Oregon: Monsoon Season

Oregon's race for a U.S. Senate seat is the nation's only major contest in which the central issue is the Viet Nam war. The campaign—like the conflict itself—has seesawed to and fro. Last week handsome, two-term Republican Governor Mark O. Hatfield, 44, who has expressed grave misgivings about the Administration's conduct of the war, and Democratic Representative Robert Duncan, 45, a snuff-dipping ex-seaman who stands foursquare in favor of the President's policies, were running almost dead even. A check by Pollster John Kraft showed Duncan with 46%, Hatfield 45% , and 9% undecided.

Wavering voters were given little guidance by a monsoon of out-of-state luminaries who came in to help both candidates. Bobby Kennedy, who has consistently capitalized on antiwar sentiment, talked briefly about Viet Nam in terms that implied agreement with Hatfield rather than Democrat Duncan.

Richard Nixon, who stumped the state for Hatfield, also skirted the war as an issue, though elsewhere he has urged a bigger effort. The decisive factor may be that Hatfield is a familiar, popular figure throughout the state, whereas Bob Duncan until recently was little known outside his district. Lyndon Johnson plans to cut a swath through Oregon on Duncan's behalf three days before the election.