In 1964, a sudden illness forced Ronald Reagan to cancel his attendance as the keynote address speaker at the Republican Convention in his native California.

A Time of Choosing
An article by Ed & Chris OakleyHis doctor had diagnosed the Californian actor with the flu, and although Reagan would make a full recovery, he needed to rest for several days. And so at short notice, his place was taken by New York Mayor, John V. Lindsay, who had risen to national prominence as a result of his well-regarded handling of the Jamaica Bay Hurricane Disaster. He retained the speech title of "A Time for Choosing" but little else of substance remaining unchanged; instead he wrote a stirring monologue on the irrepressible courage of the American people.

This late substitution was orchestrated by Republican National Committee Chairman Dean Burch. The nominee Barry Goldwater was a fellow Arizonan who was less than wildly enthusiastic about the choice of a Liberal Republican, but his weak poll ratings suggested that Lindsay's popularity might give the ticket a welcome electoral boost.

In any event, the shambolic proceedings at the Cow Palace were a profound shock to Lindsay. The event was completely dominated by Conservatives. Former President Eisenhower provided the weakest of endorsements, and incredibly the choice of Vice President was William E. Miller, an obscure Congressman from Western New York who had contributed precisely nothing to the management of the hurricane disaster. Other delegates were shocked by the right-wing direction of the GOP, and many took the opportunity to press Lindsay to run in '68. This speculative idea had been proposed by Time Magazine three years before, but now Lindsay began to realize that the path from Gracie Mansion To Pennsylvania Avenue was wide open to him. Reagan, however, would disappear from history after an unsuccessful run in the 1966 gubernatorial race which saw the re-election of Pat Brown.
This post is an article from the Jamaica Bay thread developed by Chris Oakley.