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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 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:​

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

<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> ​

Chairman Adam warned Democratic officeholders prophetically that a strong GOP showing in 1963 would encourage Republicans to contest future races on a regular basis and could in time threaten the state's solidly Democratic congressional delegation. Adam also accused Phillips and his running-mate for lieutenant governor, state Senator Stanford E. Morse, Jr., of Gulfport, another Democrat-turned-Republican, of having confused voters by omitting the word "Republican" from their campaign materials.<ref>''the Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 11, 16, 1963; ''[[The New York Times]],'' October 26, 1963.</ref>

 

Chairman Adam warned Democratic officeholders prophetically that a strong GOP showing in 1963 would encourage Republicans to contest future races on a regular basis and could in time threaten the state's solidly Democratic congressional delegation. Adam also accused Phillips and his running-mate for lieutenant governor, state Senator Stanford E. Morse, Jr., of Gulfport, another Democrat-turned-Republican, of having confused voters by omitting the word "Republican" from their campaign materials.<ref>''the Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' October 11, 16, 1963; ''[[The New York Times]],'' October 26, 1963.</ref>​

==Racial politics==​

==Racial politics==​

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>​

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 in Franklin County, 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>​

Phillips accused outgoing Governor Barnett and Democratic opponent Paul Johnson of "rooster fighting with U.S. marshals" in the 1962 desegregation crisis, which ended in the enrollment of [[James Meredith]] as the first African American student and subsequent Ole Miss graduate. Phillips said that Barnett and Johnson had merely tricked voters by staging their opposition to desegregation and that Johnson was the "Kennedy candidate" in the race.<ref>'The 'Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' September 7, 1963.</ref>​

Phillips accused outgoing Governor Barnett and Democratic opponent Paul Johnson of "rooster fighting with U.S. marshals" in the 1962 desegregation crisis, which ended in the enrollment of [[James Meredith]] as the first African American student and subsequent Ole Miss graduate. Phillips said that Barnett and Johnson had merely tricked voters by staging their opposition to desegregation and that Johnson was the "Kennedy candidate" in the race.<ref>'The 'Memphis Commercial Appeal,'' September 7, 1963.</ref>​