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Charles H. Percy: A political perspective
Charles H. Percy - A Political Perspective by Robert E. Hartley is an objective, in-depth political biography of the Senior Senator from Illinois. It provides a fresh, comprehensive insight into the political background, philosophy, and outlook of a man whose increasing seniority in the Senate had a major influence on national affairs. Hartley has sorted out the various facets of Percy's political image. How has Percy's personal and business background affected his political philosophy? What in fact is his philosophy and how was it formed? How has this philosophy affected his sometimes edgy relationship with the more conservative, traditional Illinois Republicans? - Illustrated with photographs
255 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Robert E. Hartley
13 booksHartley was a journalist and group editor of the former Lidsey-Schaub newspapers in Illinois. He is the author of several books on Illinois history and politics.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 17, 2018
The career of Senator Charles H. Percy is proof of the old maxim that 'timing is everything'. If two
seminal events hadn't occured in our history Percy might have wound up in the White House. He
was a species purged into extermination by the Republican Party, a liberal Republican.
His was almost a Horatio Alger like story. He was born in a respectable middle class family and had
he been elected president he would have been the first Christian Scientist president in our history. The
maxims of the Christian Science Monitor guided his political development. He also came to the
attention of his Sunday School teacher Joseph McNabb who also was the president of Bell&Howell.
After graduating high school and college and service in the navy in World War II McNabb took him into the company.
Dwight D. Eisenhower who as president never met a business executive he didn't like also took on
Percy who succeeded to the Presidency of Bell&Howell after McNabb's death. Percy during the
Eisenhower years worked on issues development and financing. He wanted to broaden the base
of the Republican Party by taking on more liberal stances on issues.
Percy was seen as a glamorous type candidate taking on Governor Otto Kerner in 1964. But sadly
the Kennedy assassination more than likely derailed any hope of him winning in 1964. Although
he made the tactical decision to support Barry Goldwater in 1964 for president rather than keep the
unpopular presidential candidate at arm's length. When he ran and won for Senate in 1966 the
rightwing reluctantly supported him.
I think Percy business executive that he was really wanted the governorship and was disappointed
that the Johnson landslide in the wake of the Kennedy assassination prevented his service there.
The US Senate was a second choice for him.
He went to the Senate in 1966 upsetting 3 term incumbent Paul Douglas who had kind of lost touch
with his state. It also was in the wake of the still unsolved home invasion murder of his daughter
Valerie Percy.
Percy did not get along well with either presidents Johnson or Nixon. Looking for a gradual pull
out in Vietnam he did things like sponsor a bill for low income housing not calculated to make
Richard Nixon happy who was committed to his southern strategy. He also voted against Nixon
Supreme Court nominees Haynsworth and Carswell.
The book written by Robert E. Hartley was a political biography based on a Percy presidential run.
That would assume Nixon finished out his two terms. But Watergate saw to that and Percy's
ambitions went up in smoke as friend Gerald Ford became president. The Percy story ends here
in 1974.
Had it not been for the JFK assassination and Watergate Chuck Percy's career might have taken a
path to the White House. He had looks, brains, and charisma. The GOP might have not become
the rightwing horror show it is today. It's also more than possible that Ronald Reagan and the rise
of the rightwing was an unstoppable force in that party.
Percy served in the Senate until 1985 running a desultory re-election campaign and losing to Paul
Simon in a year Ronald Reagan carried Illinois pretty handily as he did the rest of the country almost. Percy died in 2011 an aged and forgotten figure on the political landscape.
The book is an interesting anachronism of a career that took some wrong turns. Timing really is
truly all and was in the case of Charles H. Percy.
seminal events hadn't occured in our history Percy might have wound up in the White House. He
was a species purged into extermination by the Republican Party, a liberal Republican.
His was almost a Horatio Alger like story. He was born in a respectable middle class family and had
he been elected president he would have been the first Christian Scientist president in our history. The
maxims of the Christian Science Monitor guided his political development. He also came to the
attention of his Sunday School teacher Joseph McNabb who also was the president of Bell&Howell.
After graduating high school and college and service in the navy in World War II McNabb took him into the company.
Dwight D. Eisenhower who as president never met a business executive he didn't like also took on
Percy who succeeded to the Presidency of Bell&Howell after McNabb's death. Percy during the
Eisenhower years worked on issues development and financing. He wanted to broaden the base
of the Republican Party by taking on more liberal stances on issues.
Percy was seen as a glamorous type candidate taking on Governor Otto Kerner in 1964. But sadly
the Kennedy assassination more than likely derailed any hope of him winning in 1964. Although
he made the tactical decision to support Barry Goldwater in 1964 for president rather than keep the
unpopular presidential candidate at arm's length. When he ran and won for Senate in 1966 the
rightwing reluctantly supported him.
I think Percy business executive that he was really wanted the governorship and was disappointed
that the Johnson landslide in the wake of the Kennedy assassination prevented his service there.
The US Senate was a second choice for him.
He went to the Senate in 1966 upsetting 3 term incumbent Paul Douglas who had kind of lost touch
with his state. It also was in the wake of the still unsolved home invasion murder of his daughter
Valerie Percy.
Percy did not get along well with either presidents Johnson or Nixon. Looking for a gradual pull
out in Vietnam he did things like sponsor a bill for low income housing not calculated to make
Richard Nixon happy who was committed to his southern strategy. He also voted against Nixon
Supreme Court nominees Haynsworth and Carswell.
The book written by Robert E. Hartley was a political biography based on a Percy presidential run.
That would assume Nixon finished out his two terms. But Watergate saw to that and Percy's
ambitions went up in smoke as friend Gerald Ford became president. The Percy story ends here
in 1974.
Had it not been for the JFK assassination and Watergate Chuck Percy's career might have taken a
path to the White House. He had looks, brains, and charisma. The GOP might have not become
the rightwing horror show it is today. It's also more than possible that Ronald Reagan and the rise
of the rightwing was an unstoppable force in that party.
Percy served in the Senate until 1985 running a desultory re-election campaign and losing to Paul
Simon in a year Ronald Reagan carried Illinois pretty handily as he did the rest of the country almost. Percy died in 2011 an aged and forgotten figure on the political landscape.
The book is an interesting anachronism of a career that took some wrong turns. Timing really is
truly all and was in the case of Charles H. Percy.
Displaying 1 of 1 review