Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-28

naJorlal election.
The concern has been INC
threw the campaign into a new
But there is no panic as yet
on the Democratic side.
So far, none of the accepted
public or private polls shows
Mr.. Nixon ahead. The former
Vice President himself told a
reporter this week, II think
the race is even, but we have a
slight edge because of our mo-
mentum."
Gov. Brown and those on
his personal campaign staff
maintain their confidence that
he will win unless there is a
monumental Democratic stay
at-home vote. They look for
a margin of perhaps $50, 900
votes.
Outlook Seen Shifted
But among other Demo-
cratic leaders, there is wide
spread concern that the Cuban
crisis has altered the situation
in three ways, none Of them
favorable to the Governor:
1. BY keeping President Ken
nedy from appearing here this
week end, it robbed the gen.
orally dull Brown campaign of
it's long-awaited moment Of
excitement. The Governors
current visit to Washington, for
a conference on civil defense
matters, is regarded here as
useful for his leadership repu-
tation, but wholly inadequate
as a substitute for the impact
on local Democrats of three
days of presidential campaign
ing.
2. The Cuban crisis has con-
verted Mr.. Nixon's greatest
handicap in the State campaign
his long-established interest
in matters beyond the borders
of California-into an asset.
For the first time since he an
nounced for Governor, the for
mer Vice President feels free
to talk about his favorite sub
ject of international politics.
Indeed, voters are interested in
little else.
8. The Cuban situation also
has created a climate of tension
in which Mr.. Nixon's charge
that Gov. Brown has failed to
combat Communist subversion
in California flourishes. He is
riding it hard.
Nixon is Relieved
Not surprisingly, Mr.. Nixon
has been buoyed by the weeks
events. The worry Of the Ken
needy visit has been erased. His
relief at being able to talk for
eign affairs again is obvious.
Mr.. Nixon was realist enough
to know that Democrats had
nicked him with their charge
that he was interested in the
governorship only as parking
place" for his presidential am
billions. 8 f ~
He told friends, with a touch
of bitterness, that California
is the only State where the fact
that a man is a potential Pres
ident is a disadvantage to him" "
Now, Mr.. Nixon is playing the
statesman's role to the hilt and
loving every minute of 1t. A
California newspaper headline
on a speech yesterday read:
nixon Counsels People to Be
Calm in Crisis" It sounded as
if he were Governor-if not
President--already.
All this has thrown off Gov,
Browns original timetable. His
theory has been that most
voters make up their minds
early. He pushed his campaign
hard early this year, when Mr..
Nixon was tied up in a primary
battle with conservative Repub-
lican Joseph Shell.
Pleased by Early Polls
Gov. Brown was more than
pleased when he moved into
a 6-point lead over his rival
in the mid-September polls. He
foresaw no major problem in
holding his advantage and
made no plans-except for the
Kennedy VISITOR a Spectacu-
lar windup.
Mr.. Nixon, as is we'll known,
believes in "peaking" his cam
paign just before election day,
and he believes it is working
out this way. His first big lift
came in his october l debate
with the Governor, which even
Democrats concede the Repub-
lican won.
Since then, his crowds have
been running substantially
larger than Gov. Browns and
he has been grabbing more
than his share of the head
lines.
Mr. Nixon has planned a
Ewhirlwind finish for his drive
He will swing through all the