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Until the 1960s, Mississippians had known no alternative to segregation, and many linked the separation of the races to the Bible. Governor Barnett, like Phillips a Baptist Sunday school teacher, declared "The Good Lord was the original segregationist. He put the black man in [[Africa]]. ... He made us white because he wanted us white, and He intended that we should stay that way."<ref>''The Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' September 12, 1963.</ref> Barnett said that Mississippi had the largest percent of African Americans because "they love our way of life here, and that way is segregation."<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' September 25, 1963.</ref><ref>Silver, ''The Closed Society,'' pp. 273-74.</ref>​

Until the 1960s, Mississippians had known no alternative to segregation, and many linked the separation of the races to the Bible. Governor Barnett, like Phillips a Baptist Sunday school teacher, declared "The Good Lord was the original segregationist. He put the black man in [[Africa]]. ... He made us white because he wanted us white, and He intended that we should stay that way."<ref>''The Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' September 12, 1963.</ref> Barnett said that Mississippi had the largest percent of African Americans because "they love our way of life here, and that way is segregation."<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' September 25, 1963.</ref><ref>Silver, ''The Closed Society,'' pp. 273-74.</ref>​

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In its endorsement of Paul Johnson, the ''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'' urged voters "not to play with fire" and ignite the birth of a two-party system, which would lead to a political division among whites along partisan and economic lines.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', November 4, 1963</ref> Johnson called the two-party concept "a political rendezvous with death."<ref name="ReferenceB">''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', October 16, 1963</ref> At a pre-election rally in Jackson, Barnett urged Mississippi Democrats to "push out this Republican threat" and added that he was "fed up with these fence-riding, pussy-footing, snow-digging Yankee Republicans."<ref>''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 16, 1963; ''Time Magazine,'' October 25, 1963, p. 29.</ref>

In its endorsement of Paul Johnson, the ''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'' urged voters "not to play with fire" and ignite the birth of a two-party system, which would lead to a political division among whites along partisan and economic lines.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', November 4, 1963</ref> Johnson called the two-party concept "a political rendezvous with death."<ref name="ReferenceB">''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', October 16, 1963</ref> At a pre-election rally in Jackson, Barnett urged Mississippi Democrats to "push out this Republican threat" and added that he was "fed up with these fence-riding, pussy-footing, snow-digging Yankee Republicans."<ref>''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 16, 1963; ''Time Magazine,'' October 25, 1963, p. 29.</ref>​

 

''The Hattiesburg American'' echoed the Democratic contention that the primary beneficiaries of a two-party system would be the then "920,000 Negroes who dwell here."<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' October 7, 1963.</ref> ''The American'' denounced Republican leaders [[Barry Goldwater]] of [[Arizona]] and [[Nelson A. Rockefeller]] of [[New York]], rivals for the party's 1964 presidential nomination,  for their common membership in the National Urban League and the [[NAACP]]. ''The American'' also criticized then freshman [[U.S. Representative]] Robert Taft, Jr., son of the late conservative U.S. Senator [[Robert A. Taft]] of [[Ohio]], for having remarked that "no segregationist belongs on a Republican ticket or even in the party."<ref>''Hattiesburg Americ,'' October 24, 1963.</ref> An advertisement carried in the ''Jackson Daily News'' linked white Republicans with "modern [[scalawag]]s," a reference to southern whites who cooperated with [[carpetbagger]]s during [[Reconstruction]]."<ref>''The Jackson Daily News,'' October 15, 1963.</ref>​

''The Hattiesburg American'' echoed the Democratic contention that the primary beneficiaries of a two-party system would be the then "920,000 Negroes who dwell here."<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' October 7, 1963.</ref> ''The American'' denounced Republican leaders [[Barry Goldwater]] of [[Arizona]] and [[Nelson A. Rockefeller]] of [[New York]], rivals for the party's 1964 presidential nomination,  for their common membership in the National Urban League and the [[NAACP]]. ''The American'' also criticized then freshman [[U.S. Representative]] Robert Taft, Jr., son of the late conservative U.S. Senator [[Robert A. Taft]] of [[Ohio]], for having remarked that "no segregationist belongs on a Republican ticket or even in the party."<ref>''Hattiesburg Americ,'' October 24, 1963.</ref> An advertisement carried in the ''Jackson Daily News'' linked white Republicans with "modern [[scalawag]]s," a reference to southern whites who cooperated with [[carpetbagger]]s during [[Reconstruction]]."<ref>''The Jackson Daily News,'' October 15, 1963.</ref>​

