Home, Sweet Home

Any politician with an eye on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue had better keep the other eye cocked toward California, with its late (June 7), high-stakes (81 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, 70 to the Republican) presidential primaries and its 32 electoral votes. To no one is California more crucial than to Native Son Richard Nixon; if he cannot count on his home state, he will have a rough path to walk toward the White House. Just four months ago the Mervin Field poll, most widely circulated in the state, showed Nixon not only running well behind Massachusetts' John Kennedy and Illinois' Adlai Stevenson, but also failing to do better against the two top Democrats than his one dangerous challenger, New York Republican Nelson Rockefeller. But last week, in a dramatic turnabout which has also been reflected nationally since Nixon's trip to Russia, the Field poll showed that for Richard Nixon, California is once again home, sweet home. Rockefeller also gained in popularity, reflecting a general resurgence of Republican strength among the voters of California. The comparative Nixon-Rockefeller results, against Stevenson:

June Now Nixon 42% 51% Stevsnson 53% 43% Undecided 5% 6% Rockefeller 42%48% Stevenson 50% 44% Undecided 8% 8% Against Kennedy:

June Now Nixon 40% 51% Kennedy 52% 44% Undecided 8% 5% Rockefeller 40%45% Kennedy 48% 46% Undecided 12% 9%

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