Mr. Chairman by William L. Hershey & John C. Green

Author:William L. Hershey & John C. Green
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Akron Press

Chapter 52

A Medium and a Message

A major challenge for Ray Bliss was planning the 1968 Republican National Convention. He wanted the convention to showcase a united party and to launch a successful general election campaign—unlike the 1964 convention, which had failed on both counts.

The first priority was picking the host city. Josephine Good, as part of her work at the national committee, prepared charts that showed how each of six competing cities measured up on criteria ranging from the quality of hotels to the political makeup of the region’s officeholders.1

On September 8, 1967, the Republican National Committee voted to hold the convention in Miami Beach, Florida, accepting the recommendation of the site selection committee headed by Bliss.2

Republicans had not held a convention in a southern city since 1864, and that was Baltimore in Maryland, a border state. One benefit of Miami Beach was its potential appeal to southern voters. Governor Claude Kirk Jr., elected in 1966, was Florida’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction. At the same time, Miami Beach’s reputation for charm, glamour, and celebrities dimmed its association with southern conservatism.3

The Republican National Committee required the host city to contribute $650,000 to help pay for the convention. Miami Beach offered $800,000—$650,000 in cash and $150,000 in goods and services.4 “The money was terribly important,” said Good, but facilities mattered as well.5 “Even if a city offered $1 million or $2 million in cash but didn’t have the facilities or the rooms available, I wouldn’t select it,” Bliss said early in the process. “On the other hand, a city with an ideal hall and ideal rooms but not enough money would have to be considered very highly.”6

First, there had to be a convention hall with seating for 14,000, including 1,200 box seats. The hall had to be air conditioned. There had to be at least three rooms near the convention floor to accommodate 50 to 100 people for caucuses. There had to be accommodations for television and radio coverage. Two or three interview rooms were needed near the convention floor. Parking for 1,000 cars was required.7

As party chairman, Bliss could not control political conditions, but he could make sure the site had everything needed to make the event run efficiently, while meeting the demands of television and keeping the delegates comfortable. He could focus relentlessly on the details, just as he had done for thirty years.

Representatives from all the cities had to answer a battery of questions:

Describe seating in convention hall—permanently fixed or portable, color, padded or otherwise, width between rows, level, etc. Are box seats different? How many seats in each box?

What are the restroom facilities? Will portable equipment be necessary?

What arrangements are made for cleaning the hall?

Describe public address system and acoustics in convention hall.

Number of public telephones.

Will special cables for television be necessary?

Is there a permanent or portable stage or platform? Describe in detail.

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