Source: John A. Farrell. Richard Nixon - The Life (2017)
The USSR and the US had agreed to host “World’s Fair” style exhibitions of each nation’s cultural and scientific achievements. Very high-ranking USSR officials attended the Soviet exhibition in New York City in the Summer of 1959, and Vice-President Nixon was sent to Moscow to be the American official for the US exhibition. Ike gave Nixon no authority to negotiate (Khrushchev had recently met with such high-ranking US politicians as Senator Hubert Humphrey), but to Nixon, it was an opportunity to appear Presidential. What worked in Nixon’s favor was a series of strange circumstances that provided high drama and comic opera.
Khrushchev was a proud, insecure, and emotional man, and his unpredictability was designed to keep the US simultaneously on edge in many spots around the globe, which included the US exhibition in Moscow. Eventually Nixon and Khrushchev were taken to the color television exhibit by a young TV executive, and quite by accident, Nixon had a great opportunity while Khrushchev hammed it up for the Russians in attendance; Nixon’s focus was on the global audience. Khrushchev mockingly waved bye-bye to Capitalism, and Nixon didn’t have any direction from Ike to fall back on in that instance, other than he was there to cut ribbons, not to get into a political brawl.
Khrushchev was a proud, insecure, and emotional man, and his unpredictability was designed to keep the US simultaneously on edge in many spots around the globe, which included the US exhibition in Moscow. Eventually Nixon and Khrushchev were taken to the color television exhibit by a young TV executive, and quite by accident, Nixon had a great opportunity while Khrushchev hammed it up for the Russians in attendance; Nixon’s focus was on the global audience. Khrushchev mockingly waved bye-bye to Capitalism, and Nixon didn’t have any direction from Ike to fall back on in that instance, other than he was there to cut ribbons, not to get into a political brawl.
Nixon understood that his reputation he had cultivated over the years of being a tough negotiator with the USSR was about to be ruined. While Nixon held his own with Khrushchev in front of the color television exhibit, he felt like he had been clobbered. And when their roving “discussion” meandered in front of a kitchen exhibit, Nixon didn’t do that much better in dealing with Khrushchev, as far as he was concerned. However, the US media in tow portrayed the encounter in front of the kitchen exhibit as a resounding victory for Nixon, with photographs sealing the verdict. One photograph in particular showed Nixon pointing his right index finger on Khrushchev’s chest while making a point during their “discussion”. Nixon had no idea that in the eyes of the US media, he had won the “Kitchen Debate” (Nixon truly felt he had not done very well at all).
The next day, Khrushchev took Nixon boating on the Moscow River, and they stopped every now-and-then to mingle with the crowds. During his time with Khrushchev, he concluded that the Soviet Premier’s temper was his servant, not his master. Khrushchev, meanwhile, concluded that Nixon’s political skills were such that he made it his goal (and it became the USSR’s goal when he was no longer the Soviet Premier), to do what he could to keep Nixon from being elected President. Nixon was taken for a grand tour of the USSR, which included Leningrad and the Urals. Nixon was also given 30 minutes on Soviet television to address the Russian people. Nixon resisted the urge to be combative/vindictive during his televised address, knowing that hecklers had been placed in the crowd by Khrushchev to try and get him worked up.
The next day, Khrushchev took Nixon boating on the Moscow River, and they stopped every now-and-then to mingle with the crowds. During his time with Khrushchev, he concluded that the Soviet Premier’s temper was his servant, not his master. Khrushchev, meanwhile, concluded that Nixon’s political skills were such that he made it his goal (and it became the USSR’s goal when he was no longer the Soviet Premier), to do what he could to keep Nixon from being elected President. Nixon was taken for a grand tour of the USSR, which included Leningrad and the Urals. Nixon was also given 30 minutes on Soviet television to address the Russian people. Nixon resisted the urge to be combative/vindictive during his televised address, knowing that hecklers had been placed in the crowd by Khrushchev to try and get him worked up.
When Nixon returned to the US, he had established serious bona fides in foreign relations, in that Nixon was the first major politician from the Western nations that stood up to Khrushchev. Rockefeller was jealous of Nixon’s success, so much so that Ike felt the need to play puppet master / peacemaker. Ike suggested that Rockefeller take the Vice-Presidential slot, and then he suggested to Nixon that he publicly promise to only serve one term, and then support Rockefeller in 1964. The Eastern media and elites adored Rockefeller, and his political organization was even more impressive than that of the Kennedys.
Rockefeller “tested the waters”, and during Christmas Break in 1959, he announced his withdrawal as a candidate for the Republican nomination (he would do the exact same thing in 1968). It had finally dawned on Rockefeller that Nixon had a monstrous six year head start as Vice-President in terms of building political capital within the Republican Party as well as with voters. Rockefeller needed to soundly defeat Nixon in the Republican primaries to gather momentum for the convention, and when Rockefeller decided that wasn’t in the cards, he quit. The result of Rockefeller’s decision was that Nixon didn’t have any serious rivals for the GOP nomination. The growing conservative wing of the Republican Party had their man ready to go, Senator Barry Goldwater (AZ), but the conservatives weren’t organized or numerous enough to make an impact in 1960 (but they certainly would in 1964).
