Evening star., 1960-10-13
Negro Vote Is Believed
Decisive in California
Bx RORERT q. LEE

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13.- The strength of the
Democratic Party lines will
determine the outcome of the
presidential race in Califor-
mia, and the normally Demo-
cratic Negro vote figures as a
possibly large factor.
Starting with a 3-2 edge in
registration. the Democrats
are registering additional po-
tential voters in droveS-with
the skilled and valuable aid
of organized labor. If every
body who should vote Demo-
cratic-according to the oft
ignored rules" of politics
does so, Senator Kennedy will
take the States 80 electoral
votes handily.
But few in Democratic Gov.
Edmund G. (Pat) Browns
administration here think it
will be that easy. The prob
lens are numerous and some
are severe.
The most-obvious hurdle
facing Senator Kennedy is
the mere fact that this is the
native State of his opponent
for the White House, Vice
President Nixon, who has a
huge personal following in
California by virtue of years
of congressional service and
who seems to have patched up
the differences which in years
past have split the State
G. o. P. into warning factions.
Peculiar Problems
Besides the favorite-son
problem are others peculiar
to California and still more
that the Democrats are en-
countering in many States.
There is the ever-present
issue of CALIFORNIA; water
supply. which always plaques
the party in power here, and
the twin problems of agricul-
tural prices and farm labor,
which have gotten Gov.
Brown in hot water and may
cut into Senator Kennedy's
vote.
Despite Gov. Browns heroic
but not very successful effort
to hold his delegation in line
for Senator Kennedy at the
Democratic convention, there
is a tremendous residue of
Adlai Stevenson passion which
has damaged party unity and
had the effect of withholding
from Senator Kennedy the
all-cut support needed to
carry the State.
This particular problem
may have been partly solved
by the recent appearances
here of Mr.. Stevenson him
self and others who have been
closely identified with him.
They appealed for unity and
Kennedy backing.
Mccarthy, BOwIes Campaign
In the last few weeks the
Stevenson troops have in
cluded Senator Mccarthy of
Minnesota, who nominated
him for the presidency; Rep
resentative Bowles, a top
Kennedy adviser but a man
with his own large personal
following here; Professors
Arthur M. Schlesinger, jr.,I
and j. Kenneth Galbralth of
Harvard, Kennedy BRAIN
trusters now but dedicated
Stevensonians in 1856.
But how to keep the Negro
vote Democratic is currently
regarded as more crucial than
the Stevenson holdout prob
lem.
Mr.. Nixon's appeal to
Negroes may make it hard for
Senator Kennedy to roll up
the big vote the Democrats
always expect in the Los An
geles area.
The civil rights issue is
one which the Vice Presi-
dents running mate, Henry
Cabot Lodge, hit hard in
California last week. Mr..
Nixon, too, in his own trips
here between now and elec-
tion day, is going to hammer
on it and his agents here will
give the Nixon pro-Negro
record plenty of publicity.
Robinson Backs Nixon
Moreover, Jackie Robinson,
the retired Negro baseball
star, has been in Los Angeles
pushing Mr. Nixon and will
be back. Mr.. Robinson, who
starred in athletics at the
University of California at
Los Angeles, is a local hero
of no mean proportions.
He is also a persuasive pro-
ponent of Mr.. Nixon and, in
fact, warned leading Demo-
Gratis in Washington last
winter that if the party didn't
nominate Senator Humphrey
of Minnesota for the presi-
dency, the Nations Negroes
would back Mr.. Nixon and
Mr.. Robinson would help lead
them into the Republican
corner.
AS a desperate antidote to
the Robinson campaign, the
Democrats have summoned