Click on the link here for Audio Player – 1964 Convention Preview – Eisenhower Press Conference – NBC Radio – July 13, 1964 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection
Coming up in a few days will be the 50th anniversary of the Republican Convention of Barry Goldwater. The four days that changed the face of the Republican party, perhaps forever. Coming into it, the party was divided between the Right Wing of Barry Goldwater and the Moderates of Nelson Rockefeller and William Scranton. Sharp divisions were everywhere, with open hostility between the Conservative wing and the Moderate wing. The Party Platform was fought over at every turn and it was looking like extremism was coming home to stay in San Francisco that week in July 1964.
Stuck somewhere in the middle was former President Dwight Eisenhower, who refused to take sides.
Just before the convention was to get underway for the afternoon session, Eisenhower held a Press Conference in an attempt to address some of the issues. But like everything else at this convention, it was contentious and relentless and Eisenhower was adamant in his neutrality.
As a taste of what is to come, starting next week, here is that Press Conference with former President Eisenhower with commentary, and a swift cut-back to New York for comments by NBC Radio reporters – all on July 13, 1964.