Rockefeller “tested the waters”, and during Christmas Break in 1959, he announced his withdrawal as a candidate for the Republican nomination (he would do the exact same thing in 1968). It had finally dawned on Rockefeller that Nixon had a monstrous six year head start as Vice-President in terms of building political capital within the Republican Party as well as with voters. Rockefeller needed to soundly defeat Nixon in the Republican primaries to gather momentum for the convention, and when Rockefeller decided that wasn’t in the cards, he quit. The result of Rockefeller’s decision was that Nixon didn’t have any serious rivals for the GOP nomination. The growing conservative wing of the Republican Party had their man ready to go, Senator Barry Goldwater (AZ), but the conservatives weren’t organized or numerous enough to make an impact in 1960 (but they certainly would in 1964).
There was serious competition for the Democratic nomination, but JFK (with RFK as his campaign manager) had by far the best organized and hardest-working campaign machine in the primaries, as well as with the traditional political Inside Game. LBJ assumed that he could point to his outstanding legislative record and win the nomination in a brokered convention, but JFK secured the nomination on the first ballot.
LBJ surprised most everyone when he accepted the VP slot; Nixon knew that was bad news for him, since he had planned on “stealing” Texas and other Southern states as had Ike. LBJ’s main patron within the Democrats was Speaker Sam Rayburn, who still loathed Nixon for his “traitor” comments years ago that were directed at him and President Truman. What Nixon needed was for Rockefeller to do for the Republicans what LBJ did for the Democrats, but Rockefeller, unlike LBJ, could not act for the good of the party, but only for himself.
The U-2 Incident on 1 May 1960 was a setback for Nixon, in that it gave JFK’s clamor for “change” additional momentum and credence. And (the diva) Rockefeller had a change of heart, announcing that he was back in the race for the Republican nomination. Rockefeller’s strategy (hope) was to stampede delegates into his corral using the Inside Game (which had been LBJ’s strategy), but his plan went nowhere fast. All Rockefeller succeeded in accomplishing was that he spent all his political capital which he needed to maintain and build upon for 1964 (the result was predictable/logical, since Rockefeller was only concerned about himself, not his party).
LBJ surprised most everyone when he accepted the VP slot; Nixon knew that was bad news for him, since he had planned on “stealing” Texas and other Southern states as had Ike. LBJ’s main patron within the Democrats was Speaker Sam Rayburn, who still loathed Nixon for his “traitor” comments years ago that were directed at him and President Truman. What Nixon needed was for Rockefeller to do for the Republicans what LBJ did for the Democrats, but Rockefeller, unlike LBJ, could not act for the good of the party, but only for himself.
The U-2 Incident on 1 May 1960 was a setback for Nixon, in that it gave JFK’s clamor for “change” additional momentum and credence. And (the diva) Rockefeller had a change of heart, announcing that he was back in the race for the Republican nomination. Rockefeller’s strategy (hope) was to stampede delegates into his corral using the Inside Game (which had been LBJ’s strategy), but his plan went nowhere fast. All Rockefeller succeeded in accomplishing was that he spent all his political capital which he needed to maintain and build upon for 1964 (the result was predictable/logical, since Rockefeller was only concerned about himself, not his party).
Rockefeller issued some demands to Nixon on the eve of the Republican National Convention, including more military spending, something that Ike didn’t want. Goldwater and the conservatives were alarmed that Nixon would even entertain a hint of a suggestion from the liberal Rockefeller. In the end, Goldwater remained classy, and he refused to split the Republican Party over the matter, and he wholeheartedly endorsed Nixon. After garnering the GOP nomination, Nixon named Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. as his VP (Lodge was the Senator that JFK defeated in an upset in 1952).
Just before Labor Day as the General Campaign started, Nixon was again a victim of Ike’s thoughtlessness. When asked by a reporter if Vice-President Nixon had made an important contribution to the Eisenhower Presidency (Nixon’s list of accomplishments as VP was very long indeed), Ike stated that if he had a week, he could probably come up with one. It was a painful rejection by a still-popular President, and a fresh round of discord started between Ike and his insecure Vice-President. Ike never deliberately snubbed Nixon, but Nixon could never be convinced of that fact.
Just before Labor Day as the General Campaign started, Nixon was again a victim of Ike’s thoughtlessness. When asked by a reporter if Vice-President Nixon had made an important contribution to the Eisenhower Presidency (Nixon’s list of accomplishments as VP was very long indeed), Ike stated that if he had a week, he could probably come up with one. It was a painful rejection by a still-popular President, and a fresh round of discord started between Ike and his insecure Vice-President. Ike never deliberately snubbed Nixon, but Nixon could never be convinced of that fact.