European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 06, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse On the Campaign Trail -. Vast to in i a Mccarthy i think that after Indiana there will be Only one Branig in Don t vote for by John Stowell a staff writer Kennedy sen. Robert f. Kennedy and j. Mccarthy have mounted the most intensive political Blitz Indiana has Ever seen. On the surface the target is Tomor How s presidential primary and the first ballot vote of Indiana s 63 delegates tothe democratic National convention. But beneath the surface the Indian primary stacks up As the West Vir Ginia of 1968." it was in West Virginia in 1960 that sen. John f. Kennedy proved a roman Catholic could win protestant votes an shredded the Hopes of a chief rival for the nomination then sen. Hubert h. Humphrey. Indiana in 1968 is a proving ground for Kennedy his first primary where he must prove he can attract votes for Mccarthy the first test against late Comer Kennedy and the answer to whether he can keep the momentum of victories in new Hampshire and wis Consin. But a lame Duck governor Rogerd. Branigin is making it a three Way race and he May turn the showdown into a standoff. Branigin who started As a stand info president Johnson and then became a favorite son candidate when Johnson withdrew is running with the consid Erable muscle of the state s democratic party organization solidly behind him. Quiet and to shy Branigin has Bee calling Kennedy and Mccarthy out Landers tourists and foreigners and is urging Indiana voters to give him the Power of their convention delegation in the Best interest of it s interesting to note that the regu Lar party muscle behind Branigin includes Many of the democrats who helped make the Indiana primary a shoo in for John f. Kennedy in i960. Page 12 although the fact could be missed in the deluge of speeches statements crowds and imported celebrities on the democratic Side there s a Republican presidential primary too. Richard is the Only candidate. And with write in votes forbidden he has t both ered to appear in Indiana since the Bland gop primary could have its effect on the White hot demo cratic race. Even though Indiana Law prohibit crossover voting the enforcement rests in the Challenge at the polls. With bran Ign openly courting republicans in a soft sell manner urging that a hoosiers better Able to protect the state s interests the challenges could be minimal. One District chairman a Branigin Backer put it this Way Branigin is a former corporation attorney and self made millionaire and he s in a Good position to attract crossover he whirlwind Campaign started a month ago with Branigin on the Side lines in Florida in fact on a vacation As the stand in candidate for president Johnson and Mccarthy and Kennedy proclaiming Indiana a major from his Wisconsin Triumph Mccarthy told an audience in South Bend i think that after Indiana there will be Only one Kennedy told a crowd at the Indianapolis Airport As he arrived to file personally As a candidate if we can win in Indiana we can win in All theother since then with the regular democrats closing ranks behind Branigin both have softened their assessments of the importance of Victory in the Indiana primary. Mccarthy viewing the weaknesses he showed among the minority groups in the Wisconsin primary has been flying into South Bend for work among the polish groups and has been walking through the negro neighbourhoods of Indianapolis Kennedy too has worked hard forthe minority groups munching polish sausage in South Bend and parading through negro wards in Gary. Sen. Vance Hartke d-ind., one of the earliest Vietnam doves and an outspoken opponent of Johnson policies has stood up with both candidates literally with Kennedy at South Bend figuratively with Mccarthy in addressing a convention of the hoosiers for a democratic alternative a group of Mccarthy backers. But Hartke has refrained from openly endorsing either. So has sen. Birch Bayh a ind. Ajohnson supporter in the Days when the president was counted As a Candi Date and a close personal Friend of the Kennedy family. It was Bayh who pulled injured sen. Edward Ted Ken Nedy d-mass., from the wreckage fan air plane crash in a Massachusetts Apple Orchard in 1963. In this reelection year for him Bayh has maintained a Public neutrality in the presidential Battle. With Johnson out and a curb i bombing of North Vietnam in effect both Mccarthy and Kennedy found them selves robbed of their favorite Campaign targets. In the void they have Boon substituting talk of Domestic problems Kennedy mainly the turmoil in the cities and the division of Blacks and Whites Mccarthy much of the same with discussion of farm problems too. Neither has been having trouble draw ing crowds. Both Are pulling in every body who might help for Kennedy wife Ethel brother Teddy Mother mrs. Rose Kennedy sister Eunice Shriver an advisers Pierre Salinger and Arthur m. Schlesinger jr., and for Mccarthy actor Paul Newman and television Siu Arry behind it All looms the Shadow of Branigin the favorite son with the Back ing of a state party organi action that views the Kennedy and Mccarthy incur Sions As threats to its own position of of the 11 democratic District chair men have publicly endorsed Branigin. _ he state democratic chairman Gordon St. Angeio normally u Man to leave the charges and counter charges to the candidates lashed out Las week at he immensity of the Kennedy and Mccarthy forces saying they were pouring in millions of dollars in their Effort to wrap up the Indiana delegation. This is the testing ground whether or not the presidency of the amt i states can be bought to said fro this Point on if it in t stopped in in Diana by hoosiers it won t Eer be. A lame Duck governor. Is it a three Way race and he May turn the Shoi Vdovin into a standoff. Can win in Indiana we can win in All the other and i m talking about the fun this was Strong talk from a Man Woof the first Indiana supporters f. Kennedy eight years ag9-es on the costs of television is Jet barn storming and Theof office workers Are hard to Angelo has been trying to Sellin to rank and file democrats by Jig to him As a serious been some mention mostly i paper columns about the pos of the vice presidential Slot for in. But most of the party Faith him simply As the Man to con c delegation at the k. Gettings a District chair said of Branigin As a serious Lor it s Way out. But hell 11 Willkie was Way out when he a the Republican presidential ate in 1940, came from Elwood the stars and stripes men of today s District part were Kennedy supporters in i of them Ernest Bixel explained Ferenee Between a Kennedy in pid a Kennedy in 1968 this Way is on the Kennedy bandwagon years ago. That s where most Ore. But we did t have