How Deep?

A Republican Congressman who normally would be a shoo-in for reelection, but who concedes that he may now be in real trouble, is Minnesota's two-term Clark MacGregor, 42.

By almost anyone's standard, MacGregor is an attractive politician. A 6-ft. 3-in. former Dartmouth athlete who won World War II field promotions from Army private to second lieutenant for his intelligence work behind Japanese lines, Attorney MacGregor knocked off six-term Democrat Roy Wier in 1960. He breezed to re-election in his suburban Minneapolis district in 1962. Spotted as one of his party's brightest young men, MacGregor was given a coveted spot on the Judiciary Committee, played a key role in shaping the 1964 Civil Rights Bill.

The latest Minnesota poll, published by the Minneapolis Tribune, shows Lyndon Johnson leading Barry Goldwater by an amazing 74% to 22% in the state. MacGregor thus suffers from identification on the ticket with Goldwater. At the same time, a diehard segment of Goldwaterites in his district threatens to boycott MacGregor because he was a strong supporter of Bill Scranton at San Francisco.

Caught in this crossfire, MacGregor tries to explain his position. "I've been a lifelong unreconstructed Republican, and I support all Republicans from President down to county commissioner," he says. "I do not agree with every position Goldwater has taken. But I respect his courage and his honesty. It would be the most blatant hypocrisy for Republicans who supported other candidates to pretend now that Senator Goldwater was their first choice--but let's remind ourselves that Lyndon Johnson wasn't our choice at all."

That sounds reasonable enough, and MacGregor is still favored to win reelection, but there is still a big "but." One of MacGregor's political foes, State D.F.L. Chairman George Farr, expresses it well. "MacGregor is a good, articulate man, an exceptional campaigner," says Farr. "But the question is: How deep does Goldwater cut?"

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