University of Virginia Library

RFK Bobs Back Out
Of Presidential Race
To Help Republicans

WASHINGTON (VPI) — In
a surprise move, Senator Robert
F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.) withdrew
from the race for the Democratic
Presidential nomination yesterday.

"I shall not seek and I will not
accept the nomination of my
party for a term as your President,"
he told a dumbfounded
audience of teenagers and housewives
at DuPont Circle in Washington.

United Public

"What we won with all our
people united," he said, "must not
be lost in suspicion, distrust and
selfishness among any of our
people."

Mr. Kennedy said he was "following
the lead of President
Johnson, my long-time political
mentor and close personal
friend," in doing "what seems
best for my party and my country."

"In the perilous situation the
U.S. is in today," he continued,
"the office of junior senator from
New York should be above partisan
politics."

Senator Kennedy's resignation
from the campaign immediately
aroused speculation that Sen. Eugene
McCarthy, the only announced
candidate still in the
race, might also drop out. Sen.
McCarthy would only say that
he was "reassessing" his position,
but a close advisor allegedly said
that "perhaps the Democrats
should not run anybody this
year."

Likes Republicans

"The only way really to unify
the country, as our great President
wants, would be to leave the
Republicans unopposed," he reportedly
told Sen. McCarthy.

Abominable

Reporters immediately questioned
Richard Nixon as to
whether he too might drop out
of the race, but few political experts
were surprised at his answer:
"When hell freezes over."

Sen. Kennedy's announcement
took even his family by surprise.
"Why didn't you tell me, Bobby?"
his wife Ethel cried.

"I tried to prepare you, my
dear," he replied, "but all these
screaming kids kept getting in
the way."