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Though Phillips had endorsed [[Adlai Stevenson]] for president in 1956 against the Republican incumbent [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and Kennedy over Nixon in 1960, he left the Democrats in 1963 to run for governor as the Republican nominee in a bid to succeed the term-limited Ross H. Barnett, who had fought the [[Segregation|desegregation]] in 1962 of the University of Mississippi. Phillips faced the Democratic nominee Paul Johnson, who was nearly as outspoken in defense of segregation as his predecessor, Ross Barnett.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Challenging the Status Quo: Rubel Lex Phillips and the Mississippi Republican Party (1963-1967)," ''The Journal of Mississippi History'' XLVII, November 1985, No. 4, pp. 240-242.</ref>

Though Phillips had endorsed [[Adlai Stevenson]] for president in 1956 against the Republican incumbent [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and Kennedy over Nixon in 1960, he left the Democrats in 1963 to run for governor as the Republican nominee in a bid to succeed the term-limited Ross H. Barnett, who had fought the [[Segregation|desegregation]] in 1962 of the University of Mississippi. Phillips faced the Democratic nominee Paul Johnson, who was nearly as outspoken in defense of segregation as his predecessor, Ross Barnett.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Challenging the Status Quo: Rubel Lex Phillips and the Mississippi Republican Party (1963-1967)," ''The Journal of Mississippi History'' XLVII, November 1985, No. 4, pp. 240-242.</ref>

Bidwell Adam, a former lieutenant governor under segregationist Governor Theodore G. Bilbo and the Democratic state chairman in Mississippi at the time, said that Phillips had contacted him in 1962 to seek backing for a potential Democratic campaign for governor.<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' October 16, 1963; ''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', October 24, 1963.</ref> Paul Johnson then claimed that Phillips had become "an overnight Republican" after failure to acquire financial support in a primary with a large open field. Johnson said that Phillips had been "anointed by Squirt Yerger in a Jackson hotel room," a reference to Republican chairman Wirt Adams Yerger, Jr., who served from 1956 to 1966.<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 16, 24, 1963; ''The Meridian Star'', October 9, 1963.</ref> the first Republican candidate since 1947, when a former governor of [[Nebraska]], George L. Sheldon, polled 2.5 percent of the Mississippi gubernatorial general election vote.<ref>State of Mississippi, Election Statistics, 1947.</ref> ​

Bidwell Adam, a former lieutenant governor under segregationist Governor Theodore G. Bilbo and the Democratic state chairman in Mississippi at the time, said that Phillips had contacted him in 1962 to seek backing for a potential Democratic campaign for governor.<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' October 16, 1963; ''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', October 24, 1963.</ref> Paul Johnson then claimed that Phillips had become "an overnight Republican" after failure to acquire financial support in a primary with a large open field. Johnson said that Phillips had been "anointed by Squirt Yerger in a Jackson hotel room," a reference to Republican chairman Wirt Adams Yerger, Jr., who served from 1956 to 1966.<ref>''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 16, 24, 1963; ''The Meridian Star'', October 9, 1963.</ref> the first Republican candidate since 1947, when a former governor of [[Nebraska]], George L. Sheldon, polled 2.5 percent of the Mississippi gubernatorial general election vote.<ref>State of Mississippi, Election Statistics, 1947.</ref>

 

Johnson and Adam questioned the new Republican's dedication to segregation by noting that as the clerk of Alcorn County from 1952 to 1956 Phillips had supervised the registration of more [[African-American]] voters than had been permitted in most other Mississippi counties at that time.<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' November 4, 1963.</ref> The pair stressed Phillips' support for Adlai Stevenson in 1956 and Kennedy in 1960. They too had also backed Stevenson over Eisenhower but supported the unpledged electors which carried Mississippi (and half of [[Alabama]]) in 1960 over the Kennedy and Nixon electoral slates.<ref>''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 16 and November 4, 1963.</ref>​

Paul Johnson and Bidwell Adam questioned the new Republican's dedication to segregation by noting that as the clerk of Alcorn County from 1952 to 1956 Phillips had supervised the registration of more [[African-American]] voters than had been permitted in most other Mississippi counties at that time.<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' November 4, 1963.</ref> The pair stressed Phillips' support for Adlai Stevenson in 1956 and John F. Kennedy in 1960. They too had also backed Stevenson over Eisenhower but supported the unpledged electors which carried Mississippi (and half of [[Alabama]]) in 1960 over the Kennedy and Nixon electoral slates.<ref>''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 16 and November 4, 1963.</ref>​

Paul Johnson and Bidwell Adam uncovered a 1956 memorandum in which Phillips declared that Adlai Stevenson was:​

Paul Johnson and Bidwell Adam uncovered a 1956 memorandum in which Phillips declared that Adlai Stevenson was:​

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<blockquote>the only hope for the South. Although he is considered by many a moderate, that is at least a step in the right direction by us. It is my view that those of us who are taking a moderate course in respect to all social legislation will be recognized ten years from now as having taken the only practical course for people who believe in progressive [it is unclear what Phillips meant about the use of the word "progressive" in his statement] government. ​

<blockquote>the only hope for the South. Although he is considered by many a moderate, that is at least a step in the right direction by us. It is my view that those of us who are taking a moderate course in respect to all social legislation will be recognized ten years from now as having taken the only practical course for people who believe in progressive [it is unclear what Phillips meant about the use of the word "progressive" in his statement] government.

