Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 9 (IX), 4/9/1986, by Michael L. Gillette

Title:

Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 9 (IX), 4/9/1986, by Michael L. Gillette

Number of Pages:

63

Description:

John F. Kennedy's (JFK) plans for the 1964 presidential campaign before his death; Barry Goldwater's visit to Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) after the 1964 Republican National Convention; O'Brien's involvement in LBJ's 1964 presidential campaign; October 1964 status report to LBJ on his campaign and local races; the daisy campaign commercial; Tony Schwartz's work on commercials for LBJ; public opinion about Goldwater; opposition to LBJ by the American Medical Association (AMA); efforts to distribute campaign materials; anti-Johnson publications; labor's power in 1964 and the strength of the Council on Political Education (COPE); grassroots campaign support versus formal party support; JFK's and LBJ's view of the Democratic National Committee; O'Brien as unofficial campaign manager for LBJ in 1964; the campaign's financial status and money for state and national campaigns; the differences between Democratic and Republican fund raising; Jewish Americans in the Democratic Party; Arthur Krim; strong Democratic organizations found in Philadelphia under the leadership of Bill Green, Chicago under the leadership of Richard J. Daley, Minnesota under the leadership of the Democratic-Farm-Labor group, and in Albany, New York; O'Brien's concern about the two-party system as it existed in 1986 and poor voter turnout; state coordinators; O'Brien traveling the country to have regional meetings; campaign organization as defined in the "O'Brien Manual" and how volunteers were put to work; Eddie Boland as a state coordinator for the 1964 campaign; the second campaign report, covering sixteen additional states and the District of Columbia; improved distribution of campaign materials by mid-October 1964; efforts to reach African-American and elderly voters; Robert F. Kennedy's (RFK) Senate campaign; conflict among New York Democrats over distribution of funds raised in New York; LBJ campaigning with RFK; how the RFK/Kenneth Keating race compared to the 1952 JFK/Henry Cabot Lodge election; Walter Jenkins' arrest; October 23, 1964, memo from O'Brien to LBJ regarding the Democratic National Committee's efforts and COPE's voter registration program; Louis Martin distributing funds to a get-out-the-vote program aimed at minorities and secrecy surrounding this project; Louis Martin's skill at working with African-American groups to encourage voter turnout.

Contributor:

O'Brien, Lawrence F. (Lawrence Francis), 1917-1990

Collection:

LBJ Library Oral Histories

Collection Description:

Go to List of Holdings

Series:

Transcripts of LBJ Library Oral Histories

See Also:

See all online interviews with Lawrence F. O'Brien

Relation:

Go to Interviewee bio page

Rights:

Possibly copyright restricted: see deed at end of transcript for details