Each falling leaf of the political calendar and each new poll showing Lyndon Johnson's vulnerability strip a layer of noncandidacy from the not-yet candidates. Last week most of Johnson's would-be opponents—including the putative independent, George Wallace—were out in force, all looking and talking like committed campaigners.
The irony of George Gallup's latest poll was that it showed Nelson Rockefeller, who stayed home, far ahead of his restless friends. Rocky led L.B.J. by 14 points while Richard Nixon was ahead by four and George Romney by three.
Romney was having other problems as well. Embarked on an eight-day tour of ten states starting in the Dakotas, he shotgunned Johnson Administration policies from the battlefields of Viet Nam to the wheat fields of the plains. The Michigander did not endear himself to Midwestern audiences by condemning collective bargaining for farmers and urging that they sell their commodities abroad "by the law of supply and demand"—which would mean at low world prices. Senator Milton Young of North Dakota, who had said earlier he would support Romney if nominated, commented: "He isn't nominated yet and judging from his farm statements in North Dakota, he never will be." Romney arrived in tree-scarce South Dakota saying how he had been looking forward to seeing the "beautiful black forest," meaning, presumably, the Black Hills.
Barry for Dick. Rather than allow his brainwash gaffe to sink into oblivion, Romney repeatedly invoked the term, along with his older standbys. Communism and world poverty are not the nation's greatest perils, he said. "The greatest threats are from a decline in moral character, personal responsibility, family life and religion—the things on which American life are based." His speeches were mostly well received, even at the Trunk 'n' Tusk Club in Phoenix, where many Arizona elephants cannot forget his refusal to support Barry Goldwater in 1964.
Goldwater himself emceed the program, posed for pictures with Romney, and generally indicated enough forgiveness to support Romney if nominated. But questioners in the audience wanted to know about 1964. Romney, who was running for re-election as Governor in 1964, gave the explanation that most politicians understand: "We did in Michigan," he said, "what we thought contributed the most to the Republican Party in the state." Some of his listeners booed. Goldwater observed that national unity rather than a spirit of revenge must prevail, that he could find little to disagree with in Romney's speech. Then, with head-snapping abruptness, Barry said: "I'm backing Dick Nixon."