The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-12-06
WASHINGTON. Dec. S !

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 - At
torney General Robert Kennedy
looms as distinct possibility as
President Johnson running
mate next year.
This dramatic political likeli-
hood was a major topic Of dis
cuSSion among the scores of
Democratic governors, national
committeeman ard other party
leaders who poured into the
Capital for the funeral of the
assaSsinated President. In be-
tween the tragic obsequies, the
politicos conjectured worriedly
about their own and the party's
prospects in 1864.
Uppermost in these muffled
discussions was the question of
the vice presidential choice. On
that. three factors appeared to
be taken for granted:
*President johnson will head
the ticket. None Of the Demo
cratic chiefs indicated the Slight
est doubt about that. There were
no hints or any other intima-
tons that he might be challeng-
ed for the nomination. All the
talk assumed he is now the top
party leader and will be its
standard-bearer.
*Johnson's preference will be
decisive in the selection of the
No. 2 man on the ticket. There
was much talk about anticipat-
ed jockeying and maneuver-
ing for his favor; that potent
pressures will be exerted in be-
half of various candidates. But
the feeling was general that
whoever johnson gave the nod
to would be approved by the
convention.
#The Attorney General, 49,
year-old brother Of the late
President and his closest ad-
wiser and confidant. must be
considered leading aspirant
| for the vice presidency. Among
his intimates it has long been no
secret that Bobby" harbors ar
dent national political ambitions
and hopes to emulate his slain
brother.
The view also was general
among the Democratic politicos,
particularly from the West and
industrial North, that the Attor-
ney General has some ace cards
in his aggressive and detelnlin-
ed hands.
AS one key MidWestern leader
expressed it, Lyndon johnson
will have to make the same kind
OF a deal with Bobby Kennedy
that his late brother made with
johnson in 1860 to assure VIC
tory. A Johnson-Kennedy ticket
is going to be the answer to
what our party needs in next
years very uncertain election. \
THE WAY THEY FIGURE
1T ~ A highly influential Demo-
cratic leader from Philadelphia
which gave the late President a
phenomenal $50, 600 majority that
swung Pennsylvania into his col
umn and thus nailed down his
hairline election, analysed the
Attorney Generals prospects
this way:
las a result Of President Ken
nedy's death. next years cleo
ton is now wide open. AS he
himself said, he expected long
and hard fight, and with him
out of the picture, it will be in
finitely more so. johnson is 60
ing to need every ounce Of sup
port he can muster to win.
Two large and possibly cru
cial voter groups Kennedy could
have definitely counted on were
Catholics and Negroes. 1 know
that is absolutely true in my
county Those blocs were a cinch
for Kennedy. and / would say
the same is virtually true In
every other metropolitan and in
dustrial center. But that ism
the case as far as johnson is
concerned. He still has to win
these groups as conclusively as
they were for his predecessor.
"One Of the best ways he can
do that is by having a Kennedy
as running mate. And that Ken
nedy is Bobby, because in. the
public nnnd, and particularly
these voter blocs. he is insepa
rably associated with his broth
err.
Bobby is a Catholic and he
is a foremost champion Of civil
rights. That will hurt in some
areas and with some elements
But on the basis of the over
whelming sentiment of my cleo
torate, that hostility is greatly
offset by the other two consld-
erations.
For us. a johnson Kennedy
ticket means a winner from tor
Ia bottom. And that's what I'm
going to tell the President as
soon as can And you mark
my word. a lot Of others will do
the same thing. Some of them
have already told me So
A well known border state