It is essential that intelligent and cool-thinking people remain in office even though it occasionally means that they have to give tacit support to measures they do not believe to be sound. There will be times that I, as chairman of the Public Service Commission, will have to take positions that I do not believe to be either sound or right, but if I sacrifice whatever opportunities I may have to do something important in the future for a point of minor significance, then I will have been of benefit to no one. That is a painful admission for anyone in public office. ... nevertheless, if we are ambitious, we have to make it.<ref>Memorandum from Rubel Phillips on Public Service Commission stationery, March 1, 1956, reprinted in ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 15, 1963</ref></blockquote> ​

It is essential that intelligent and cool-thinking people remain in office even though it occasionally means that they have to give tacit support to measures they do not believe to be sound. There will be times that I, as chairman of the Public Service Commission, will have to take positions that I do not believe to be either sound or right, but if I sacrifice whatever opportunities I may have to do something important in the future for a point of minor significance, then I will have been of benefit to no one. That is a painful admission for anyone in public office. ... nevertheless, if we are ambitious, we have to make it.<ref>Memorandum from Rubel Phillips on Public Service Commission stationery, March 1, 1956, reprinted in ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 15, 1963</ref></blockquote> ​

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==Racial politics==​

==Racial politics==​

With his "K.O. the Kennedys" slogan, Phillips attempted to present himself as a more determined segregationist than his rival, Paul Johnson. In a statewide television broadcast, Phillips said that he had concluded that only Republicans could offer a realistic challenge to the national Democrats.<ref>''Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 3, 1963</ref> Phillips' segregationist views were confirmed by the historian James W. Silver of the University of Mississippi, who quoted the Republican candidate as having told students in 1962 that the Kennedy administration was being "run by incompetents and [[communism|communist]] sympathizers."<ref>James W. Silver] ''Mississippi: The Closed Society (New York, 1966), p. 45.</ref> Silver added that Phillips had called [[United States Attorney General]] [[Robert F. Kennedy]] "a little juvenile" who had "declared war on Mississippi, and he will demand unconditional surrender."<ref>Silver, p. 45.</ref>​

With his "K.O. (Knock Out) the Kennedys" slogan, Phillips attempted to present himself as a more determined segregationist than his rival, Paul Johnson. In a statewide television broadcast, Phillips said that he had concluded that only Republicans could offer a realistic challenge to the national Democrats.<ref>''Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 3, 1963</ref> Phillips' segregationist views were confirmed by the historian James W. Silver of the University of Mississippi, who quoted the Republican candidate as having told students in 1962 that the Kennedy administration was being "run by incompetents and [[communism|communist]] sympathizers."<ref>James W. Silver] ''Mississippi: The Closed Society (New York, 1966), p. 45.</ref> Silver added that Phillips had called [[United States Attorney General]] [[Robert F. Kennedy]] "a little juvenile" who had "declared war on Mississippi, and he will demand unconditional surrender."<ref>Silver, p. 45.</ref>​

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In Meadville, Phillips remarked, "I was born a segregationist, I am for segregation now, and I will be for segregation when I die."<ref>''The Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 17, 1963; ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 22, 1963.</ref> Phillips said that opponents who branded him a "closet integrationist" were deceptive: "noting could be further from the truth."<ref>''The Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 22, 1963.</ref> Phillips said "the one-party system ... gave us John and Bobby Kennedy and the integration of our state's university."<ref>''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald'' (since ''The Sun Herald''), September 3, 1963; ''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 4, 1963.</ref>​

In Meadville, Phillips remarked, "I was born a segregationist, I am for segregation now, and I will be for segregation when I die."<ref>''The Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 17, 1963; ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 22, 1963.</ref> Phillips said that opponents who branded him a "closet integrationist" were deceptive: "noting could be further from the truth."<ref>''The Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 22, 1963.</ref> Phillips said "the one-party system ... gave us John and Bobby Kennedy and the integration of our state's university."<ref>''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald'' (since ''The Sun Herald''), September 3, 1963; ''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 4, 1963.</ref>​

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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>​