Word: reagan
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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When approached to run for Governor in 1966, says Reagan, "I told them that if I was going to be a divisive influence, I wouldn't run, but that I would test the water." Thus, in the spring of 1965, a group called the Friends of Ronald Reagan retained a political management firm, Spencer & Roberts, that had previously specialized in handling California campaigns for such moderate Republicans as Tom Kuchel and Nelson Rockefeller. After dozens of trips around California, Reagan decided that the G.O.P. could hardly be in worse shape than it already...
...immediately ran into a nasty, costly primary scrap with moderate Republican George Christopher, former mayor of San Francisco. Tom Kuchel, who usually avoids involvement in state party squabbles, loudly backed Christopher in the primary, saying, "I know where he stands-which is more than I can say about Ronald Reagan." Nevertheless, Reagan won with 64% of the votes -and pulled 50,000 more than Governor Brown did in a much closer Democratic race against maverick Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty...
Kuchel refused to help Reagan, Christopher's own top campaign advisers joined the nominee's crew right after the primary. Dozens of leftover Rockefeller-for-President crusad ers came aboard and, of course, so did plenty of Goldwater fans...
Such big-name Republicans as Dick Nixon, House Minority Leader Gerald Ford and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen have all offered to come in and campaign for Reagan, but the candidate has demurred on grounds that a state campaign should concentrate on state issues and state figures. Of course, any invitations to outsiders would almost have to include one to Barry Goldwater. Reagan quite pointedly avoids mentioning Barry's name in public or even during private interviews, and he considers a campaign visit by Goldwater a certain way to reopen old wounds within the party...
Self-Directed, Self-Motivated. Even so, Reagan is persistently labeled a secret standard-bearer for Goldwater. One reason is that he has stubbornly refused to repudiate the John Birch Society, arguing-as Goldwater did in '64 -that "if anyone chooses to support me, they're buying my views; I'm not buying theirs." Most Republicans are undisturbed, if not particularly pleased, by Reagan's attitude. Says former State G.O.P. Chairman Caspar Weinberger, a moderate: "I see no eventuality that Reagan will be influenced by the Birchers. He is willing to surround himself with people of many...