a demo governor eight years the party leaders disagree i both Kennedy and Mccarthy e Vietnam question see what be Jilk d a Humphrey factory Viniey chairman of the 5thf. Said you know there Are lot of Hawks in that business whop Don t want to go for the other feuds because they re cloves. Itto me tins is a pretty important f 6, 1968 primary we be gotten ourselves into. Would say Humphrey would View these results very the Lone District chairman who is remaining Neutral is James w. Beatty of Indianapolis. He s a longtime Brani Gin foe and is believed to prefer Ken Ned but he won t say so for the record. Beatty concedes he May be Helpin Kennedy or Mccarthy by remaining Neutral but he expects Kennedy will run Strong in the negro wards that comprise 25 per cent of the half Mil lion population of Indianapolis the slate s largest City. J. M. Big imponderable is the youth vote coming out of the . Anglo speaking for the Branigin forces estimates their number at 12,000to 15000about three quarters of one nor cent of the state s registered Vot ers and describes them As significant but not and Kennedy have gone after them with gusto making major appearances on University campuses. The democratic stronghold of popu Lous Lake county in the Northwest Corner of the state adjacent to Chi Cego has been torn with an int apary feud since the election of negro r Chard Hatcher As mayor of Gary lost november. Gary is Indiana s second largest Hatcher an Early supporter of president Johnson for reelection has insisted he has supported Nei her o it o candidates he Rode with Kennedy in a automobile Parade in Gary. But he said Only that lie would As sume that a lot of people who voted for me will vote Tor Ken Nedy was one of several National dem sic figures another was pm who came to Hatcher s Aid last fall. A Wallace embarrassed demos in 1964,-but he did t show up this year. Who gets the by Boyd Gill up staff writer Sens. Eugene Mccarthy and Robertf. Kennedy won t like it but there a possibility they might not sew up Indiana delegates even if they forge some major victories in the state s May 7 presidential preference Prim reason is a party organization interpretation of a 1953 state primary la which requires some of the National convention delegates to give their first ballot support to whatever candidate carries the congressional District they represent. This never was an Issue earlier in the15-year existence of the primary act be cause no Hoosier primary before 1964had any National significance. But it could have been an Issue in 1964 when then gov. George c. Wallace of Ala Bama won the 1st District a one count District comprising the populous Gary steel making did not get the first ballot votes of the delegates from that District because his name was not placed in nomination for president at the National convention. Those delegates went to gov. Matthew e. Welsh of Indiana who ran against Wallace As a stand in for pres ident Johnson. Welsh won All the other 10 the Gary area delegates could have been swung to Welsh on the strength Ofa party interpretation that state Conven Tion delegates in caucus a month after the 1964 primary could order All National delegates to serve at Large rather thanas representatives of the District and be committed to the Overall stale Winner the state convention so ordered and Wallace would have lost his 1st District delegates had he been placed in Nomi nation. The same Prospect faces Kenned Yand Mccarthy in the current three Way democratic race with Indiana d. Branigin running As a favor Ite son candidate and hopeful of keeping the entire Hoosier delegation uncommitted when it goes to Chicago in August. Branigin is bidding for Victory in all11 congressional districts. But if he wins the state As a whole and loses one or More districts in the process it is still possible for Kennedy and Mccarthy to come up without an Indiana Delegate. Some democratic leaders candidly say they believe the legislature has no authority to mandate a political part convention and therefore there is Noth inc illegal in ignoring the commitment of the District delegates to the winning candidate in that is not stealing it is Meiel mane vering one said adding there has never been a court Tost of the Issue and no Legal guidelines for a party to follow., a considering that Kennedy and Mccarthy Are spending huge sums for the Indiana Campaign while Branigin is get Ting by on a shoestring the sidetrack Ngoi delegates they won in the nation s first showdown Between the senators might not set Well with the candidates. The presidential primary was to Humin Indiana before 1964. That year Wal lace received nearly 30 per cent of the democratic votes in his Battle with Welsh. The Southern segregationist governor bidding for White backlash vote in a state which in the 1920s was a have for the Kun flux klan embarrassed the Hoosier party organization by his showing. The Wallace showing sparked democratic Effort in the 1967 legislature to repeal the primary Law and make such future showdowns impossible. The repeal Bill passed the democratic controlled Senate with ease 41-7, but the Republican controlled House Defeated the House defeat of the Bill by the Barest majority was not a vote on party lines the scuttlebutt around the legislative Halls at the time was that the republicans figure As the democrats did that Wallace would be Back in1968 bidding for votes again. If it embarrassed the democrats to have him therein 1964, it would be Nice to Embarrass of to us is not stealing it is merely mane vering the stars and stripes them again. As it turned out Wallace decided against entering primaries this year so the gop strategy failed with re Gard to him. But Kennedy and my Tarth filled the Gap left by Wallace s though a Republican senator co sponsored the Repealer with a Democrat the Bill lost and the presidential primary Law remained on the books. However twas amended to require candidates to submit petitions bearing the names of500 registered voters from each of the 11 districts a total of 5.500 names. This eliminated the political unknowns run Ning for reasons of their own a Factor which did Little to establish prestige for the primaries in past democratic state Organ Zion is nearly solidly behind Branigin and fight ing desperately to keep the Indiana Dele gation uncommitted even on the first ballot so the Hoosier influence will be More effective in helping decide on the presidential nominee in a wide open con test brought about by Johnson s withdrawal. Many observers believe brain Gin will win rather anxious Are Branigin and the democratic organization leaders to de Prive Kennedy and Mccarthy of any Indiana victories they very Well might use the Delegate Man Euver to nullify an unpopular decision of the voters. Page la
