Nation: Teddy & Kennedyism

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Edward Moore Kennedy smiled at the TV newsmen who brandished microphones in his face. Had he yet talked over his triumph with his brother, the President of the U.S.? No, but he hoped to shortly. Had he talked to his other brother, the U.S. Attorney General? No, but he hoped to shortly. Had he talked to his father, Joseph P. Kennedy? Replied Teddy, with the quiet pride of a son who knows he has pleased a demanding parent: "Yes, I talked to him. He was extremely excited."

From Old Joe on down, the Kennedy clan had every reason to be excited. For the youngest of the nine Kennedy children, the chubby little boy who used to wear bangs, had just scored a stunning political triumph. Seeking the Democratic Senate nomination in Massachusetts, he amassed 69% of the vote, humiliated State Attorney General Edward J. (Eddie) McCormack by a margin of 559,251 to 247,366. At 30, and just three years out of law school, he was one of the hottest political properties outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Jigs & Japes. Buoyed up by his father's unwavering support, backed by the Kennedy wealth, Teddy also made the best of the Kennedy name, the Kennedy looks, the Kennedy manner. He had the familiar thatch of thick brown hair, the outthrust jaw, the meat-chopping gestures, the flat Boston accent. A voter could close his eyes, listen to the talk of "Cuber" and "Asier" and swear the President was on the platform. But these qualities alone were not enough to overwhelm Eddie McCormack, 39, another affable, handsome Irishman and the nephew of House Speaker John W. McCormack. In the end, Teddy won because he staged a campaign unmatched and unmatchable in its energy, enterprise and sheer intensity of purpose.

To the blare of a brass band, Teddy marched up and down Massachusetts. His right hand grew half an inch with all the hearty handshaking. He clapped men on the back: "How are you, buddy?" He reduced the women to squeals of delight with his rugged good looks. He was able and eager to dance an Irish jig when the occasion demanded. He spoke of the issues in stern, confident tones. He campaigned unabashedly on the claim that his influence would be felt in Washington on his brother's New Frontier. His slogan: "He can do more for Massachusetts."

Against this versatile onslaught, Eddie never really had a chance. Teddy won every ward in Boston, supposedly McCormack's bastion. He even carried Eddie's home precinct in Dorchester, 317-304. By the size and scope of his victory, Kennedy became an early-book favorite for November over Republican Nominee George Cabot Lodge, 35, another smiling scion of another famous Massachusetts family (see box p. 17).