Republicans: A Delicate Business

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Percy, of course, realizes that because of his novice status he must be more circumspect than the most remote crypto-candidate. It is a delicate business at best for him to maintain his visibility, enhance his reputation and at the same time appear unconsumed by ambition. So far, Percy has played it well. He chooses judiciously from the 50 to 75 speaking invitations he gets each week. Besides Nebraska, he has appeared recently in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania with no hint of delegate hunting. His stops next month include New Hampshire, which, like Nebraska, has an early presidential primary next year. He vehemently denies any desire to be a candidate. Yet he has so far refused to declare himself out of the Nebraska primary, pointing out reasonably enough that he has plenty of time to demur. He says he prefers to "take life in its progression." The coming months will tell whether his progression will be geometric.