Changes

Shannon urged the southern states to leave the [[Democratic Party]]. He proposed "free electors" in 1964, by which the Democratic State Central Committee would designate either unpledged delegates or delegates pledged to a conservative candidate, rather than the  official party choice, [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. He claimed that then [[Governor]] [[Jimmie Davis]], a former Shreveporter, could have arranged for the unpledged slate to have been the official party designation in 1960, instead of the [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]]-Johnson national slate.<ref>"Committee key to Electors, Shannon Says," ''Minden Press,'' August 5, 1963, p. 1.</ref> In 1948, [[Strom Thurmond]], then the governor of [[South Carolina]], had carried the four states, including Louisiana, in which he was the official Democratic nominee in the [[general election]] against [[Harry Truman]] and [[Thomas E. Dewey]]. Shannon covered the 1964 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], which nominated [[U.S. Senator]] [[Barry Goldwater]] of [[Arizona]] to challenge President Johnson. The convention marked a defeat for the eastern wing of the party, many of whose delegates coalesced around either Governor [[Nelson Rockefeller]] of [[New York]] or [[William Scranton]] of [[Pennsylvania]].<ref>"Barry Cops GOP Banner for Conservatives," ''[[Shreveport Journal]],'' July 16, 1964, p. 1</ref> When the unpledged elector movement failed to develop. Shannon editorially endorsed Goldwater,<ref name=findagrave/> and Thurmond defected to the Republican Party.<ref name=findagrave/>

Shannon urged the southern states to leave the [[Democratic Party]]. He proposed "free electors" in 1964, by which the Democratic State Central Committee would designate either unpledged delegates or delegates pledged to a conservative candidate, rather than the  official party choice, [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. He claimed that then [[Governor]] [[Jimmie Davis]], a former Shreveporter, could have arranged for the unpledged slate to have been the official party designation in 1960, instead of the [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]]-Johnson national slate.<ref>"Committee key to Electors, Shannon Says," ''Minden Press,'' August 5, 1963, p. 1.</ref> In 1948, [[Strom Thurmond]], then the governor of [[South Carolina]], had carried the four states, including Louisiana, in which he was the official Democratic nominee in the [[general election]] against [[Harry Truman]] and [[Thomas E. Dewey]]. Shannon covered the 1964 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], which nominated [[U.S. Senator]] [[Barry Goldwater]] of [[Arizona]] to challenge President Johnson. The convention marked a defeat for the eastern wing of the party, many of whose delegates coalesced around either Governor [[Nelson Rockefeller]] of [[New York]] or [[William Scranton]] of [[Pennsylvania]].<ref>"Barry Cops GOP Banner for Conservatives," ''[[Shreveport Journal]],'' July 16, 1964, p. 1</ref> When the unpledged elector movement failed to develop. Shannon editorially endorsed Goldwater,<ref name=findagrave/> and Thurmond defected to the Republican Party.<ref name=findagrave/>

Even in state politics, Shannon had sometimes broken with the Democrats, as in the 1964 [[Governor|gubernatorial]] general election, when ''The Journal'' urged support for the conservative Republican candidate, [[Charlton Lyons]] of Shreveport. Lyons ran strongly in northwest Louisiana but was decisively defeated statewide by the Democrat [[John J. McKeithen]]. Shannon opposed [[Moderate Republican]]s whose presence in the party, he believed, served to discourage Southerners at the time from switching partisan affiliation. However, in the 1961 [[special election]] for the [[United States House of Representatives]] for Louisiana's 4th congressional district, Shannon had penned the editorial supporting the Democrat [[Joe Waggonner]], who defeated Charlton Lyons to claim the seat vacated by the death of veteran [[U.S. Representative]] Thomas Overton Brooks. Shannon wrote that "citizens who understand the principles of states' rights are not likely to be fooled by the claim that the election of Waggonner could be viewed as a victory for the Kennedy regime."<ref>"Shreveport Journal Endorses Waggonner," reprinted in ''Minden Herald,'' December 14, 1961, p. 8.</ref>​

Even in state politics, Shannon had sometimes broken with the Democrats, as in the 1964 [[Governor|gubernatorial]] general election, when ''The Journal'' urged support for the conservative Republican candidate, [[Charlton Lyons]] of Shreveport. Lyons ran strongly in northwest Louisiana but was decisively defeated statewide by the Democrat [[John J. McKeithen]]. Shannon opposed [[Moderate Republican]]s whose presence in the party, he believed, served to discourage Southerners at the time from switching partisan affiliation. However, in the 1961 [[special election]] for the [[United States House of Representatives]] for Louisiana's 4th congressional district, Shannon had penned the editorial supporting the Democrat [[Joe Waggonner]], who defeated Charlton Lyons to claim the seat vacated by the death of veteran [[U.S. Representative]] [[Thomas Overton Brooks]]. Shannon wrote that "citizens who understand the principles of states' rights are not likely to be fooled by the claim that the election of Waggonner could be viewed as a victory for the Kennedy regime."<ref>"Shreveport Journal Endorses Waggonner," reprinted in ''Minden Herald,'' December 14, 1961, p. 8.</ref>​

​

​

''The Journal'' opposed most Kennedy-Johnson policies in its editorials. In 1968, the paper endorsed the American Independent Party presidential candidate, then former Governor [[George Wallace]] of [[Alabama]], who won Louisiana's then ten electoral votes by plurality but lost the election nationally to Republican [[Richard M. Nixon]]. Wallace came to Shreveport in 1971 to speak at Shannon's "appreciation dinner".<ref name=findagrave/>​

''The Journal'' opposed most Kennedy-Johnson policies in its editorials. In 1968, the paper endorsed the American Independent Party presidential candidate, then former Governor [[George Wallace]] of [[Alabama]], who won Louisiana's then ten electoral votes by plurality but lost the election nationally to Republican [[Richard M. Nixon]]. Wallace came to Shreveport in 1971 to speak at Shannon's "appreciation dinner".<ref name=findagrave/>​