On November 12, 1963, the President met with a team of political advisors for several hours to discuss details of the 1964 convention and the issues that might define the upcoming campaign.
“But what is it that we can make them decide they want to vote for us, Democrats and Kennedy – the Democrats not strong in appeal obviously as it was twenty years ago. The younger people, party label – what is it that’s going to make them go for us.
What is it we have to sell ‘em. We hope we have to sell ‘em prosperity but for the average guy, the prosperity is nil. He’s not unprosperous but he’s not very prosperous; he’s not going make out well off. And the people who really are well off, hate our guts.
So that, what is it – there’s a lot of negroes, we’re the ones that are shoving the negroes down his throat. What is it he’s got though. We’ve got peace, you know what I mean, we say we hope the country’s prosperous, I’m trying to think of what else. I think probably- we’ve got so mechanical an operation here in Washington that it doesn’t have much identity where these people are concerned. And they don’t feel particularly – I’m not, they really didn’t have it with Truman, only in that retrospect they have Truman…hell of a time.
Franklin Roosevelt had it, even Wilson had it but I think it’s tough for a Democrat with that press apparatus working. So I’m just trying to think what is it – (tape ends)