Republican party to make any real headway in that section."**

*Solid South was the Democratic electoral voting block of 14 Southern states from Reconstruction to the early 1960s.  The Solid South splintered when the Kennedy-Johnson administrations supported civil rights legislation.  The South then became a Republican stronghold. 

**Three states of the Solid South were carried by the Republican ticket in the 1920 presidential election:  Oklahoma, Tennessee & West Virginia.  The other eleven were carried by the Democratic ticket.

SOURCES

"Harding Told South Needs New Leaders," by Carter Field, The New York Tribune, January 17, 1921, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

"Solid South," www.encyclopedia.com/   

 

  Map of the States of the Solid South

by Nbpolitico (2012)

 

I THINK TWO TERMS ARE ENOUGH

FDR WINS FOURTH TERM

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On November 7, 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first POTUS to be elected to four terms.  In 1940, FDR had been elected to a third term and served as commander=in-chief for most of the Second World War.

FDR defeated Republican challenger Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York by an electoral vote of 432 to 99.  Dewey was the first presidential candidate born in the 20th century and the Election of 1944 would be the last time the Democrats would win every state in the "solid south."*

FDR was the beneficiary of the founding fathers' decision not to restrict the length of service of the chief executive officer of the nation.  President George Washington, however, set the precedent of serving no more than two terms.

On February 27, 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified limiting the office of the Presidency to two terms. Senator John F. Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) voted for the amendment and even as president said "I think two terms are enough."

*The Solid South was the unified support of the Democratic Party by southern states following the Civil War.  The end of the SS as a political entity came with the support of civil rights by the Kennedy=Johnson administrations & the return of white southerners to the Republican Party.

SOURCE

"Election of 1944:  Four Terms for FDR", United States History, www.u-s-history.com/

I HAVE NOT BEEN DOWN SOUTH

THE SOUTH NOT SO SOLID FOR JFK

San Francisco, California (JFK+50) On  September 3, 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy, Democratic candidate for POTUS, was asked at a news conference, held at the airport here in San Francisco, if Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, his running-mate, would help win the South.

Senator Kennedy responded...

"I think we are going to have a hard fight.  I would say (it will be) hard in all parts of the United States.  I look with some hope...but I think that many of the Southern States are going to have a close contest."

The Senator refused to speculate on whether or not he would carry "all the Southern states" adding "I have not been down South yet." 

So what impact did the KENNEDY-JOHNSON (D) ticket have on the SOLID SOUTH* in 1960?

Although it was close, JFK-LBJ took Texas (24) along with  Arkansas (8)**, Georgia (12), Louisiana (10), North Carolina (14),  and South Carolina (8). Alabama split her vote & the Democrats took (5) for a total of 81.

NIXON-LODGE (R) carried Florida (10), Kentucky (10), Tennessee (11), and Virginia (12) for a total of 43.

Independent candidate HARRY BYRD of Virginia split with K-J in Alabama (6) and carried Mississippi (8) for a total of 14.

If LBJ had not been on the 1960 Democratic ticket, one could argue that JFK would not have carried TEXAS.  If that would have been the only state affected, then KENNEDY would have still defeated Nixon 279-243.  

*The term SOLID SOUTH applies to the years 1877-1964 when Southern states were dominated by white Democrats who shared common interests.  They solidly supported Democratic candidates.  The period began with the end of Reconstruction and ended with passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

**Arkansas was carried by the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 1876 to 1964.

SOURCE

"Press Conference of Senator John F. Kennedy, San Francisco, CA Airport, September 3, 1960," The American Presidency Project, John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, www.presidency.ucsb.edu/

President Kennedy & Vice-President Johnson

The White House

August 31, 1961

Photo by Abbie Rowe

JFK Library Image

DID LBJ HELP WIN THE SOUTH?

JFK+50:  Volume 5, No. 1702

JFK ASKED IF LBJ WOULD HELP WIN THE SOUTH 

San Francisco, California (JFK+50) On this day fifty-five years ago, September 3, 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy, Democratic candidate for POTUS, was asked at a news conference, held at the airport here in San Francisco, if Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, his running-mate, would help win the South.

Senator Kennedy responded...

"I think we are going to have a hard fight.  I would say (it will be) hard in all parts of the United States.  I look with some hope...but I think that many of the Southern States are going to have a close contest."

JFK went on to say...

"The Vice President (Richard M. Nixon) has been down there, and has gotten a warm reception.  Senator (Barry) Goldwater has been campaigning effectively in several Southern States."

The Senator refused to speculate on whether or not he would carry "all the Southern states" adding "I have not been down South yet." 

So let's take a look at the results of the 1960 presidential election to see how the KENNEDY-JOHNSON (D) ticket came out.

Although it was close, JFK-LBJ took Texas (24) along with  Arkansas (8)*, Georgia (12), Louisiana (10), North Carolina (14),  and South Carolina (8). Alabama split her vote & the Democrats took (5) for a total of 81.

NIXON-LODGE (R) carried Florida (10), Kentucky (10), Tennessee (11), and Virginia (12) for a total of 43.

Independent candidate HARRY BYRD of Virginia split with K-J in Alabama (6) and carried Mississippi (8) for a total of 14.

If LBJ had not been on the 1960 Democratic ticket, one could argue that JFK would not have carried TEXAS.  If that would have been the only state affected, then KENNEDY would have still defeated Nixon 279-243.  JFK would have won the Presidency by a mere 10 electoral votes.

In 1964, LBJ won 90 electoral votes in the South although BARRY GOLDWATER (R) carried South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.  In 1968, HUBERT HUMPHREY (D) carried only Texas while GEORGE WALLACE (American Independent Party) won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi while RICHARD NIXON (R) won the rest.

In 1972, NIXON (R) won all but 1 electoral vote in the South.  In 1976, JIMMY CARTER (D) won all Southern states except Virginia.  In 1980, RONALD REAGAN (R) won all Southern states except Georgia.

The term SOLID SOUTH applies to the years 1877-1964 when Southern states were dominated by white Democrats who shared common interests.  They solidly supported Democratic candidates.  The period began with the end of Reconstruction and ended with passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

*Arkansas was carried by the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 1876 to 1964.

SOURCE

"Press Conference of Senator John F. Kennedy, San Francisco, CA Airport, September 3, 1960," The American Presidency Project, John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, www.presidency.ucsb.edu/

President Kennedy & Vice-President Johnson

The White House

August 31, 1961

Photo by Abbie Rowe

JFK Library Image