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He carried every one of Omaha's 14 wards. He ran ahead in 88 of the state's 93 counties. Even in Lancaster County, home of the University of Nebraska and a putative McCarthy bastion, Kennedy lost by only two votes. McCarthy had entered a full slate of committed delegate candidates, while Kennedy was unable to match him, having entered the race after the filing deadline. Kennedy was therefore forced to line up uncommitted candidates and conduct an advertising campaign to identify them to the electorate. Picking and choosing among 75 unfamiliar names, the voters gave him at least 20 of the state's 30 delegates.
Plans to Stay Out. Humphrey pooh-poohed the results, saying that they would have been "a little different" if he had been an active contender. No doubt. But Humphrey is directly involved in none of the forthcoming primaries, and the "unauthorized" Nebraska write-in campaign on his behalf clearly bombed. Humphrey visited Nebraska four days before the primary, seemingly inviting votes. Now he plans to stay out of Oregon, California and South Dakota until those primaries are over. McCarthy, who is on the ballot against Kennedy in the three remaining contests, vows to fight it out, spurning the New Yorker's offer to join forces.
Nebraska was a Kennedy victory tactically and strategically. In narrow terms, it demonstrated the growing efficacy of the Kennedy organization and Kennedy's people borrowed the McCarthy technique of using student volunteer canvassers and deploying them everywhere the votes were. Local coordinators were set to work in more than 50 locations; in a state with only 292,000 registered Democrats, that provided a cell for every 5,800 voters. Kennedy himself seemed to be everywhere, and everywhere he went he wowed them. Nebraska was also the best vindication yet of his longer-range design: to create such an impact in the primaries that Humphrey delegates from the non-primary states will be shaken loose. The magic number in Chicago will be 1,312 votes, and most estimates of committed and potential delegate strength put Humphrey well ahead at present. But every Kennedy victory puts that lead in greater jeopardy.
Pink Nose. To increase Humphrey's danger, Kennedy has become the most frenetic campaigner on the road today, starting his days before 7 a.m., often skipping lunch, frequently chugging on until 3 the next morning before allowing himself food and rest. "He looks tired," the motherly types in the crowds say. "He looks like he needs a square meal." Another common observation:
"He looks like a little kid." And from younger women: "Beautiful!"
Late at night, in his chartered Boeing 727, Bobby, 42, looks neither young nor beautiful. Deep lines mark the brow. Stumping in the sun has turned his nose pink; lack of sleep has dulled and reddened his eyes. The grey wires in his tawny hair grow more visible. How goes the race for the nomination? From behind his cigar: "It's silly to talk about that. It's like trying to gauge the outcome after the first five seconds of a minute-long contest."