Democrats: Unforeseen Eugene

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In a record Democratic turnout, McCarthy outpolled Johnson in the state's 224 towns and in suburban areas, and showed surprising strength in a few cities. He carried Rochester, Concord and Portsmouth, did better than expected in Nashua, Keene and Dover.

He fared worst in the labordominated cities, such as Manchester, whose blue-collar French Canadian population gave the President a 4,000-vote margin—enough for victory—despite McCarthy's Catholicism. Because Johnson's operatives unaccountably allowed 45 candidates to run in the President's name for 24 convention slots, thereby splitting up one another's votes, McCarthy walked off with 20 of the delegates.

Was the vote a repudiation of the war? An NBC poll showed that more than half of the Democrats questioned were not aware of where McCarthy stood on Viet Nam. Clearly, the vote was as much anti-Johnson as antiwar.

Everybody a Winner. Whatever it was, it was flowing to McCarthy. Johnson tried to dismiss it as "insignificant." The New Hampshire primaries, the President scoffed on election night, "are the only races where anybody can run—and everybody can win. New Hampshire is the only place where candidates can claim 20% as a landslide, and 40% as a mandate and 60% as unanimous."

At McCarthy's headquarters in Manchester students shouted "On Wiscon sin!" as the candidate came in from a heavy snowfall. "I'm feeling somewhat better," beamed McCarthy. The youths began chanting: "Chicago, Chi-ca-go!" Said McCarthy: "If we come to Chicago with this strength, there will be no violence and no demonstrations, but a great victory celebration."

Of Wisconsin's April 2 primary, he declared: "I expect to win." Indeed, several factors will help him. It is a neighboring state, more than one-third Catholic, traditionally fertile ground for progressives (as well as isolationists). Both Wisconsin Senators and two of its three Democratic Representatives are on the fence and refuse to support the

President. Moreover, registered Republicans can cross over to vote for Mc Carthy in the Democratic column instead of writing his name in the Republican column, as they had to in New Hampshire. Said McCarthy's Wisconsin manager, Jay Sykes: "If we can't do 12% better than his vote in New Hampshire, we'd better quit." Initially, at least, New Hampshire also gave him a big boost in fund raising. "After what happened here," McCarthy said, "we'll be able to pay our hotel bill, I'm told."