National Affairs: The Candidate

After an early-morning flight from Albany to Washington, a 4O-minute talk with President Eisenhower, a news conference, and a New England boiled dinner in the Senate dining room, New York’s Governor Nelson Rockefeller stood outside the U.S. Capitol, posed for camera-carrying tourists, shook hands with everybody who passed by, finally swabbed off his brow and sighed: “Gee, does every Governor go through this?” The answer to that one was: No, only those who are running for President—and last week Nelson Rockefeller was running hard.

Before his arrival in Washington, Rocky had to rid himself of an embarrassment. In hotel-suite conversations at the recent Governors’ Conference in Puerto Rico, he had let it be known that he would base his decision about 1960 on this November’s political polls: whether they showed that he, rather than Vice President Richard Nixon, would be the stronger G.O.P. candidate. But the polls had Nixon far ahead and increasing his lead (TIME, Aug. 24). Rockefeller called an Albany news conference, said of his statement about relying on the polls:*”I should like to state that I have never made such a statement.” His decision, he said, would be based upon his weighing of his own ability to render public service.

Washington Dateline. That settled, Nelson Rockefeller moved on to tackle a problem of overriding interest in presidential politics: New Hampshire’s early-bird primary, to be held March 8, which may make or break Rocky’s candidacy. Rockefeller telephoned Senator Styles Bridges, New Hampshire’s most powerful Republican. “Hiya, fella,” said Rocky on the phone. “You know, one of the hardest things about not being in Washington is that you miss seeing your friends.” Even Styles Bridges, as case-hardened a cynic as exists in Washington politics, boggled a bit. He and Nelson Rockefeller had never been notable pals; they had barely known each other when Rockefeller worked in Washington.

Rockefeller explained that he would like to see Bridges, partly because he knew of Bridges’ long-standing interest in civil defense (this was news to Styles Bridges, who has shown about ‘as much interest in civil defense as in establishing a Franklin Delano Roosevelt chair of political science at New Hampshire University). Could Bridges have lunch with Rockefeller on Tuesday? Sorry, but Bridges already had a luncheon date. Would Bridges meet Rocky Tuesday afternoon? Sorry, but Bridges was off to New Hampshire to keep a speaking engagement. Would Bridges like to fly to New Hampshire in the Rockefeller Bros, private plane? Thanks very much, but Bridges had already made his travel arrangements. Well, could Rocky come up to Bridges’ office early in the day? Yes, of course, said Styles Bridges.

Rocky came, and for 20 minutes talked about civil defense. Then he came to the point: he faced “problems” in connection with the New Hampshire primary,” and wished Bridges would explain the state’s complex primary law. Bridges dryly remarked that Rockefeller must have plenty of able lawyers, but he obliged anyway. Then Bridges laid his own ideas on the line. “I don’t want to leave you with any misapprehension of my position,” he said. “Everyone knows that I’m friendly with Dick Nixon and that it is my present intention to support him.”

Norwegian Date. New York’s Rockefeller understood perfectly, accepted Bridges’ statement graciously. But in visiting and posing for pictures with Styles Bridges, he had effectively made known his interest in the New Hampshire primary, served notice on New Hampshire

Republicans that they would have him to reckon with.

In his talk with President Eisenhower, Rockefeller was warmly greeted, talked more about civil defense, but neither expected nor got any presidential endorsement. Later in the week, he flew off to his son’s wedding in Norway (see FOREIGN NEWS), where there are no New Hampshire primary votes, but where the citizens responded enthusiastically to the personal appeal that makes Nelson Rockefeller such a formidable presidential hopeful.

*Pundit Joseph Alsop wrote last week that between the time Rockefeller began thinking about running against Democrat Averell Harriman for Governor of New York and Election Day last year, he paid for no less than 134 polls of various sorts. At the time he actually made the decision to run, Alsop said, the polls were running 60-40 against him.