KC Johnson

Johnson ultimately avoided a Southern walkout, and turned to the question of his nominators. He outlined his specifications in this clip with aides Bill Moyers and Jack Valenti.

President Johnson: What I’d try to do is get some good woman, or something—we don’t want a boss image there.

Bill Moyers: All right, sir.

President Johnson: Now, if they want a white woman to do something, she could get up and say . . . some real young, pretty woman.

Moyers: All right, sir.

President Johnson: I don’t want a boss doing it—[John] Bailey or [NYC mayor Robert] Wagner, or any of those.

[Break.]

President Johnson: There’s a pretty woman in the Georgia delegation; they’ve acted pretty nice.

Moyers: All right.

President Johnson: And I want to tie into the South a little bit.

[Break.]

President Johnson: What do you think about it? Can you think of anything letter? [to Moyers:] Wait a minute.

Jack Valenti: Let me make one other suggestion—how about Florida? Somebody from the state of Florida—which is a key state, 14 electoral votes. Not part of the South, it’s in between.

Moyers: I’ve got a very attractive, young woman, about 35, who was on the Platform Committee [Mrs. Lloyd Damsey]. This is her first convention. She’s a little bit naïve, but she could be coached, and she could do it.