These names as Texan Ben Barnes keep cropping up, even as a footnote to the presidential drama of 1980. Barnes was a solid Democrat of the liberal wing of the party in Texas in those days. A mentor of the late John Connally who in turn was close to Lyndon Johnson, and of course Connally had been a Governor in Texas. These were powerful men in Texas politics and Barnes had hoped to use this power to project himself up the political ladder. John Kennedy was in Dallas on that fateful day among other things trying to patch things up between the two wings of the quarrelling democrats.
By the late 60's Nixon was pulling conservative Democrats to his side and with that vote won a landslide victory in 1972. John Connally became a Republican and used that new party as a means to gain the presidency and really never stood much of a chance. He could not gain any serious attention from the Republicans although he never stopped trying as Barnes commented in these new revelations where he had ideas of becoming secretary of State.
Johnson died in 1974 and that seemed the end of Democratic liberalism in Texas that had been powerful for decades.
Thanks professor Brands for the research you had done in this period of Texas history. The story of Bill Casey is one that really needs greater attention.
These names as Texan Ben Barnes keep cropping up, even as a footnote to the presidential drama of 1980. Barnes was a solid Democrat of the liberal wing of the party in Texas in those days. A mentor of the late John Connally who in turn was close to Lyndon Johnson, and of course Connally had been a Governor in Texas. These were powerful men in Texas politics and Barnes had hoped to use this power to project himself up the political ladder. John Kennedy was in Dallas on that fateful day among other things trying to patch things up between the two wings of the quarrelling democrats.
By the late 60's Nixon was pulling conservative Democrats to his side and with that vote won a landslide victory in 1972. John Connally became a Republican and used that new party as a means to gain the presidency and really never stood much of a chance. He could not gain any serious attention from the Republicans although he never stopped trying as Barnes commented in these new revelations where he had ideas of becoming secretary of State.
Johnson died in 1974 and that seemed the end of Democratic liberalism in Texas that had been powerful for decades.
Thanks professor Brands for the research you had done in this period of Texas history. The story of Bill Casey is one that really needs greater attention.
And to think how much of a "surprise" this was in the media recently. You only beat them on this revelation by 7 years. Another great bio by the way.
I knew I had read about this before! I wondered why the big to do over the article. Thought it was a well known fact.