Republicans: In Business

Michigan's Governor George Romney observed recently that when it came to his putative candidacy for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination, he felt like a newly established grocer suffering from a surplus of customers and a dearth of stock. While still postponing the formal opening last week, Romney nonetheless had clearly set up shop.

After a chat at Romney's Bloomfield Hills residence, New Mexico Governor David Cargo reported unequivocally that Romney has already decided to run. "That is what he said," declared Cargo. At week's end Romney began a Western speaking tour covering six states from Alaska—where he got off to a good start by beating Governor Walter Hickel in a dogsled race—to Arizona. And in Washington, Leonard Hall, former Republican National Committee chairman, announced the formation of a national Romney-for-President Committee—with Romney's approval.

The Hall group will serve as bellwether for local Romney cells around the country and may be able to overcome the organizational hiatus that has been hampering the Michigander's cause. Meanwhile, Hall intends to give Romney a peg on which to hang a formal announcement of candidacy when the time is right. "He has asked me," said Hall, "to make a detailed and careful sounding of sentiment in every state with respect to the nomination and the best way to ensure the party's chances for success. When the survey is completed, I will report the results to him. I expect that report to play a key role in his decision."

Poles-Apart Polls. Impartial opinion samplers do not agree that this inquiry will necessarily disclose an irresistible ground swell for Romney. A Gallup poll of Republicans reported that they think Richard Nixon would be the better candidate; the spread was 52% to 40%, with the balance undecided. On the other hand, Louis Harris assayed Republican and independent sentiment and found Romney ahead of Nixon, 59% v. 41%.

In the face of Romney's averred reluctance, Nixon remained silent under the stricture of his self-imposed moratorium on political activity. But in a November interview with the Saturday Evening Post, published last week, Nixon said that if he had been working for the nomination instead of helping 1966 Republican candidates, he "could probably have locked it up by now." Other, darker horses were naying with varying degrees of conviction. California's Ronald Reagan insisted that it would be "presumptuous" of him to remove his name from any primary ballot. And New York's Nelson Rockefeller, pledging yet again to stay out of the contest, said: "I am determined not to be used as an instrument to split the unity of progressive Republicans."