Richard Nixon seeks to turnout the Republican vote in tomorrow's New Hampshire primary where he is expected to win although the margin of victory is still debatable at this point. Nixon visited his campaign headquarters in five different cities today, urging Republicans to get out and vote in the primary. Although there are nine Republicans on the ballot in the Granite State, Nixon is expected to prevail with a major percentage of the vote. At the same time, twenty Republican leaders, including Oregon Governor Tom McCall, Pennsylvania Senator Hugh Scott, and New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay held a summit meeting in New York City and urged New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller to enter the campaign to oppose Nixon. McCall specifically called upon Rockefeller to enter the May 28 Oregon primary. Rockefeller, who beat Senator Barry Goldwater in the 1964 Oregon contest, has until March 22 to declare his candidacy for that primary. Rockefeller, however, has been firm in his reluctance, saying that he would not seek the Presidency although he would accept a draft. Nixon declared that if Rockefeller seeks the Presidency that he would campaign on "issues, not personalities," just as he had done with Michigan Governor George Romney, who withdrew on February 28. A write-in campaign is being conducted for Rockefeller, notable mostly because Senator Henry Cabot Lodge won the 1964 contest in New Hampshire solely on write-in votes.
On the Democratic side, President Johnson faces opposition from Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy, whose platform calls for a "new policy" in Vietnam. McCarthy declares that if he gets 25% of the vote that it would represent a significant departure with Johnson on that issue. McCarthy even suggests his final vote tally may be close to 30%. President Johnson is not on the ballot so a write-in campaign is being conducted by his supporters.
McCarthy has purchased billboards around New Hampshire declaring, "New Hampshire Can Bring America Back To Its Senses." The campaign has turned nasty as McCarthy's speeches over the past few weeks have repeatedly insinuated that American troops will be needlessly killed in Vietnam without a change in current policy. New Hampshire Governor John King, the chief spokesman for the Johnson write-in campaign, hit back at McCarthy, declaring that a vote for Johnson is a vote "to support the troops." King then went further, saying that "a significant vote for Senator McCarthy would be greeted with cheers in Hanoi." New Hampshire Senator Thomas McIntyre, King's co-chair, repeated King's attack as "true" in seeming contradiction to earlier remarks where McIntyre said that it was an "injustice" to say that "a vote for McCarthy is a vote for Hanoi." McIntyre has also filmed a radio commercial accusing McCarthy of wanting to "honor draft dodgers and deserters." McCarthy responded that this line of attack was tantamount to questioning his patriotism, declaring Johnson's campaign of finding new ways of "attacking the motives and loyalty of any man who dares run in an election against the President." McCarthy further said that McIntyre's presentation of his position on draft dodgers is a "total distortion." McCarthy plans to spend election eve recording a television program in Boston and return to New Hampshire to await the results.
Nixon said that while he disagrees with some of the positions McCarthy has taken, "All of the candidates are patriotic Americans" and "all of the candidates deserve a respectful hearing."
SOURCES USED
"GOP Leaders Press Rocky to Say 'Yes'", Santa Fe New Mexican, March 11, 1968, page 15
"Nixon, McCarthy Await N.H. Voice", Ibid.
"New Hampshire Tests Candidates," Raymond Lahr, "New Castle News," March 11, 1968, page 1.
"GOP Strategists Push Rockefeller," UPI, Ibid., March 11, 1968, page 1.
"Candidates Making Final Drive: Write-Ins Hold The Key," The Portsmouth Herald, March 11, 1968, page 1.
"McCarthy Raps McIntyre For 'Total Distortion'" Ibid.
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