Word: kerner
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...surprises of last week's state elections was the solid triumph of Illinois Governor Otto Kerner against the spirited challenge of Republican Charles Percy (TIME cover, Sept. 18) -a fellow who seemed sure to go far if only he could have won last week...
...sure, Kerner benefited tremendously from the Johnson landslide. Yet he was up against a good man, whipped him by some 200,000 votes, in a testimony to the fact that he must have something to offer...
...Part of Kerner's appeal is frankly physical. His blue eyes, wavy brown hair and clean-chiseled features would look great on Mount Rushmore; he has been rated by the Professional Photographers of America as the nation's most handsome Governor. He is a very pleasant, amiable and thoughtful man, as he has proved at downstate ribbon cuttings, corn-picking festivals, and beauty-contest judgings over the four years of his term...
...Kerner has sometimes seemed indecisive as a Governor, it is also true that he has deftly avoided getting any large segment of the population angry at him. He has pushed a progressive program of regional mental-health clinics, helped increase Illinois exports abroad, reduced public relief costs, firmly supported state laws to help Negroes get fairer treatment in seeking housing and jobs, knocked much administrative waste out of the State Toll Road Commission. He has notably failed to take forthright action in reforming Illinois' archaic tax system, which may yet drive the state to the edge of bankruptcy...
...other year, with Johnson not on the ticket, Kerner would almost certainly have lost to Percy, a real go-out-and-get-'em guy. But in 1964, Otto Kerner did pretty well just by sounding as much as possible like Lyndon Johnson. And Johnson would have been proud of Kerner's post-election statement: "We must continue the atmosphere which has brought new unity to our people, a unity that knows no Cook County way to build a greater Illinois, no downstate way, but a united...