Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-15
Pat Nixon's Campaigning
Wins Reporters Praise
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON
Star stan Correspondent

EN- ROUTE WITH NIXON,
Oct. 15.-Nearly everyone aboard
THE Dick Nixon Special" a re-
furnished DEG, agrees that
Richard M. Nixon is a skillful,
Iindefatigable. and probably eff
Elective, campaigner.
But you can start an argu-
ment in our cabin in the sky"
simply by saying that Dick is
the best campaigner in the Nixon
family. There are those among
the IS reporters following the
NixonS around the country who
will argue that the Nixon best
lat the business of winning
friends and influencing people
for the Republican Party is the
Mrs, the friendly, effervescent.
blight-eyed Pat. And they have
material to support the point.
The Vice President, beating
his way across country from one
political rally to another, seldom
closes a speech without telling
the crowd that the best cam
paigner in his party is his wife.
When he says that he isn't
kidding.
Pat compliments her artic-
lulate husband beautifully, When
Dick, worn out by his gruelling
schedule. seems to treat a local
politician and his wife brusquely,
Pat is right there to fill the
breach. Numerous times in such
situations this reporter has seen
her step up and engage the
couple in friendly conversation.
It does wonders.
Keep Calm Approach
1t is a source of amazement
to reporters that Pat, up before
dawn and to bed at midnight,
with a dozen public appearances
and Misunderstanding affairs be-
tween, is able at all times to
maintain her relaxed. calm ap-
proach. And despite the fact
she lives out of a suitcase for
as much as two weeks at a time,
her appearance always is per-
fectly groomed, never rumpled
like the men around her.
Mr.. Nixon has never lost a
campaign and Pat has been at
his side through every one. On
top Of that she accompanied him
on a lengthy, round-the-world
goodwill tour in 1858 and an
other to Latin America last year.
The Vice President proudly
boasts in all that time she has
never missed an appearance
never been sick a day.
! On campaign tour stops she
always leaves the plane with her
husband, stands beside him and
shakes hands with numerous
party leaders, accepts the in
evitable bouquet, entertains little
girls and boys and frequently
holds q news conference with
women reporters.
4 She rules out political ques-
lions at her press conferences,
although she talks readily about
her home and two little girls,
and her travels about the coun-
try and world with her husband
Listens Raptly
Pat is always on the speakers
platform and she always seems
to listen with rapt attention to
the remarks of Dick, most of
which she has heard countless
times before.
One inevitably wonders wheth-
er she is as attentive as she
appears to be durinl her hus-
bands speeches. So the other
day high over the Rockies while
Pat was making one Of hel
neighborly visits with newsmen
q reporter asked her If she ever
got tired listening TO Dick speak
, No indeed. she replied. quite the
contrary.
Dick never memories q
Speech" she went on to explain
He has a basic speech, OF course
but in delivering 1t he always
! manages to get in a twist OF
, local adaptation to fit the audi.
ence.
. eniov listening IN him am