Chamberlain, J. (1966, August 11). GOP conservatism rides rising tide. The Evening Independent, p. 12-A.

Chamberlain, J. (1966, August 11). GOP conservatism rides rising tide. TheEvening Independent, p. 12-A.

In a quote that sounds as if it could be pulled from the headlines in 2012, John Chamberlain noted in 1966 that:

The self-styled moderate Republicans who as often as not are characterized by the immoderation with which they denounce their opponents, keep on contending that their supporters constitute the mainstream of Republicanism.  But what they can’t explain is why the mainstream isn’t flowing through the voting booths in their direction in the primaries.

The article goes on to cite the primary defeats of incumbent Idaho governor Robert Smylie, as well as alleged shenanigans on the part of a Smylie protégé, Hope Kadling, with regards to the conservative Young Republicans.  

Chamberlain goes on to note:

The Republican tide, in virtually all states west of the Alleghenies and south of the Potomac, continues to flow in a conservative direction.

Chamberlain perceived Ronald Reagan’s impressive showing in the CA Republican primary as, “part of a general groundswell.”

In contrast to our current tendency to envision a bicameral Republican Party (i.e., conservatives and moderates/liberals, or Tea Party types and “establishment Republicans”), in his day Chamberlain saw an authentic middle between the factions represented by Reagan and Goldwater, and that led by Smylie, Scott, et al.  Chamberlain considered the middle ground to be occupied by the likes of Richard Nixon and George Romney.

In an excellent illustration of history’s cyclical nature, Chamberlain closed with comments that could be applied (with some minor tweaks) to our current presidential election:

Will all the little disaffections (strikes, the high cost of living, the failure of antipoverty programs, violence in the slums, the disappearance of investment capital, the collapse of the housing industry, and the uncertainties of the Vietnamese war) combining to plague the Democrats, 1966 could be a Republican year. 

Ya think?

Responding to Extremists: From Brown’s California in 1965 to Obama’s America in 2011

Chamberlain,J. (1965, November 30). Democratic extremists. The News and Courier, p. 8-A.

For all the talk of how “unprecedented” the Occupy Wall Street Movement is, a brief review of recent history demonstrates that the Left has been coddling actual extremists almost as long as they’ve been applying that label to people who favor smaller and less intrusive government.

In November 1965, John Chamberlain wrote a column on the internecine warfare facing California’s democratic governor Pat Brown.  The most glaring problem, according to Chamberlain, was Brown’s ineffectual handling of the abrasive California Democratic Council (CDC) and its firebrand president, Simon Casady.  Quoth Chamberlain:

Though the CDC was brought into being by National Committeeman Paul Ziffren, a Beverly Hills attorney, and other Democrats of “progressive” persuasion, it was babied along to success by Gov. Pat Brown through many a crisis of rather kooky leftist opinion-making. Brown passed lightly over CDC demands to abolish the House Committee on Un-American Activities, or to withdraw American soldiers from South Viet Nam, or to sanction trade with Red China, or to back teachers in the right to strike. His attitude could be summed up in the phrase, “This is dialogue.”

From the vantage point of 2011, of course, we can see that the CDC-types have been successful not only at fully coopting the Democratic Party, but have largely succeeded in leading America down the path to slow national suicide.  This should be a valuable lesson to any who would wish to claim the GOP mantle in 2012.  You cannot have “dialogue” with revoutionaries.  You must either defeat them, or be defeated by them.

Rearview Mirror: Reagan affable, fluent and tactful politician. (October 6, 1965)

Chamberlain,J. (1965, October 6). Reagan affable, fluent and tactful politician. The Milwaukee Sentinel, p. 12.

John Chamberlain’s review of Reagan’s East Coast speaking tour in late 1965 prompted some revealing (and disappointing) contrasts with our current political campaign season.  First, Reagan labored mightily to foster unity among a Republican party bitterly divided between liberals and conservatives.  Indeed, Chamberlain considered that, “The most impressive thing about Reagan was his ability to project a pleasant, happy and unruffled image in the midst of the partisans.”

How different that is from some of the personal sniping even now taking place amongst various people who all claim that defeating Barack Obama is job number one.

Every time a reporter tried to pin a label on [him], Reagan answered in effect that he was against soliciting support from blocs or groups.  He insisted that he thought candidates should state their philosophies as individuals, and if other individuals wanted to follow, that was their business.