 

Phillips defended the two-party format on the grounds that competition can produce excellence and questioned how competitive general elections would be "dangerous" because white voters had for years been divided in contentious Democratic primary runoff elections.<ref>''Jackson Daily News'', October 18, 1963; ''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald'', September 20, 1963</ref> Phillips stressed that in the 1850s, when Mississippi Democrats faced competition from [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]], the state ranked fifth nationally in per capita income. Like Johnson, Phillips felt compelled to denounce the [[Radical Republicans|Radical]] Reconstruction policies of the 1860s and 1870s.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>​

Phillips defended the two-party format on the grounds that competition can produce excellence and questioned how competitive general elections would be "dangerous" because white voters had for years been divided in contentious Democratic primary runoff elections.<ref>''Jackson Daily News'', October 18, 1963; ''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald'', September 20, 1963</ref> Phillips stressed that in the 1850s, when Mississippi Democrats faced competition from [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]], the state ranked fifth nationally in per capita income. Like Johnson, Phillips felt compelled to denounce the [[Radical Republicans|Radical]] Reconstruction policies of the 1860s and 1870s.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>​

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Gilbert L. "Gil" Carmichael]], a Meridian businessman who managed Phillips' 1963 campaign in Lauderdale County and was later the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1972 against [[James Eastland]] and then for governor in 1975 and 1979, said in a civic club debate that he found it:​

Gilbert L. "Gil" Carmichael]], a Meridian businessman who managed Phillips' 1963 campaign in Lauderdale County and was later the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1972 against [[James Eastland]] and then for governor in 1975 and 1979, said in a civic club debate that he found it:​

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<blockquote> ... peculiar to defend something I have always taken for granted ... Who, a few years ago, would have thought it possible to have reached the point ... where it is necessary to defend the human right to a choice? ... I fear that the state Democratic Party is unwittingly being used as a tool for the same goals of the national party. ... Today, the majority of whites of this state are not one-party Democrats but true independents -- and they are glad that there is the beginning of a second party -- so they can have a real choice.<ref>''The Meridian Star,'' October 1, 1963.</ref></blockquote>​

<blockquote> ... peculiar to defend something I have always taken for granted ... Who, a few years ago, would have thought it possible to have reached the point ... where it is necessary to defend the human right to a choice? ... I fear that the state Democratic Party is unwittingly being used as a tool for the same goals of the national party. ... Today, the majority of whites of this state are not one-party Democrats but true independents -- and they are glad that there is the beginning of a second party -- so they can have a real choice.<ref>''The Meridian Star,'' October 1, 1963.</ref></blockquote>

 

''The Vicksburg Evening Post'' deplored the campaign invective and claimed that "demagoguery is replacing logic, and that appeals to passion and prejudice far outweight any effort to discuss intelligently the problems and future of our state."<ref>''Vicksburg Evening Post,'' October 21, 1963.</ref> ''The Greenville Delta Democrat-Times]],'' then published by Hodding Carter, II, a Kennedy supporter but a critic of the state Democratic Party, endorsed Phillips:​

''The Vicksburg Evening Post'' deplored the campaign invective and claimed that "demagoguery is replacing logic, and that appeals to passion and prejudice far outweight any effort to discuss intelligently the problems and future of our state."<ref>''Vicksburg Evening Post,'' October 21, 1963.</ref> ''The Greenville Delta Democrat-Times]],'' then published by Hodding Carter, II, a Kennedy supporter but a critic of the state Democratic Party, endorsed Phillips:​

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<blockquote>Democrats see clearly that the Republican Party, once it gains power in Mississippi, will offer the kind of effective outlet for the feelings of most Mississippians that the isolated state Democrats (who renounce any connection with the national party) can never hope to produce. All that the state Democratic Party can offer is another four years of frustrated political impotence in national affairs and a never-never land existence within the state's borders.<ref>''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times,'' September 5, 1963.</ref></blockquote>​

