DEMOCRATS: Caresses & Brass Knuckles

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The Democratic presidential nomination was all but within Jack Kennedy's reach. His aides jubilantly announced that he had 710 of the needed 761 first-ballot votes at the Democratic Convention; even allowing for the obvious inflation, Kennedy was very close to walking away with the title three weeks before the convention opened. "We'll have the votes reasonably soon," he said, "or not at all."

Getting those last votes was keeping Kennedy on the move. His preconvention windup was aimed in two directions: 1) picking up stray, overlooked delegates in the smaller states, and 2) trying by every kind of push and pressure to topple the big, still uncommitted states that can put him across. Items: ¶ At a National Democratic Club luncheon in Manhattan, Kennedy and his hosts, New York's Democratic leaders, were all smiles and compliments. One after another, the bigwigs pledged their support. "His strength," said Tammany's Carmine De Sapio, "has continued to magnify itself." And former Governor Averell Harriman (involved in a backstage battle with New York's Mayor Wagner for leadership of the delegation to the convention) sounded agreement. "Almost all of us think you will do more good for our party if you get the nomination, particularly in New York State." As the lunch turned into a love feast, Kennedy could count on a big majority, if not all, of the Empire State's 114 votes.

¶ California's Governor Pat Brown (81 votes), like Ohio's Mike Di Salle and Maryland's Millard Tawes before him, got the brass-knuckle treatment. Snapped Kennedy to a Brown emissary in Washington: "I want you to tell Pat that I need his endorsement and I need it before July 1st." When the Brown man protested, Kennedy cut in: "You tell him I've got to have his endorsement. I stayed out of his state—I could have beaten hell out of him—because you, Brown and the others told me I'd be tearing up the party."

¶ Pennsylvania (81 votes) got the silent treatment. Governor David Lawrence, who has steadfastly refused to look in Kennedy's direction or to relax his grip on his restive delegation, was silent too. Kennedy's hope was that if he could show Lawrence the ears and tail of New York and California, Lawrence would put aside his misgivings about a fellow Roman Catholic's ability to win the presidency, and capitulate.

¶ A group of New Jersey Democratic leaders promised Kennedy that they would deliver 35 of the state's 41 votes on "request." When the New York Times leaked the story, Governor Robert Meyner denied it, but the Democratic bigwigs promptly reconfirmed it.

¶Against the drama of Kennedy's no-quarter battle, the maneuverings of the other Democratic candidates paled. To the surprise of no one, Lyndon Johnson got a landslide vote of confidence from the Texas delegation—and the withdrawal of Herman Talmadge as the white hope of the Dixiecrats solidified the Solid South behind Johnson. Stu Symington's waning hopes still centered on a miracle in Los Angeles. Such a miracle could happen, if resentment over Kennedy's tough tactics exploded. But the risk was small.