Word: humphreyism
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Emblems of Service. In drafting his statement on Viet Nam, Humphrey chose his words with excruciating care. He went through seven drafts of the speech, taped it six times before he was satisfied. James Rowe, a Humphrey campaign aide and a factotum for Democratic administrations since the New Deal, said the wording of the crucial paragraphs "must have been changed 300 to 400 times." When he was ready, Humphrey made certain that the vice-presidential seal and flag-emblems of his service to Lyndon Johnson-were nowhere in sight. "I wanted to speak as Hubert H. Humphrey, candidate for President...
...Said Humphrey: "As President, I would stop the bombing as an acceptable risk for peace because I believe it could lead to success in the negotiations and thereby shorten the war." The Vice President added: "In weighing that risk, and before taking action, I would place key importance on evidence-direct or indirect-by word or deed-of Communist willingness to restore the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Viet Nam. If the government of North Viet Nam were to show bad faith, I would reserve the right to resume the bombing...
Subliminal Message. Though the words were essentially the same in Humphrey's speech, the music was different. Humphrey managed to convey to many, however subliminally, his readiness to take greater risks to settle the war. House Republican leaders argued that Humphrey's position represented no departure. But Richard Nixon took the opposite tack. He implied that the Vice President was endangering the prospects for a settlement in Pans by breaking with the President, whose war policies Nixon generally supports, and by allowing Hanoi to think that it might get a better deal from Humphrey. Averell Harnman, the chief...
With his speech, Humphrey succeeded in embarrassing Nixon slightly about his silence on the war. Writing in the Ripon Forum, magazine of the liberal Ripon Society, Oregon's G.O.P. Senator Mark Hatfield pointedly noted: "The Paris peace talks should not become the skirt for timid men to hide behind." But only a disastrous dive in the polls could persuade Nixon to risk a potentially dangerous fight on the issue. He still maintains that for candidates to discuss possible future settlements can only damage efforts...
...Nixon's silence was beginning to cost him support, Humphrey's statement won him some, particularly from dissident Democrats. Senator Ted Kennedy sent a wire applauding his "courage" and declaring: "To all who look for peace in Viet Nam, you have given great encouragement and hope." Ten liberal House Democrats announced belated backing of Humphrey...