The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-06-22
WATCH ON THE POTOMAC
By ROBERT G. SPIvACK, Washington. D. c.

ClllSL SCilIC do q llelIlOIIdl 1lSuI0 10
disturbing to the Democrats who still
: shudder when they think of those
final hours of the 1860 campaign.
But his victory in the California pri-
mary has a more profound meaning
for the Republican party.
What Nixon has done, in this first
stage of his comeback, has been to
destroy the principal argument of
the John Birch Society and less stri-
dent Republicans, such as Barry Gold
water. For years they have argued
that if the Republicans would only
put up a true-blue conservative the
rank-and-file would not only work
for him, they would vote for him.
In California, at least, this was
not true. 1t is probably even less true
in the East.
Although the battle was not of
Nixon's choosing, the voters had
clear choice between moderate Re-
publicanism and ''ultra-rightist'' Re-
publicanism. Nixon was himself sub
jected to bitter personal attacks, as
seems to be his fate. He was written
off, denounced and treated by the
Rightists as if he were the candidate
of Americans for Democratic Action.
Now Nixon will be under heavy
pressure to revert to what has
come to be known as the "old Nix
on. His right-wing opponent, Jo-
seph c. Shell, would not pledge his
support in the first hours after the
votes were in. whether l support
Richard Nixon will depend on Mr..
Nixon a great deal.
81 have run my campaign ON prin-
ciples. / would be less than honest
if | said | would support anyone,
regardless of whether he believes in
these principles"
Murray Chotiner, Nixon's one-time
buddy and sometimes political adj
wiser, felt before the balloting that
the former Vice President was MAX
ing the gravest of political errors in
repudiating the John Birchers. Cho-
timer called them the "hard core"
Republicans whose votes were abso-
lutely necessary for victory.
Chotiner may yet be proved right
in the forthcoming contest with DEM
ocratic Gov. Pat Brown. But Nixon
had to make a choice. To win the
Far Right he might have alienated
the moderate elements, who outnum-
Der the ultras by better than 2 to 1.
In this first phase of the Cali
fornia campaign Nixon showed that
he was better able to judge the mood
of his fellow Republicans than the
''true believers" on the fringe of the
party.
What effect will Nixons victory
have on the Democrats? In Califor-
mia Gov. Brown will undoubtedly
stress that Nixon merely regards Sac
as first step on the road
back to Washington.
But Democrats outside the state
will see it from still another per-
spective. Shall they temper their
policies to create an Image" of
moderation for the Democratic
party? Or shall they go all out for
the liberal programs written into
the 1860 platform but still far
from achievement?
President Kennedy is under heavy
ire for being "anti-business' How
will he go about erasing that image
While still correcting the obvious de-
ects in the national economy? There
will be many advisors who will tell
lin that moderate" Republican,
nixon in California and modern"
Republican, Nelson Rockefeller in
Jew York, will make it advisable for
i'm to keep on for the middle of the
Dad.
Despite some recent displays of
emper, basically Mr.. Kennedy is
.imself moderate. Whether he can
till persuade the public that this IS
rue remains to be seen.
For both parties, though, the Cali
ornia primary would seem to drive
ONE one lesson. The public is not
n a mood for fanaticism. 1t has long
cen clear that it had no taste for
anaticism on the Left; now it is
qually clear this applies also to the
iUht