Turning the Tide in '65: William F. Buckley, New York City, and the Rise of Modern Conservatism Open Access

Abstract

The 1965 New York Mayoral election was an inflection point in the history of American politics. As the people of the United States sought to define themselves amidst the assassination of Kennedy, the steady march towards Civil Rights, and the escalation of the war in Vietnam, the political undercurrents played out in this election, the only major election of 1965. With the entry of Buckley, this local election quickly gained national attention, soon becoming a microcosm of the American political sphere and highlighting the struggle of major political parties, as seen in the rival campaigns of liberal Republican John Lindsay and Democrat Abraham Beame, to lay claim to the conscience of a nation. Buckley broke all of the old political rules that bound his opponents, freely discussing such hot-button issues as integration, welfare, race, and crime in an in-depth, straightforward manner. In attacking both liberalism and liberal Republicanism, as epitomized by John Lindsay, Buckley asserted that his own conservative principles were universal. Running as a spoiler candidate against John Lindsay, Buckley’s candidacy unexpectedly won the support of conservative Democrats, undercutting his goal of defeating Lindsay but serving as the first electoral example of the coalition of voters who would become the foundation of Nixon’s Southern Strategy and later, Reagan Democrats. This was the enduring lesson of the Buckley campaign, as many of his ideas and proposals would form the foundation of conservative Republican dogma for the next fifty years.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1—Demand A Recount .......................................................................................................... 1

New York City: 1965 .................................................................................................................................. 7

A Conservative Candidate for Mayor ...................................................................................................... 11

Chapter 2—The Major Issues: Crime, Education, Welfare, and Race .................................................. 19

Crime and Law Enforcement ................................................................................................................... 20

Education, Integration, and Busing ......................................................................................................... 26

Welfare .................................................................................................................................................... 30

Race and White Backlash ........................................................................................................................ 36

Chapter 3—The Campaign ................................................................................................................ 42

Afterword—The Man and The Movement ........................................................................................ 63

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	History
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	History, United States
Keyword	New York City American Politics
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Joseph Crespino, Emory University
Committee Members	Patrick Allitt, Emory University Mark Bauerlein, Emory University

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