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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1968)
The Daily Nebraskan Page ? For O jtieDiiDiicans o 0 .Nixon in a walk HD ume jRocKy runs Monday, April 8, 1968 by John Dvorak Junior Staff Writer The Richard Nixon fcxpr: is rolling, through New Hampshire and Wisconsin and, according to an unofficial delegate count, right to the top of the Republican Presi dential ticket of 1968. A Newsweek magazine survey showed last month that Nixon already has the backing of 621 delegates at Mi ami's August nominating convention. With 46 more votes, the nomination is his. In the March 12 New Hampshire primary, Nixon polled 78 per cent of the Republican vote; in last week's Wisconsin primary, the former Vice President garnered 80 per cent of the vote. With such momentum, and no declared Republican op posing him, Nixon is by far the leading GOP candidate. But what is the potential nominee's political b a c k ground? Where does he stand on the vital issues of the day? The 64-year-old Nixon was outstanding at Whittier Col lege in California orator, debater, class president, actor, football player, newspaper editor and second-ranked gradu ate in his class. He received his AB degree in 1934 and three years later got his law degree at Duke University. Nixon served as a' trial lawyer in Whittier, California until 1942. Nixon was an attorney with the Office of Emergency Management in Washington D.C. in 1942, but later that year entered the Navy as a Lt. Commander. He served four years, most of them in the South Pacific. Nixon was elected to the House of Representives In 1946 and immediately achieved political recognition. He served with the Labor and Education Committee, the Herter Committee, that studied post-World War II econom ic problems in Europe, and the House Committee on Un American Activities. In 1948, as a member of the Un-American Activities Co mittee, Nixon's skilled cross-examination of State Depart ment consultant Alger Hiss, sent the latter to jail for five years. Hiss had been accussed of passing important secrets to a Russian spy-ring. As a Representative, Nixon also helped draft the Taft Hartley Labor Act. Following two years as a Senator from California, Nixon was selected in 1952 as General Dwight D. Eisenhower's running mate on the presidential ticket. They succeeded in their quest for victory. Drop outs, party as Some Republicans support ers are carrying on an unof ficial write-in campaign for Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller for the GOP nomination. Rockefeller, 60, has been shot down by interparty poli tics, some speculate. His sup porters feel that he should lie low during the primaries, so his somewhat liberal view point will not be exposed to the extreme conservatives in the Republican party. He has not come out with a stand on many of the ma jor issues. Romney had chided him because he has been si lent on the Vietnam question. His reticence has prompted rumor that he has modified his pre war pro-war stand of two years ago. In his nine years as gover nor of New York, Rockefeller has doubled state spending and raised taxes three times. He spent the money for state programs in education, health, pollution, transporta tion and housing. Some say be has made New York one of the most progressive states in the country. Rockefeller served as assistant secretary of state in 1944-45. He was assistant secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under Eisenhower. He was also Ei senhower's special assistant on foreign affairs and served as chairman of the Republi can Governor's Committee. Rockefeller has said he will not actively campaign for the nomination, but if he is asked to run at the Republi can convention, he will ac cept His popularity percentage dropped in February when he clashed with John Lindsay over the New York garbage strike. ! George Romney's bid for the Republican presidential nomination lasted less than four months. From the moment be an nounced in November he would seek the G.O.P. nomi nation unta be decided to withdraw from the race in early March, the Michigan Governor knew it would have been an uphill battle to win the berth. While the three time Michi gan chief executive's cam paign was achieving meager success, former vice presi dent Richard Nixon's band wagon was chugging along on full steam. In a Roper survey, com pleted before the Governor's decision, Time magazine re ported on March 8, Nixon would swamp the dragging candidate in the New Hamp drop-ins faces '68 shire presidential primary March 12. Time reported the Michi gander's own opinion samp ling and other polls showed Romney trailing by 6 and 7 to 1 and his campaign had already cost $1 million when he announced his withdrawal. With Nixon capturing near ly 80 per cent of the Repub lican tallies in both the New Hampshire and Wisconsin pri maries, it is almost a fore gone conclusion the former vice president in the Eisen hower era will be the Repub lican's presidential nominee. According to the March 8 Time "The G.O.P. can focus on a choice between its two strongest alternatives: New Yorkers Rockefeller and Rich ard Nixon." In analyzing what Rom ney's departure means