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 he chooses to run, he could carry it. Reagan could definitely win,

 probably Connolly could beat any Democrat. And that's about as far as

 I would go. In Florida, I don't know how Ted Kennedy would do, but in

 Florida, the leading Democrat that is being spoken of now would be

 Jackson. Because Jackson is closer to the philosophy of the people of

 Florida than any other Democrat that is prominent.

 W.D.V.: How do you think that the Republican party in Florida compares

 with the party organizations and candidates in the other southern states?

 Thomas: I think that we are way ahead of most of them. Maybe excluding

 Virginia, but from what I've heard about Virginia, their organization is

 not too good. I think that we've got the best party organization in the

 South. I think that Texas is coming along, you know.

 W.D.V.: How about Tennessee?

 Thomas: Yeah, excuse me, I forgot Tennessee. They have an excellent

 organization mainly because of you know, which came first, the

 chicken or the egg, but with two senators and a Republican governor,

 they've got to be doing something right. But you know, Tennessee has

 historically had, you know, even since the Civil War, Tennessee has had

 a strong Republican party in the eastern part of the state. Almost

 rock-ribbed. I think that Tennessee has got a better organization than

 we have. Georgia and Alabama, Louisana Mississippi has got a

 funny kind of an organization, the oddest that I have ever seen. Did

 you say that you have been there yet?

 W.D.V.: We've seen Clark Reed.

 Thomas: You've been there?

 J.B.: Yeah.

 Thomas: He's got the damnedest, you know, Clark has got a kind of a little




From the Southern Oral History Program, #4007, Interview /-60 in the Southern Historical Collection,
University of North Carolina Library, Chapel Hill. FOR REFERENCE ONLY: PERMISSION TO
PUBLISH MUST BE REQUESTED. WARNING: MOST MANUSCRIPTS ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT.