(10 of 10)
As the deadlines for Nebraska, Oregon and Indiana fall one after another this month, Rockefeller will doubtless be criticized for his decision to remain aloof, but it seems unlikely that he will reconsider at this stage. Yet his drive needs some impetus. By week's end he had already given tacit consent to the formation of Rockefeller-for-President groups in each state, and organizational work was beginning. These units may soon be meshed into a national organization. It is still questionable whether a draft can be induced in this manner for Rockefeller. Moreover, by boycotting the primaries he will run the risk of seeming too afraid or too arrogant to fight for the prize.
Nonetheless, both Nixon and Rockefeller will now be compelled to take positions on all the pressing issues of 1968—from slums and fiscal policy at home to Viet Nam and U.S. policies elsewhere in the world. They will have an unrivaled opportunity to engage in a thoughtful, thoroughgoing discussion of Republican alternatives—and at the G.O.P.'s highest level. Their dialogue should stimulate the party. It may also provide the nation with the new perspectives it urgently needs.
* Nixon now lives in the same building. Rockefeller has since moved next door.