Word: pelle
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BOTH MEN were in fundamental agreement on welfare and tax reform, and as the campaign entered its final week about the only salient issue left was who would be the most effective Senator. Pell pointed to his glowing record on the Senate Education Committee, and both Muskie and Kennedy testified to his worth. Chafee maintained that as both a former state representative and governor he intimately knew the problems of the state, and thus would be tremendously effective in the Senate. The Republican-leaning Providence Journal-Bulletin, Rhode Island's largest paper, endorsed Chafee based on this issue...
...last days of the campaign, Pell appeared tired, and worried that the younger and more dynamic Chafee might unseat him. He was like the great political general who was watching his last battle. "I don't know if I'll win," he ruminated. "I hope I'll win. I'm just not as confident as my staff...
...Pell was concerned that he would be pulled down to defeat on McGovern's coattails. To minimize that possibility, he told the audiences at his last campaign speeches, "We may not succeed on an overall national basis, but the state races are important. It is necessary to keep a Democratic Senate to override Nixon's vetoes...
McGarry hated McGovern with a passion, and needed to re-elect Pell in order to maintain his strength. The day before the election he was already conceding the state to Nixon, but claiming a huge victory for Pell. "Nixon's going to take this state by 35,000 votes," Boss McGarry predicted. "I'm counting on Pell to bring everybody back to the ticket. He's going to win by 40,000 easy...
When the smoke from the fighting at the ballot boxes had cleared, a quietly jubilant Pell stopped in front of a throng of a thousand supporters and well-wishers to announce he had just received the concession of John Chafee. Pell had won by over 32,000 votes, more than enough to offset any absentee ballot surge from Chafee...