The NEW BERN
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I
PUBLISHID WIIKLY
THI mART 01*
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60
VOLUME 11
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1968
NUMBER 22
New Bernlans are talking
more and more about the Presi
dential race, and less and less
about the Gubernatorial battle
between Bob Scott and Jim
Gardner. This climate appar
ently extends from Manteo to
Murphy.
If nominated, Hubert Horatio
Humphrey appears destined to
go down the drain in the Old
North State. George Wallace
could get a clear majority,
and is hurting Richard Nixon
so badly the Republican nominee
may run third behind Humph
rey, despite the latter's unpop
ularity.
Scott’s problem, or certainly
one of them, is how to best
steer clear of the stigma attach
ed to the Democratic Party na
tionally. Humphrey on the Tar
heel ticket won’t increase Bob’s
chances, which don’t appear to
have deteriorated greatly in re
cent weeks.
It would seem to us that
George Wallace in the national
race Isn’t of particular benefit
to Gardner. Without the ex-
Alabama Governor around,Nix
on would have been a good bet
to carry the State, and Jim as
a Republican candidate could
have been on the bandwagon with
him.
Gardner stands to get a good
chunk of the vote given Wallace,
but it is entirely possible that
many North Carolinians who are
strong for Wallace will find it
in their heart to support Scott.
Hatred for the Democrats is
general up to a point, but is
centered chiefly on Washington.
Perhaps it is only a hunch,
but enthusiasm locally for
Gardner appears to have taper
ed oftiiomRwhat during the past
several weeks. Inci'easingly,
the man in the street is express
ing belief that Scott will defeat
his Republican opponent, and the
best thing a candidate can have
going for him is the notion he
is headed for victory.
On the national scene, the
Democrats have made history
with their announcement that
they won’t have the usual ban
ner waving, singing and march
ing on their convention floor in
Chicago. This may make good
sense, but manufacturers of toy
balloons who made a killing
at the Republican convention in
Miami, and television commen
tators who find thephoney dem-
on.slrations good fodder for gab
bing won’t be happy.
Granted that a majority of
the celebrants are hired for
the act, a political conven
tion without its imitation New
Year's Eve atmosphere may
provide rather dull viewing for
television viewers, not to ment
ion delegates who had to pay
their own way to the Windy
City.
Since the three major tele
vision networks are reportedly
sinking $21 million in this year’s
conventions, dead air at Chicago
isn’t exactly desirable. To fill
the gaps, especially If it be
comes a foregone conclusion
that Humphrey will pick up the
marbles on the first ballot,
there’ll be a preponderance of
uninteresting interviews, and
scads of candid-camera glimp
ses of faces in the crowd.
Having held discord to a mini
mum at Miami, best demon
strated by the quick squelching
of the Romeny bid to supplant
Nixon’s choice for Vlce-Presl-
(Contlnued on page 8)
HISTORY MAKERS—Dwight D. Eisenhower, seen
here briskly strolling with Winston Churchill during
World War II, was our 34th President, but New
Bernians who served under him and loved ones who
waited anxiouslv at home will remember Ike chiefly
for his role of supreme Commander in the European
Theater. Few if any expect him to be recognized by
posterity as a White House great. First and last, he
was a military man, and never was his ability to smile
in grave circumstances better demonstrated than this
week as death hovered near. General Douglas Mac-
Arthur once said that old soldiers never die, they just
fade away. Ike, at 77, appeared determined after
his seventh heart attack to prove that old soldiers,
fading or not. are still capable of doing battle mag
nificently against insurmountable odds. ^‘Cowards die
many times before their death, the valiant taste of
death but once.”