Word: agnew
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...possibilities had been reduced to five: Senator Charles Percy; Lieutenant Governor Robert Finch of California, a longtime Nixon friend and associate; Congressman Rogers Morton of Maryland; Governor John Volpe of Massachusetts ("It might be nice," Nixon observed, "to have an Italian Catholic on the ticket"); and, of course, Agnew. Finch and Morton attended the meetings but left while they were being talked about...
...past noon when Nixon ended the talks by observing: "Well, I think the meeting has accomplished about all that it can accomplish." Morton put in a call to Agnew. "Are you sitting down?" Morton inquired. Nixon got on the phone and broke the news. "I'm overwhelmed," said Agnew, whose stoic expression rarely admits of such a condition...
Attaching Agnew's name to these requirements shocked many, because they knew virtually nothing about the man beyond the fact that he was a very new, moderately successful Governor with no national or international stature (see following story). Many Northern Republicans were rankled by the ready acceptance of the selection by Southerners and by conservatives generally. Although Agnew is a moderate by Maryland standards and a liberal by Deep South criteria, there was the suspicion that he was on the ticket to placate Thurmond and other segregationists. Not only liberals protested. Colorado Senator Peter Dominick howled: "There...
Events during the rest of the day began to take care of Agnew's anonymity. Irate over the aura of a shabby deal that surrounded his selection and disturbed by some of his recent criticism of Negro activists, leaders in a number of delegations talked revolt. As usual, however, the liberals were disorganized. By the time the final night's session convened to name a vice-presidential candidate and hear both nominees' acceptance speeches, a coalition had been assembled to second Agnew's nomination: Lindsay, Percy, Tower and California's William Knowland. They covered all factions of the party...
...dissidents scrounged for a candidate willing to oppose Agnew, but were turned down by Lindsay. Rockefeller refused to cooperate with the revolt, even though some of his allies, notably Rhode Island Governor John Chafee, were leading it. Finally George Abbott of Nevada nominated Romney. The ensuing vote was a cruel slaughter: 1,128 for Agnew to 178 for Romney. The loser then followed tradition by moving to make the nomination unanimous...