GOP establishment revolt, 1964-1965

During the 1964 presidential election, the landslide defeat of Barry Goldwater in the general election by incumbent Democrat president Lyndon B. Johnson dragged many House Republicans who ran for re-election, and the GOP lost several dozen seats. Many establishmentarians within the Republican Party who half-heartedly or didn't endorse Goldwater turned to revolt against party conservatives, especially House Republican leaders Charles A. Halleck of Indiana and Leslie C. "Les" Arends of Illinois.

Halleck, a strong conservative, was targeted for ousting by Moderate Republican then-congressman Gerald Ford of Michigan, who sought the position at the advocacy of Rep. Donald Rumsfeld (later Secretary of Defense).[1] Rumsfeld would later recount in an interview:[2]

“  |  ... Because when you suffer a defeat like that in ’64...First, a lot of people don’t want to serve if it is that one-sided. If you are in a very small minority, you don’t have much voice; your votes don’t make much difference. The goal was to try to put in office somebody who would be comfortable and hospitable to Republican members offering constructive alternative proposals thatwould be generally incorporated in motions to recommit, to give Republicans an opportunity to put forward Republican positions. And the feeling was that the Halleck hierarchy was not interested in that. Charlie was a decent man. He was intelligent and had been effective in his own way. But, the Congress had Everett Dirksen, the senior member of the Illinois delegation in the Senate, and Halleck in the House. They had the Dirksen-Halleck press conferences every week. We thought that Gerald Ford would present a face for the Republican Party that would give us a better chance of increasing our numbers. Why be in Congress unless you are striving to be the majority party? Why would you not want to accomplish that? We felt we would have a much better chance with Gerald Ford.  |  ”

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The Indiana Republican was successfully ousted by Ford[3] in what was an apparent 73–67 vote.[4] Coincidentally enough, Halleck previously became the House Republican Leader by ousting Joseph W. Martin in a similar manner.[5]

The Michigan representative also backed fellow New Jersey Moderate Republican Peter Frelinghuysen, Jr. (the father of U.S. representative Rodney Frelinghuysen) for House Whip against Arends.[6]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Greenwood, Max; Biette-Timmons (June 30, 2021). Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Dies. Huffington Post. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
2. ↑ March 31, 2009. Donald Rumsfeld Interviewed by Richard Norton Smith. Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
3. ↑ Franklin, Ben A. (March 4, 1986). CHARLES HALLECK, A G.O.P. HOUSE LEADER, DIES. The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
4. ↑ Wildstein, David (August 27, 2019). Another Frelinghuysen story. New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
5. ↑ Barnes, Bart (March 4, 1986). Ex-House Majority Leader Charles Halleck Dies at 85. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
6. ↑ Wildstein, David (June 30, 2021). Donald Rumsfeld’s New Jersey connection. New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 9, 2021.

v • d • e

Republican Establishment

Groups|

National Republican Senatorial Committee • National Republican Congressional Committee • Republican Main Street Partnership • Tuesday Group

Political Agenda|

Neoconservatism • Globalism • Centrism • Big government • Spending bills • Cronyism • Crony capitalism

People|

John Barrasso • Roy Blunt • Susan Brooks • Liz Cheney • Tom Emmer • Jaime Herrera Beutler • John Katko • Kevin McCarthy • Mitch McConnell • Paul Mitchell • Tom Rice • Marco Rubio • Paul Ryan • Ben Sasse • Rick Scott • Steve Stivers • John Thune • Fred Upton • David Valadao • Todd Young

Historical Figures|

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller • Wendell Willkie • Alfred M. Landon • Prescott Bush • Thomas E. Dewey • George Romney • Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. • Hiram Fong • Jacob Javits • Thomas Kuchel • Joseph W. Martin, Jr. • John McCain • Winthrop Rockefeller

Backers|

Lamar Alexander • Richard Burr • Shelley Moore Capito • Bill Cassidy • Susan Collins • John Cornyn • Brian Fitzpatrick • Lindsey Graham • Will Hurd • James Lankford • Adam Kinzinger • Peter Meijer • Lisa Murkowski • Dan Newhouse • Mitt Romney • Pat Toomey • Thom Tillis • Roger Wicker • Don Young

Allies|

Senate Leadership Fund • Congressional Leadership Fund • Koch brothers • Big Pharma • RINOs • RINO Backers

Historical opponents|

Calvin Coolidge • Robert Taft • John W. Bricker • Barry Goldwater • Everett Dirksen • Ronald Reagan

Conservative opponents|

Todd Akin • Michele Bachmann • Ben Carson • Doug Collins • Steve King • Roy Moore • Richard Mourdock • Donald Trump • Rand Paul • Allen West