<blockquote>Democrats see clearly that the Republican Party, once it gains power in Mississippi, will offer the kind of effective outlet for the feelings of most Mississippians that the isolated state Democrats (who renounce any connection with the national party) can never hope to produce. All that the state Democratic Party can offer is another four years of frustrated political impotence in national affairs and a never-never land existence within the state's borders.<ref>''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times,'' September 5, 1963.</ref></blockquote>​

 

''[[The New York Times]]'' concluded that Phillips' potential for an upset rested with "an unlikely coalition of Goldwater Republicans and Democrats who range in viewpoint from middle-of-the-road to liberal."<ref name="ReferenceC">''The New York Time,'' October 26, 1963.</ref> The state [[AFL-CIO]], then with some fifty thousand members, endorsed Phillips despite his support of the Mississippi [[right-to-work]] law. Labor president Claude E. Ramsay of Pascagoula on the Gulf Coast  denounced the Barnett-Johnson administration as "the most corrupt and irresponsible in the state's history" and supported Phillips' proposed educational reform, civil service merit system, and opposition to an increase in the state [[sales tax]].<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 28, 1963; Gary M. Fink, ed., ''Biographical Directory of U.S. Labor Leaders'' (Westport, [[Connecticut]], 1974), pp. 297-98; ''The New York Times,'' October 26, 1963.</ref> Johnson said that he was not disturbed by Ramsay's "false prophet" endorsement: "Everyone has known Ramsay to have a tendency toward integration."<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 28, 1963.</ref><ref>''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald,'' October 30, 1963.</ref>​

''[[The New York Times]]'' concluded that Phillips' potential for an upset rested with "an unlikely coalition of Goldwater Republicans and Democrats who range in viewpoint from middle-of-the-road to liberal."<ref name="ReferenceC">''The New York Time,'' October 26, 1963.</ref> The state [[AFL-CIO]], then with some fifty thousand members, endorsed Phillips despite his support of the Mississippi [[right-to-work]] law. Labor president Claude E. Ramsay of Pascagoula on the Gulf Coast  denounced the Barnett-Johnson administration as "the most corrupt and irresponsible in the state's history" and supported Phillips' proposed educational reform, civil service merit system, and opposition to an increase in the state [[sales tax]].<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 28, 1963; Gary M. Fink, ed., ''Biographical Directory of U.S. Labor Leaders'' (Westport, [[Connecticut]], 1974), pp. 297-98; ''The New York Times,'' October 26, 1963.</ref> Johnson said that he was not disturbed by Ramsay's "false prophet" endorsement: "Everyone has known Ramsay to have a tendency toward integration."<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 28, 1963.</ref><ref>''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald,'' October 30, 1963.</ref>​

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Several moderate Democrats endorsed Phillips, many of whom had supported former Governor James P. Coleman, Barnett's predecessor in the office, and a loser to Paul Johnson in an attempted comeback in the 1963 Democratic primary. When Phillips resigned from the Public Service Commission in 1959, Coleman appointed Phillips' older brother, the author Thomas Hal Phillips, to the remaining portion of the term.<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 22, 1963.</ref><ref>''The New York Times,'' October 26, 1963.</ref> Hal Phillips was his brother's gubernatorial campaign manager in the 1963 election.

Several moderate Democrats endorsed Phillips, many of whom had supported former Governor James P. Coleman, Barnett's predecessor in the office, and a loser to Paul Johnson in an attempted comeback in the 1963 Democratic primary. When Phillips resigned from the Public Service Commission in 1959, Coleman appointed Phillips' older brother, the author Thomas Hal Phillips, to the remaining portion of the term.<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 22, 1963.</ref><ref>''The New York Times,'' October 26, 1963.</ref> Hal Phillips was his brother's gubernatorial campaign manager in the 1963 election.

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Both candidates used country musicians in their campaigns. Phillips declared himself a "redneck", and the Republicans sang to the tune of "Reuben, Reuben", the refrain, "Rubel, Rubel, We're all rebels, Fighting for our native land, Against the Kennedy carpetbaggers, Bobby, Jack, and all the clan."<ref name="ReferenceC"/> The Democrats used a song composed by Houston Davis of Jackson: "Rubel, Rubel, little Rubel, Poor misguided Democrat, when it comes to the final test, The GOP will leave you flat. ..."<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 24, 1963.</ref>​

