Governor Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon (Pacific Coast) delivered the keynote speech at the 28th Republican National Convention, Monday night (14 July).

The Oregon Governor, who is in the Liberal wing of the Republican Party, spoke out strongly for civil rights and Party rejection of extremism. And though the proposed party platform does not mention the John Birch Society as one of the extremist groups that is alien to the United States democratic philosophy... Hatfield named the Society with the Ku Klux Klan and the Communist Party as the most dangerous extremist groups in the nation. The John Birch Society prefers Senator Goldwater over Governor Scranton in the struggle for the Republican Presidential nomination.

Governor Hatfield also criticised President Johnson's domestic and foreign policies.

The purpose of the keynote speech is to stir up the party faithful to work harder for a party victory in the presidential election.