A Few Kind Words for McGovern

TIME Citizens' Panel

GEORGE MCGOVERN may not be gaining much ground on Richard Nixon at the moment, but he could be in a position to do so if something were to break his way. A TIME Citizens' Panel, conducted by Daniel Yankelovich, Inc., over the telephone during the first ten days of October, suggests a softness among some Nixon supporters. The 322 panelists, chosen at random from a scientifically selected sample of 2,323 registered voters in 16 key states, say they are for Nixon nearly 2 to 1. Yet they are split down the middle on what kind of President McGovern would make--4 out of 10 believe he would be a good or at least an average President, the same number believe he would be a poor President, and 2 out of 10 have not made up their mind.

A number of Nixon supporters find kind words for McGovern. John Wright, traffic manager for General Foods Corp. from Ridgefield, Conn., notes that McGovern "is a pretty good Senator. He'd end the war--maybe not the best way, but he'd end it." Arthur Sullivan, a retired Independent for Nixon from San Diego, Calif., says: "He'd make a good President. He'd try to do what's right. He'd bring the young and the older generations closer in their way of looking at things." Another Independent for Nixon, Harold Jones, a welder from Rockford, Ill., adds: "McGovern sounds like he means what he says. No hanky-panky." Douglas Peterson, a Republican art educator from Highland Park, Mich., admits: "McGovern's campaign stuff is pretty good. I'm wavering. At first I was for Nixon. Now I'm considering."

In-depth interviews with the TIME panelists reveal, however, that McGovern is still hurting from a "wishy-washy" image. John Collins, a Republican tele phone-company engineer from Livingston, N.J., chose the word swivel-necked to describe the Democratic challenger. "He finds out that the public doesn't like what he said, so he changes it," says Collins. Asked what would worry her about McGovern as President, Virginia Brock, a Martinsville, Va., schoolteacher and Republican for Nixon replies: "The fact that he is indecisive." The taint of radicalism continues to haunt the Democratic challenger. Ronald Baker, an Arlington, Texas, helicopter assemblyman and Independent, finds McGovern "30 years ahead of himself. The country is too conservative to buy his goods right now."

The panelists who support McGovern reject the charge of radicalism, and cite their candidate's honesty, his support of civil rights and his concern for the poorer classes. Beulah Stepp, an Independent who works with retarded children in Detroit, says McGovern "isn't being radical: he's being an honest politician, which is hard to find these days." Joseph Turner, a Democratic sewing-machine repairman from Roselle, N.J., believes McGovern is more likely to look out for the working classes and enforce the law of the land on matters like school integration. Charles Sage, a Clifton, N.J., scientist and a Democrat, says McGovern "has the potential of being a really great President because he'd make a determined effort to restore respect for our Government and supply moral leadership."

The responses of the panelists suggest that two of Nixon's strongest issues continue to be the "welfare ethic" and "giveaway" federal programs, both of which he has energetically opposed in his campaign. Yet the whiff of impropriety about his Administration, perceived in its coziness with big business and the Watergate scandal, troubles some Nixon supporters. Mrs. Roberta Buchanan, a Democrat for Nixon and teacher from Royal Oak, Mich., feels "there must be some element of truth" in the Watergate charges. Donald Derry, a salesman from Livonia, Mich., and a Republican for Nixon, says: "I think the Watergate incident was deplorable."

If the panelists opened the door slightly for McGovern on the corruption issue, they seem to close it on the possibility of complacency among Nixon voters on Election Day. Although 7 out of 10 Nixon supporters are convinced he will win "big," not one thought that was cause for staying home. Says Mrs. Margaret Schultz, a Nixon supporter from San Antonio, Texas: "We've all made that mistake in the past."

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