University of Virginia Library

No Advance

There were no visible symbols of
a national campaign. Lindsay was
traveling with only two aides and
his wife, Mary. There was no
manufactured crowd to greet him
at Boston's Logan Airport. The
Lindsay staff did not even advance
the trip; Sid Davidoff arrived
in Boston only two hours
before the Mayor. But the idea
of the Presidency, nevertheless,
hung over Lindsay every minute
he was in Boston.

At two abbreviated press conferences
he was asked if he planned
to run this year. At the Republican
dinner, Representative Margaret
Keckler called Lindsay "my
favorite dark horse candidate for
President." And Senator Edward
Brooke, in his remarks, sounded
like he was nominating Lindsay
for President on the spot.

In his speech to 3500
white, upper-class, mostly suburban
Republicans, Lindsay chose
to speak about the value of the
black youth in the ghetto.

"In the center cities," he said,
"there are young men—mostly
black—living their own special kind
of street life. They miss something
and they wish for something that
has not yet been discovered on
the streets.

"These young men are not a
resource to be feared. There is
no warmer, sounder, or firmer
ally to have. These young men
have lost contact with most of
the institutions of our society, including
the Republican and Democratic
parties. They are not a
politically captive group. The regular
politicians, behind the drawn
curtains of the old clubhouses,
are just beginning to discover the
power of this force."