Show Laurence Burton Tells of Secret t Action Behind Scenes in Miami Thousands of p people eo pie have gone home Miles and miles of electric cable have been loaded loade and routed towards Chicago Tons of paper have be been en burned or thrown a away way And a lot of sleeping has been done this week to catch up for fot the week before The GOP Gap Convention is over and during the week just past I have had an opportunity to reflect on the many things which took place at Miami Were We're all beginning to know the man behind the name of Agnew the Governor of Maryland Maryland Maryland Mary Mary- land who achieved fame through his stand on the Baltimore riots But since I returned to Washington Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington Ive I've been asked by many people just why was he chosen What particular talents for the vic vice presidency does he possess possess possess pos pos- sess Who were the others really in contention for the veep I suppose the reason Im I'm asked these questions is be because because because be- be cause I was a Nixon floor leader lead lead- er and in on some of the behind behind be hi hind d the scenes scenes' parleys First of all George Romney was in the running for vice president up until almost the day of the nominations I was in inon inon inon on a conversation of top Nixon people discussing Romney Romneys chances for the vice-presidency vice will be greatly enhanced if he will throw his votes to Nixon went one of the lines Another man said Romney Romney Rom Rom- ney is almost guaranteed a post apost postin in Nixons Nixon's cabinet but hes he's got gotto gotto gotto to act now and support Nixon I had a hard time myself over the Romney favorite son role I have always been a great ad admirer admirer admirer ad- ad of the governor and supported him when he was in the running But when he pulled pulled pulled pul pul- pul- pul led out of the presidential race I phoned him and asked him if I could support Nixon The governor told me yes and I Ithen Ithen Ithen then diverted my attention to towards towards towards to- to wards the former vice dent When the Utah dele delegation gallon took the position that they were not going to vote for Governor Reagan Rea Rea- gan for gan-for for whom they were pledged pledged but but instead vote for Romney on the first ballot it was h hard a r d for me to de decide c ide against joining them But since I was a Nixon floor leader and had publicly said I would vote for Nixon on the first ballot my loyalties remained with him Anyway Romney was out as asfar asfar asfar far as the nominations nominations nominations nomina nomina- went-but went he still wouldn't budge from his favorite son role How about the others Some 25 names were being tossed about in the press for the vice-presidency vice but behind the scenes there were only a handful hand hand- ful fil Of men who really were being be being being be- be ing considered Percy Rockefeller Rockefeller Rocke- Rocke feller Reagan Hatfield Lindsay Lindsay Lindsay Lind Lind- say and a man not mentioned on the outside Agnew I learned that Percy was out He was wait waiting i n g for 1972 and didn't want to be veep under Nixon although he might have accepted under Rocky Rocky him himself sell w was s out be because because because be- be cause he wanted the top prize or none at all Lindsay would have killed all hopes for gaining anything in the South Hatfield's views on the nam war were considered too dovish Reagan would have been a good choice but too many as associated associated associated as- as him with Goldwater and the GOP Gap didn't want another 1964 But what about Agnew The first I heard was in a Nixon meeting when a top aide to the former vice president told me that none of the favored few would get the that nod-that the selection would come as a big surprise As nearly everyone who was watching the TV news conference conference conference confer confer- ence Friday will attest it was wasa a surprise Why Agnew Several reasons according to those I spoke with First hes he's been a good vote getter he won by almost votes in 1966 Hes He's a top manin man manin manin in solving racial unrest He put puta a quick stop to the Baltimore riots earlier this year And we must remember crime and social unrest likely will be the number one problem to be dealt with by both Republicans and Democrats this election year Agnew is governor of a border border border bor der state and is liked by both North and South He could win the states who would have gone to Reagan a and d more importantly importantly importantly import import- antly those thinking about shifting shifting shift shift- ing to George Wallace Agnew handles himself well in front of the pre press press press-a s s-a s a press which has the duty to find out ifa if ifa ifa a m man n is qualified to hold the second spot on the tick ticket t. t And Agnew is liked by the Democrats too A Democrat himself until the end of the Second World War Agnew made the switch to the GOP but has had help at the voting booth from both D Democrats e m o c r a t s and Republicans Republicans Republicans in his quick rise to the Maryland governors governor's mansion There were actually three GOP Gap conventions going on in Miami One convention was seen on TV and reported in the press The other was the one being conducted through official channels channels channels chan chan- nels on the convention floor and andin andin andin in committee meetings The third was the one behind closed doors And the latter to me was the most ex exciting c i it tin ing g convention which took too k place at Mia Miami m i v Beach |