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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
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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, -
