The Nation: Ted Says No

What was Ted Kennedy up to? Two weeks back he set Democratic swivel chairs spinning by confiding to the Boston Globe's Martin Nolan that if his presence on a ticket headed by George McGovern would "make a difference" in Democratic chances, he would accept the vice-presidential nomination.

Cornered soon afterward by other newsmen, Kennedy obscured things utterly by saying that he was not available for either place on the ticket—but that nonetheless he would consider standing for the vice presidency if the Democrats could not win without him. "I would not exclude all possibilities," he said, widening the confusion.

Last week in New York, Queens Democratic Leader Matthew Troy, an early McGovern backer, made it known that he was about to start a draft-Ted boom for the No. 2 slot; so Kennedy flip-flopped again. He telephoned Troy to call him off, and then issued the flat statement: "There are no circumstances under which I would accept a nomination for any national office this year."

Troy had a perfectly good political reason for what he did; Queens is heavily Roman Catholic, and Troy fears that Nixon may do well there in November because he has courted the Catholic vote. "Nixon has done everything but serve Mass," Troy says. Ted Kennedy's motives were harder to read. In fact, Kennedy has kept the possibility of a candidacy this year alive until now in order to hang on to as much clout as possible, inside the Senate and out. Only last week, he appeared with House Ways and Means Chairman Wilbur Mills to push his compulsory national health-insurance plan, and Teddy was all over television plugging his new book on the subject.

But McGovern's primary victory in New York seemed to sew things up; the Democrats could only harm their prospects by denying McGovern the nomination now. Kennedy stood down, even though he is known to be mildly irritated at the McGovern camp for spreading the word that Kennedy was ready to endorse their man whenever an endorsement would be useful.

To run for Vice President, Kennedy would risk assassination just as clearly and as unavoidably as if he were running for President. Publicly Kennedy explains: "Family and personal considerations are the primary responsibilities I have at the present time. They are the first and overriding consideration." Kennedy will sit out most of the convention in Hyannisport. If he feels the need for a show of party unity after the ticket is picked, he will put in a quick appearance in Miami Beach.