 | The Cavalier daily Friday, December 1, 1967 |  |
Students Favor Republican Candidates Over Democrats In 1968
By Jay Morse
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
All five of the most often-mentioned candidates
for the Republican nomination for the Presidency
next year came out winners in a poll conducted
during the last two weeks by The Cavalier Daily.
More than 200 students, both undergraduate and
graduate, participated in the sampling of student
political opinion concerning the elections next
fall.
With the 1968 elections now less than a year
away, students were asked to voice their preferences
in the following contests which paired each
of the GOP prospects. Gov. George Romney,
Nelson Rockefeller, and Ronald Reagan. Former
Vice-President Richard Nixon, and Senator
Charles Percy, against each of the three leading
Democrats, President Lyndon Johnson, and Senators
Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy.
The results, with the candidate's percentages in
parentheses, were as follows:
| Romney (52%) | vs. | Johnson (48%) |
| Romney (58.7%) | vs. | Kennedy (41.3%) |
| Romney (69.5%) | vs. | McCarthy (30.5%) |
| Nixon (62%) | vs. | Johnson (38%) |
| Nixon (68.4%) | vs. | Kennedy (31.6%) |
| Nixon (76.3%) | vs. | McCarthy (23.7%) |
| Reagan (50.2%) | vs. | Johnson (49.8%) |
| Reagan (51.1%) | vs. | Kennedy (48.9%) |
| Reagan (65%) | vs. | McCarthy (35%) |
| Rockefeller (71.7%) | vs. | Johnson (28.3%) |
| Rockefeller (74%) | vs. | Kennedy (26%) |
| Rockefeller (83%) | vs. | McCarthy (17%) |
| Percy (62.4%) | vs. | Johnson (37.6%) |
| Percy (56%) | vs. | Kennedy (44%) |
| Percy (69%) | vs. | McCarthy (31%) |
These figures in some ways support those of
national polls as in the case of the Rockefeller
lead, but the margins are far in excess of those
on the national basis.
Surprising in the poll results was the strength
of Illinois Junior Senator Charles Percy who edged
out Richard Nixon for second place behind Gov.
Rockefeller in the projected contest against President
Johnson.
However, against Sen. Kennedy, Sen. Percy
was the only GOP prospect not to run stronger
than against the President.
The prospective candidacy of Sen. McCarthy
brought numerous quips from students, especially
in the contests which pitted him against California
Governor Ronald Reagan, and Michigan Governor
George Romney.
Threats ranging from suicide to leaving the
country were uttered, and many absolutely refused
to commit themselves either way. In both
races, however, the Republicans won handily by
near 2 to 1 majorities.
In addition to the individual race preferences,
students were also asked to identify themselves
as either a strong Democrat, weak Democrat, Independent,
weak Republican or strong Republican.
With 235 replies the results with numerical totals
in parentheses were:
| Strong Democrat (20) | 8.5% |
| Weak Democrat (36) | 15.3% |
| Independent (90) | 38.3% |
| Weak Republican (63) | 26.8% |
| Strong Republican (26) | 11.1% |
Interesting to note here is that Republicans of
both classes outnumbered their Democratic counterparts,
though this is not unusual considering
the education and environment of the persons
polled.
Once they had classified themselves, they were
then asked to state their preferences for their
choose both a Democratic and Republican nominee.
Among Democrats, President Johnson drew only
50 per cent of the ballots, receiving 10 votes while
Sens. Kennedy and McCarthy picked up five each
from strong Democrats, and garnering 18 votes
from weak Democrats who also gave Sen. Kennedy
14 votes and Sen. McCarthy four.
However, among Independents, the President
received the nod from 53 voters, while twenty-seven
selected Kennedy and seven McCarthy.
Richard Nixon received a plurality of votes of
both strong and weak Republicans who voted.
Among party stalwarts, he edged Gov. Rockefeller
eleven to nine with Gov. Reagan picking up 3
votes and Gov.: Romney one.
Weak Republicans gave the former Vice-President
26 votes, while his nearest opponent, Gov.
Rockefeller, gathered seventeen. Trailing behind
were Gov. Reagan with 10 votes. Gov. Romney
with five, and Sen. Percy with three.
Independents, however, gave the nod to the
New York Governor with 42 votes. Mr. Nixon
received twenty-five, Gov. Reagan ten, Sen.
Percy eight and Gov. Romney five.
Totalling the party figures they read with vote
totals in parentheses:
| Johnson (28) | 50% |
| Kennedy (19) | 34% |
| McCarthy (9) | 16% |
| REPUBLICANS | |
| Nixon (37) | 43% |
| Rockefeller (26) | 31% |
| Reagan (13) | 15.5% |
| Romney (6) | 7% |
| Percy (3) | 3.5% |
In the individual contests, the Republicans'
vote was:
| Romney—58 | Johnson—24 |
| Romney—65 | Kennedy—15 |
| Romney—62 | McCarthy—15 |
| Nixon—72 | Johnson—12 |
| Nixon—70 | Kennedy—10 |
| Nixon—68 | McCarthy—11 |
| Reagan—61 | Johnson—20 |
| Reagan—67 | Kennedy—15 |
| Reagan—64 | McCarthy—15 |
| Rockefeller—65 | Johnson—16 |
| Rockefeller—62 | Kennedy—20 |
| Rockefeller—64 | McCarthy—17 |
| Percy—64 | Johnson—17 |
| Percy—64 | Kennedy—18 |
| Percy—64 | McCarthy—14 |
The Democratic vote in the individual races,
however, shows a greater defection from party
ranks as indicated by their voting:
| Romney—14 | Johnson—34 |
| Romney—22 | Kennedy—26 |
| Romney—32 | McCarthy—16 |
| Nixon—19 | Johnson—29 |
| Nixon—26 | Kennedy—22 |
| Nixon—30 | McCarthy—18 |
| Reagan—13 | Johnson—35 |
| Reagan—14 | Kennedy—34 |
| Reagan—26 | McCarthy—22 |
| Rockefeller—28 | Johnson—20 |
| Rockefeller—27 | Kennedy—21 |
| Rockefeller—38 | McCarthy—10 |
| Percy—17 | Johnson—31 |
| Percy—16 | Kennedy—32 |
| Percy—33 | McCarthy—15 |
| The Cavalier daily Friday, December 1, 1967 | |