Both candidates used country musicians in their campaigns. Phillips declared himself a "redneck", and the Republicans sang to the tune of "Reuben, Reuben", the refrain, "Rubel, Rubel, We're all rebels, Fighting for our native land, Against the Kennedy carpetbaggers, Bobby, Jack, and all the clan."<ref name="ReferenceC"/> The Democrats used a song composed by Houston Davis of Jackson: "Rubel, Rubel, little Rubel, Poor misguided Democrat, when it comes to the final test, The GOP will leave you flat. ..."<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 24, 1963.</ref>​

 

Phillips said he spent $500,000 on the first gubernatorial campaign.<ref>"Challenging the Status Quo", p. 202.</ref> Democrats claimed that the [[New York City]] investment banker Nelson Trimble Levings, who owned a plantation in Mississippi and had opposed Senator Bilbo in the 1946 Democratic primary, was dispatching Rockefeller cash to Phillips, a point the GOP denied.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>​

Phillips said he spent $500,000 on the first gubernatorial campaign.<ref>"Challenging the Status Quo", p. 202.</ref> Democrats claimed that the [[New York City]] investment banker Nelson Trimble Levings, who owned a plantation in Mississippi and had opposed Senator Bilbo in the 1946 Democratic primary, was dispatching Rockefeller cash to Phillips, a point the GOP denied.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>​

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Johnson carried the backing of the Mississippi Municipal Association, which consisted of most of the state's Democratic mayors. That endorsement prompted Phillips to cancel a scheduled appearance before the group.<ref>''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times'', September 12, 1963; Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald'', September 4, 11, 1963; ''The New York Times,'' October 26, 1963.</ref>​

Johnson carried the backing of the Mississippi Municipal Association, which consisted of most of the state's Democratic mayors. That endorsement prompted Phillips to cancel a scheduled appearance before the group.<ref>''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times'', September 12, 1963; Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald'', September 4, 11, 1963; ''The New York Times,'' October 26, 1963.</ref>​

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The gubernatorial contest was a prelude to the 1964 national election in Mississippi. Governor Paul Johnson at first, in an appearance in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], endorsed "free electors" for 1964, a move strongly opposed by Republicans. I. Lee Potter of Arlington, [[Virginia]], chairman of the GOP's "Operation Dixie"  said, "The South has been that route before. It didn't work, can't work."<ref>''The Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 6, 1963.</ref>​

The gubernatorial contest was a prelude to the 1964 national election in Mississippi. Governor Paul Johnson at first, in an appearance in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], endorsed "free electors" for 1964, a move strongly opposed by Republicans. I. Lee Potter of [[Arlington, Virginia|Arlington]], [[Virginia (U.S. state)|Virginia]], chairman of the GOP's "Operation Dixie"  said, "The South has been that route before. It didn't work, can't work."<ref>''Memphis Commercial Appeal'', October 6, 1963.</ref>​

Ultimately, Johnson endorsed Goldwater over [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], but he was critical of the Republican Party in making the selection. Bidwell Adam called Goldwater "a true Republican where the dollar is involved" but not really "a conservative as to the social revolutions being forced by judicial edicts and bayonets at the hands of ruthless dictatorships."<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 28, 1963.</ref>​

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Goldwater's position on the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]], which serves northeastern Mississippi, prompted Phillips to distance himself from the senator on that issue.<ref>''The New York Times,'' November 5, 1963.</ref> Formerly known as "the young firebrand from the [[Gulf Coast]]," Adam was elected lieutenant governor in 1927 at the age of thirty-three. Wirt Yerger recalled him in later years as "an old-line, redneck Democrat who literally hated Republicans or the thought of any Republican in public office." Still Adam endorsed Goldwater in 1964 and Nixon in 1972.<ref>''Challenging the Status Quo," p. 255.</ref>​

Goldwater's position on the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]], which serves northeastern Mississippi, prompted Phillips to distance himself from the senator on that issue.<ref>''The New York Times,'' November 5, 1963.</ref> Formerly known as "the young firebrand from the [[Gulf Coast]]," Adam was elected lieutenant governor in 1927 at the age of thirty-three. Wirt Yerger recalled him in later years as "an old-line, redneck Democrat who literally hated Republicans or the thought of any Republican in public office." Still Adam endorsed Goldwater in 1964 and Nixon in 1972.<ref>''Challenging the Status Quo," p. 255.</ref>​

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