to the Republican party. Time said both Nixon and Rockefeller would now be compelled to take positions on all the press ing issues of 1968 from slums and fiscal policy at home to Vietnam and U.S. world. "They will h a ve an unri-j valed opportunity to engage in a thoughtful, thoroughgo-j ing disucssion of Republican aiternatices and at the G.O.P.'s highest level," the publication continued. The magazine added that their dialogue should stimu late the party and may also provide the nation with the new perspectives it urgently needs. However, results from tie two primaries already con cluded indicate that Romney's exit may have widened the gap between Nixon and bis mock challengers. i .In New Hampshire, he won 78 per cent of the vote com pared to Rockefeller's 11 per cent and in Wisconsin Nixon captured 80 per cent of the Republican tallies, while Rockefeller scored only two per cent of the Republican vote on a write in. Republicans John V. Lind say and Mark O. Hatfield may still have aspirations to the White House, although they both maintain that they are not interested in higher political office. Lindsay, known as New York's "reform" mayor was elected in 1965, while Oregon's Hatfield was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1966. "Journey into Politics" a new book by Lindsay suggests to tome observers that much of the mayor's po litical journey still lies ahead. The book spells out the may In his eight years in office, Nixon presided over the uaoinet, National security agencies in the absence or sickness of Eisenhower. For a time following the Nixon served as acting President. Nixon travelled abroad numerous times as Vice Presi dent once to Russia for a personal conference with then Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Nixon was the overwhelming choice as Republican Presi dential nominee in 1960. But he lost the election by t h e margin of only 100,000 votes. In 1962, Nixon entered the race for the governorship of California, but incumbent Pat Brown won that election. Lacking the duties and responsibilities of public office in the last eight years, Richard Nixon has travelled widely, both in and out of the United States. He recently made an around the world tour and has frequently sampled the at tidues and ideas in of every part of the United States. With a leave of absence from his New York law firm, Nixon is free to do what he wishes in his bid for the White House. Turning to present-day political issues, in a sweeping generalization, Richard Nixon stands somehwere between a conservative and a moderate position. Nixon stand on the major problems and questions fac ing America today? Vietnam. Nixon's major comprehensive statement on the war which was to have been given recently has been postponed for two or three weeks to give President Lyndon Johnson's peace plan a chance to work. Nixon has praised the President's actions to secure peace, but has said that a bombing halt itself will n o t bring peace. A spokesman at Nixon for President headquarters in Lincoln said Friday that previous stands on Vietnam by any presidential candidate are no longer relevant because of the recent developments in Southeast Asia. Nixon has said that his Vietnam policy speech is ready to be delivered if the President's peace overtures fail. Poverty. "We must move with both compassion and conviction to bring the American dream to the ghetto," Nix on said in a radio address March 7. "There are injustices. There are tnequities. But there also is a massive popular will to correct those inequities." Nixon has spoke approvingly cf the criticisms brought against the American welfare system by sociologist Daniel P. Moynihan. haunt GOP bid primaries or's political philosophy. He favors parliamentary-type questioning of national lead ers on the floor of Congress. In the book Lindsay speaks up for civil rights, racial equality, individual liberties and upholding of the Bill of Rights. Lindsay champions the Su preme Court, the North At lantic Treaty and a strong United Nations. Many of these attitudes were forged during the mayor's years in the House in the 86th through the 89th Congresses. Although Lindsay denies presidential dreams, 131 out of 145 pages in his new book deal with national issues, while 14 are devoted to "Com mitment to the City." Lindsay, who served four U.S. Congressional terms and as executive assistant to the U.S. Attorney General (1955 57), is a liberal Republican whose election in 1965 broke the Democrat's 20 year grip on city hall. The youthful looking mayor, has quickly become a nation al figure. He has gained the respect of his party, although; now his record is being de Choice '68 to ask student voters for decision on military action Besides offering a selection of 14 candidates for the presi dency, the Choice 68 ballot will ask student voters to make a policy decision re- garding military action,' bombing in Vietnam and the domestic "urban crisis." The questions on the Choice 68 ballot regarding Vietnam closely approximate the ques tions asked on a similar poll conducted by ASUN last se mester, j The possible choices on mi tary action in Vietnam are: immediate withdrawal, phased reduction of American military