Focus on the possibility of WASHINGTON | & ss.” 1968. The results of the off-year elections earlier this month are the most recent proof offered by GOP officials that next year will be their year. Look at Louie Nunn in Kentucky, they assert; a 3-1 Democratic advantage in registration and Nunn (a conservative Republican) still won the governorship. Consider New Jersey; they won back control of both houses of the ‘state legislature. Add up our votes in the key mayoralty contests, they declare; although we lost in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Gary, Ind., those are all strong Democratic cities and we came within a tusk’s point of winning all three races. And we did win, they add exultingly, in Indianapolis, Hart- ford, Macon, Ga. and, of all places, Birmingham, Ala- bama. (In the latter city, George Seibels, the victor, garnered over
per cent of the Negro vote in a major breakthrough for a Republican in a Southern metropolitan area.) Looking ahead, GOP analysts reason thusly: 1) Re- publicans now have 186 seats, need only 31 more to gain control of the House of Representatives. With LBJ’s popularity down, widespread restlessness among the elec- torate, and a bickering, divided Democratic Party, Re- publicans could easily pick up those 31 seats—with the right Presidential ticket. 2) Republicans now have
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