The Hand & the Cloud

The great big hand that has reached down from the political summit to help Richard Nixon up the mountain to the presidency belongs to Dwight Eisenhower. The cloud no bigger than a man's hand that Nixon watches out of the corner of his eye is New York Republican Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who has been notably cool toward Nixon and is not likely to endorse him until after the Chicago convention. Last week the big hand helped and the cloud darkened, while Nixon alternately beamed and frowned.

Introduced by Nixon to 7,000 Republican women gathered in Washington's Uline Arena, the President drew five bursts of applause in a single-paragraph endorsement for his Vice President. "Dick Nixon has been a credit to the Administration, our party and our country," said Ike, scanning the acres of new spring hats. "He has gained nearly eight years of added governmental experience at the highest level--a tour of seasoning unmatched in the nation's history. All of us know him as a man of integrity and deep faith--one who is intelligent, mature, and uniquely knowledgeable in the problems and personalities of the world scene."

Later in the week, at a White House meeting with 19 House Republican Policy Committee members, Ike said Nixon's recent decline in the Gallup poll (Nixon 47%; Kennedy 53%)*resulted from the lack of news-generating controversy in the G.O.P. After both conventions, Ike believes, Nixon will overtake the Democratic nominee even in the straw polls.

New York's Rockefeller, who bowed out of the contest for the G.O.P. nomination last December ("I am not and shall not be a candidate"), came home from a vacation in Venezuela and frowned a rare frown for photographers. Then he was buoyantly off to launch a statewide crusade for all Republican candidates, including'"the national Republican ticket." An aide explained that Rocky was not referring to any specific G.O.P. presidential candidate until nominated. And Rocky himself hinted he might heed a convention draft ("I'd cross that bridge if it came"). Going farther in a prepared address, he reminded politicians that New York's 45 electoral votes are absolutely necessary for Republican victory in November.

Nobody knew this fact better than Dick Nixon, whose anxious aides worried that Rocky's decision to wait until after the Republican Convention to join the Nixon campaign might damage Nixon's chances to carry the state.

*As of last month. Kennedy was even farther ahead, 61% to 39%, last July. Nixon was ahead 53% to 47% in January.

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