activity, main tenance of the current level of activity. Increase the level of military activity or "all out" American military ef fort Regarding the bombing ac tion, the choices are perma nent cessation, temporary suspension, maintenance of the current level, intensifica tion or the use of nuclear wea pons. In confronting the urban crisis, the voter win be a&ed council ana other executive President's 1955 heart attack, rided by the enormous prob lems of New York. Senator Mark 0. Hatfield, a Navy officer in the Pacific during WW II, was governor of Oregon for eight years be fore his election to the U.S, Senate in 1966. In 1951 Hat field was elected to the Ore gon legislature where be served until 1953. Before Hatfield entered the political world he was the dean of students and assist ant professor of political sci ence at Willimette University. As dean of students Hatfield observed and criticized the U.S. draft system. He main tains that the draft should be abolished and substituted with a voluntary system. According to the July 1967 issue of Post magazine, Hat field has said: "The draft should be abolished." He calls the draft "inher ently unfair, monstrously in efficient, and pernicious in the invasion of the individual liberty that eight generations of Americans have fought to preserve. I believe the draft is basically wrong; we should get rid of it," Hatfield stated. to assign a highest priority to one of the following: educa tion, job training and employ ment opportunities, housing, income subsidy or riot con trol and stricter law enforce ment Following are the major can didates on the ballot and their possible answers to the three questions: Richard Nixon's decision concerning military action is Holey based on his past state ments since be has not made any recent policy statements, but he would choose to main tain the current level of mili tary activity at well as the bombing leveL He would con frost the urban crisis with an emphasis on job training and employment opportunities. Charles Percy would call for a phased reduction in mili tary activity, temporary sus pension of the bombing, and he would answer the urban crisis with more jobs and em ployment opportunities. Nelson Rockefeller would probably maintain the current level military action while i rji torn-v r - vti :J f ) vU Vtf H?rv f I ... -crr-1 ...,.., iJ . - - J 5 l -J v Zx, . t - -- '.'"Pi, f ' f v.... f "S fT7 " ' V . J " ' X . t." w..' : ....H,-. .W. iHiLtijL rtr nvmn.imll&inmm.m.m Nixon, America's political Edsel, will apparently walk away with the Republican nomination by default. Reagan scoffs at v.p. bid; looking for top football A former Des Moines, Iowa, 1 sports announcer, California Governor Ronald Reagan now participates in a new game with the opportunity to eaten the presidential political foot ball. As a favorite son candidate Reagan has stated he will not accept the vice-presidential nomination on the Republican ticket under any circum stances. Reagan, who considers the vice-presidency as a stand-by post without real autnonty, believes his job in California offers greater opportunity for trying to do the things he be lieves in. With professional practice before the camera eye, Rea gan presents a smooth, popu lar political figure as he stands firm in his political be liefs. According to Reagan, the overriding issue in the public mind is that of morality, the lessening of standards and loosening of morals. The Cali fornia governor attributes this to the permissive attitude of society, an unwillingness to fix blame and individual re sponsibility. Concerning economics, Rea gan said the issue is not that of a low salary rate, but a concern that the people feel about the value of their mon ey. They want a restoration of their confidence in t h e American system and in the money, he said. Reagan, who believes the people have lost faith in pub calling for a temnorar" ens pension of bombing. His so lution to the uroan crisis would most likely put an em phasis on education since be held a position of assistant secretary of Health, Educa tion and Welfare under Presi dent Eisenhower. Harold Stassen, whose Viet nam policies are not too clear, would probably want phased reduction of the military ef fort, temporary suspension of the bombing, and he would put emphasis on education. Based on his recent action, Lyndon Johnson would in crease the level of American military activity for purposes of defense while bringing a temporary suspension to bombing, and he would put the most emphasis on job training and employment op portunities as he has done in the past Eugene McCarthy would im plement a phased reduction policy of military action ac companied by a permanent end to the bombing, and be would emphasize bowing in lic official reports, said peo ple want strong leadership at the top from a man who will present be the bright and dark aspects of situations. A straight forward speaker, Reagan does not believe in the gradualism policy of war. His suggestions for a satisfac tory war conclusion include closing the Haiphong harbor to prevent supplies from Republican Percy walking wind may One of Illinois' favorite sons, Sen. Charles H. Percy, has been noted as a possi ble vice