Evening star., 1960-11-06
ELECTION
Religious Issue Seen
CIouding theO Outlook

~ - ~
dent. I can't explain what that
means in terms Of votes: I'm
just reporting what's happen
ing.
Second, the crowds for both
men are large and noisy, but
there is a difference. In the
Kennedy spectacles there are
screechers. screamers, jumpers
and runners, as the reporters
have come to identify them. BY
any yardstick. the Nixon people
are more subdued.
IF craftsmanship has any
meaning. and doubt 1t. !
think overall the plum would
have to go to Senator Kennedy,
He has a Rooseveltian spark
while Mr.. Nixon has more Of
the solid Hooverian appeal, 80
years removed"
RELIGION-Mr. Broder:
This is still the number one
worry in the Kennedy camp.
If it were not for their fears on
this score. they would say fiatly
they had this thing won. Over
and over you hear this refrain:
II Kennedy were Protestant,
this would be q landslide.
II think this attitude is
understandable, but it seems to
me to be one-sided. It Is still
my hunch. which may be re-
futed by the election returns.
that Kennedy's religion has been
q net benefit to him. Every poll
7 have seen and the polling I
have done myself indicated that
the greatest single shift from
the 1856 voting pattern was
taking place among Catholics
who voted for Eisenhower.
Most--but not all-Republicans
in the big population States feel
that Kennedy's religion and the
controversy over it are helping
him. The Democrats agree with
this view.9
Mr.. Holland: "I feel that
the religious issue, as much as
it may be deplored, may well
determine the election. It quite
well can determine how Illinois
will 60. it will have an effect on
the Ohio outcome. in the Mid
west and, as everybody expects.
lin some of the Southern States. !"
EISENHOWER-Mr. Broder:
II think President Eisenhower
is Mr.. Nixon's ultimate weapon
and ] don't think Ike is
going to put him over"
Mr.. Holland: "The Nixon
camp thinks President Eisen-
hower's intervention will have
q tremendous effect through
out the Nation. And it Is clear
that the Vice President has
decided to try to transfer to
himself some Of that II Like
Ike" magic.
"But I think there is a serious
question as to whether Ike's
intervention came too late. For
what it worth, did not hear
the Eisenhower plug for Nixon
on Nationwide television men,
toned once this week as I
walked through the crowds in
South Carolina and Texas. My
own feeling is that either the
patient didn't need the trans
fusion or it came too late"
Impact at Debates
Both reporters were deeply
impressed by the impact of the
television debates-particularly
the first one. And both felt the
debates were a plus for Senator
Kennedy.
Here is Mr.. Broder on that
subject:
Virtually every politician,
Republican and Democratic, I
| have talked to in the past three
weeks identifies the first de-
bate as the real turning point
Of the campaign. Up to then,
they agree, Nixon was holding
the lead he had right after the
conventions and Kennedy was
failing to make major head
way. The first debate reversed
that by knocking out the argu-
ment that Kennedy was naive
and inexperienced, by showing
him to be forceful and intelli-
gent in front of the biggest au-
dience he could wish for and
finally, with Mr.. Nixon's help.
showing his rival up a me
too" sort Of guy.
Started Nixon's Trouble
Nearly everyone I've talked
to regards the debate as the
start of Mr.. Nixon's serious
trouble. None of the other de-
bates. in their judgment. had
anything like the impact of the
first"
And Mr.. Holland:
There is every sign that the
great turn to Kennedy came
with the first debate. And it ap-
pears that the advantage he
achieved then has never been