In 1969 the grandmother of my brother-in-law was chairperson of the Republican party in the next county over. She had to really whip her committee in line when some of them wanted to endorse Byrd for the Senate that year. I remember her complaining loudly at a Sunday dinner down at her farm, "I like Bob Byrd too, and will probably vote for him, but if we are going to endorse him, why, we might as well be Democrats."