presidential candi date on the GOP ticket. Percy, 49, would make a good running mate for many candidates because of his popularity in the Middle West and his middle-of-the-road rec ord in the Senate, political analysts say. He was elected to the Sen ate in 1966 from his position as governor of Illinois, to which he was elected in 1964. He entered politics as a pre cinct worker in 1946. During the Eisenhower administration he headed the Republican Party Platform Committe on Programs and Progress. In 1965 he was chairman of the New Illinois Commit tee and initiated projects in slum housing, community de velopment, job opportunities and research. seeking a cure for the urban crisis. Robert Kennedy would also seek permanent cessa tion of the bombing in Viet nam but he would maintain the current level of military activity while trying to set up peace negotiations. Like Johnson, he would give the highest priority to job train ing and employment opportun ities in solving the urban cri sis. Ronald Reagan would in crease the level of military action, maintain the current level of bombing and empha size job training as ha has done in California. George Wallace is in a class by himself concerning Viet nam since he said that he would leave it up to the Joint Chiefs of Staff to end the war. Since he has only praise for the nation's police, be would give riot control and stricter law enforcement the highest priority in the govern ment budget to ccufrcnt the urban crisis. reaching the communist guer rillas. Reagan also proposes threatening North Vietnam of invasion to the point where they would need to pin down some of their forces for de fense. On Civil Rights, Reagan agrees that the lack of equal opportunity, excess unemploy up v.p. nominee X JL Percy has served on t h e following congressional com mittees during his freshman year in the Senate: Aeronau tical and Space Sciences, Banking and Currency, and the Joint Economy Commit tee. He has not taken a de Stassen, Halstead running, probably not fast enough Considered to have only minimal chances of being elected are Harold Stassen, a contender for the Republican nomination, and Fred H a 1 stead, the Socialist Worker Party (SWP) candidate. Expelled from the Commu nist Party in 1928 for its Trotskyite line, the SWP first entered a candidate, FaiieU Dobbs, in the 1948 election. Denouncing all the 0 1 h e r parties, including Norman Thomas' Socialist Party, Dobbs claimed he offered the only hope of the working classes. Running again in 1952, 1956 and I960, Dobbs polled nearly 40,000 votes in 12 states in the 1960 presidential election. Harold Stassen, during a speech made at the Univer sity March 28, 1968. said he had entered his candidacy in order to provide dialogue within the Republican Party. Stassen said he would like to see the military-industiral drive which supports both Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon stopped. "For the sake of peace it does not make any difference what happens to me, but it makes a terrible difference what decisions people will maka on the issues,' be said. The solution to the Vietnam War, according to Stassen, lies in a minimizing of Ameri can concern in the conflict Only popular resolve, as was the case in Malaya, can check a guerilla movement, Stas sen said. Stassen said he supports recognition of the sovereignty of the Hanoi government in ithe North and of the Saigon ment, inferior education and housing need to be solved and corrected. But he pointed out his belief that the goal of the rioters is not of civil rights, but of a different area. They are capitalizing on the dissatisfaction of the people, he said, and the government must react by refusing to tol erate such actions. finite stand on many issues, but some speculate he is a dove on the Vietnam ques tion. Before entering was president of Howell Co. politics he Bell and government in the southern portion of Vietnam, with seats 111 I i ltT UJULCU 1 lit 1IUL11 Farming, according to Stas sen, should receive a fair share of national income, which, according to his com- 23 per cent income over pres ent federal assistance to ag riculture. He stressed that aid to farming should be given as a reward to the productive farmer and not in return for non-production. In order to cope with the urban crisis, Stassen said city grant colleges should be established in metropolitan centers in order to educate their own youth for respon sible future leadership. A contender for several Republican presidential nom inations since 1944, Stassen swept both the Wisconsin and Nebraska primaries in 1943 following what Newsweek termed "the most indefatig able campaigning in History." After switching the support of h i s delegates to Eisen hower for the 1952 Republi can nomination, Stassen figured on the international scene as President Eisenhow er's disarmament aide. Stas sen's opposition to the renomi nation of Richard Nixon for. the vice presidency in 1956, on the grounds that the latter was not -liberal enough, lost Stassen some of bis support within the Repub lican party. Stassen has also been the President of the University of Pennsylvania. In 13S0 he was d e f e a t e d in a bid for the mayoralty of Philadelphia, -