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Lot #28
Lyndon B. Johnson Document Signed Accepting Nomination as Vice-President (1960)

"I hereby consent to be the nominee of the Liberal Party for election to the public office of Vice-President of the United States"

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Description

"I hereby consent to be the nominee of the Liberal Party for election to the public office of Vice-President of the United States"

Historic partly-printed DS, one page, 8 x 12.75, September 14, 1960. Document submitted to the "Secretary of State, Division of Elections, Albany, New York," accepting his nomination for vice president. In part: "I, Lyndon B. Johnson, the undersigned, residing at The LBJ Ranch in the City or Town of Stonewall, in the County of Gillespie, State of Texas, having been nominated as the candidate of the Liberal Party for election to the public office of Vice-President of the United States, in the general election to be held on November 8, 1960, do hereby certify that I have accepted and by these presents, do accept the said nomination tendered to me and I hereby consent to be the nominee of the Liberal Party for election to the public office of Vice-President of the United States as aforesaid." Signed at the conclusion in blue ballpoint by Lyndon B. Johnson, and notarized below. Archivally mounted, matted, and framed with a plaque and photo of LBJ taking the Oath of Office on Air Force One to an overall size of 30 x 23.5. In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope.

This document presents an interesting bit of history from the 1960 presidential election: the John F. Kennedy-Lyndon B. Johnson ticket was not endorsed just by the Democratic Party, but also by the then-powerful Liberal Party of New York. Kennedy gave an address on this date, September 14th, accepting the Liberal Party's nomination and outlining his progressive goals: 'I am proud to be the only candidate in 1960 with the nomination of two political parties...We had an interesting convention at Los Angeles, and we ended with a strong Democratic platform which we called the rights of man...I do not regard the title of liberal as an honorary degree; I regard it as a license to preach the gospel of liberalism across this country...The final proof is the old political adage that you can tell a friend by the enemies that he makes; and by this standard, you and I are the closest of friends. For Mr. Nixon and Mr. Dirksen and Mr. Mundt and Mr. Goldwater don't like my liberal policies, I'm glad to say, any more than they do yours. They are fighting a rear guard action against the 20th century, and they fear that our time is coming and theirs is going. I do not mean to say that the fight is wholly between the Democratic and the Republican Parties. Those of you who are here tonight are proof of the fact that some of the best friends that the Democrats have are not in the Democratic Party.'

The Liberal Party's endorsement in New York proved to be a tipping point for the Kennedy-Johnson ticket, as they received 3,423,909 Democratic votes to Nixon's 3,446,419 Republican votes. The 406,176 votes cast under the Liberal Party banner made the difference, securing New York's 45 electoral votes for Kennedy-Johnson. A remarkable document from the 1960 presidential campaign.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts
  • Dates: #685 - Ended January 10, 2024





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