they were simply uncomfortable with nelson rockefeller's positions. secondly though was rockefeller's own failure to understand the difference between running for the nomination and running in the fall. he always -- every time he ran for president he ran a november campaign. he ran a campaign reaching out to the general electorate. but it's not the general electorate, it's delegates who select a nominee. and the great line had -- he had an ironic sense of humor which he, for the most part, managed to control. but he couldn't resist. someone asked him at the end of '68 after nixon was nominated, that night he had a press conference, and there was a young reporter who citing his resumÉ and everything else said you know, why haven't you been nominated for president given all of this your qualifications? and rockefeller looked at him, he said, young man have you ever been to a republican national convention? it was like a question that answered itself. c-span: did you ever meet him? >> guest: i met them -- him three times in passing twice during the '68 ca

here is video from the gop convention with nelson rockefeller in 1960. ♪ >> as the gop convenes in chicago the scene although declaring that candidate his proposals for the republican platform agreed to buy vice president nixon touched off a storm of controversy. mr. nixon is overwhelming position as a gop favorite was unshaken but interest was roused beyond early expectations. c-span: you see that i think what? >> guest: 1st of all, it all, it is a remarkable fact that as late as 1960 richard nixon, the overwhelming favorite, really unchallenged for the nomination nevertheless felt it was in his little interest in the middle of the night without telling anyone on his staff to fly to new york for a secret six or eight our meeting at nelson rockefeller's apartment 1st of all to try to persuade him to go on the ticket as vice president and when that failed to meet rockefeller's objections on the platform stronger civil rights plank. that was an issue that always mattered to his family

we were talking about it and nelson will rockefeller -- nelson rockefeller walked in. he and henry were very close friends. they got talking and rockefeller said, "i have to hire a new policy person, i've had such a hard time getting good staff. i read every day how you are having the sharpest staff ever assembled. the nsc staff is making all of the policy in town. where do you find all these good people?" kissinger looked at me and said, nelson, you have this all wrong. look at lehman here, an irishman with a jewish name. if i have it the other way around i would really have something. [laughter] timothy: -- john: henry still has a wonderful sense of humor. it was a great experience working for him. because he had a terrible temper, but it was a great kind of safety valve. he would blow his stack and scream at you. five minutes later it was all over and he would go back to talking about the policy that you just recommended and have been screamed out for. so it was, i loved working for him. it was never a dull moment. he was a tough taskmaster. but if you had a good ide

so far out there there is a real movement to bring back the progressive republican party of nelson rockefeller or eisenhower or roosevelt. i actually, every other day, think that is going to happen. and we will see but if i were putting my money on the party right now i would put it on that wing and not the other way. kent: thank you for a terrific presentation. and the wonderful illustrations that went with it. i am kent hughes. on the freeloading question, i wonder if in fact work has become a part of civic culture. on the republican side you have a line from milton friedman to nixon's attempt to put that into legislative form. to senator roth it was a strong advocate and with some success the earned income that's credit. -- tax credit. you have an anonymous amount of redistribution through the tax code but it is not controversial because it is linked to the tax -- linked to work. dr. cox-richardson: that is partly rhetorical. nixon was so good, especially when buchanan was writing for him, was so good at creating strongmen. they say we should create handouts. they say we should do this. the