Letter from Washington

If Mr. Ford thought the Gallup poll was the worst news he would receive in December, he got a rude shock from Lou Harris. Calling Mr. Ford’s situation “calamitous,” Mr. Harris reported that not only is Mr. Ford running behind Ronald Reagan, but that both Mr. Ford and Mr. Reagan would lose to Hubert Humphrey if the election were today. According to Mr. Harris, Mr. Humphrey beats Mr. Reagan 50 to 43 per cent and Mr. Ford 52 to 41 per cent. Gallup polled only Republicans and independents. Harris polled a sample of the entire electorate. He notes this: “It is important to point out that only a few months ago Reagan was paired against Senator Kennedy in a race for the Presidency and he lost by precisely the same margin, 50 to 43 per cent, by which he now loses to Humphrey. This indicates that Reagan has not picked up a great deal of strength, but rather that Ford has slipped and the California governor is obviously benefiting from it.” Two months ago Ford beat Humphrey 48 to 42 per cent.

When all the presidential candidates were invited to release a financial statement and the last six years’ income tax returns, independent candidate Eugene McCarthy said: The invitation is an example of our society’s general assault on privacy, and I won’t do it. Then Medical World News invited the candidates to release the results of their most recent physical examinations. McCarthy refused. A spokesman said: “McCarthy’s concern is that the office of the Presidency be so institutionalized that it is not dependent on the health of the officeholder.” McCarthy did note that all his brothers and sisters are still alive, that his grandmother lived to 96, and that his father was 98 when he died.

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If Mr. Ford thought the Gallup poll was the worst news he would receive in December, he got a rude shock from Lou Harris. Calling Mr. Ford’s situation “calamitous,” Mr. Harris reported that not only is Mr. Ford running behind Ronald Reagan, but that both Mr. Ford and Mr. Reagan would lose to Hubert Humphrey if the election were today. According to Mr. Harris, Mr. Humphrey beats Mr. Reagan 50 to 43 per cent and Mr. Ford 52 to 41 per cent. Gallup polled only Republicans and independents. Harris polled a sample of the entire electorate. He notes this: “It is important to point out that only a few months ago Reagan was paired against Senator Kennedy in a race for the Presidency and he lost by precisely the same margin, 50 to 43 per cent, by which he now loses to Humphrey. This indicates that Reagan has not picked up a great deal of strength, but rather that Ford has slipped and the California governor is obviously benefiting from it.” Two months ago Ford beat Humphrey 48 to 42 per cent.

When all the presidential candidates were invited to release a financial statement and the last six years’ income tax returns, independent candidate Eugene McCarthy said: The invitation is an example of our society’s general assault on privacy, and I won’t do it. Then Medical World News invited the candidates to release the results of their most recent physical examinations. McCarthy refused. A spokesman said: “McCarthy’s concern is that the office of the Presidency be so institutionalized that it is not dependent on the health of the officeholder.” McCarthy did note that all his brothers and sisters are still alive, that his grandmother lived to 96, and that his father was 98 when he died.