Volpe: Supreme Confidence

If there is one word which describes John A. Volpe, the new Republican governor of Massachusetts, it is confident. Throughout the entire gubernatorial campaign, Volpe exuded confidence, but never did he show more assurance than on the night after the election.

In his race with Joseph D. Ward, Volpe concentrated his attacks on the supposed dishonesty of the Democratic administration, of which Secretary of State Ward was a part. In one speech at B. U., Volpe said, "There are three issues in this campaign--corruption, corruption, and corruption."

Volpe was quick to anger. In the same B.U. appearance, as the G.O.P. candidate was proclaiming his lack of involvement in politics, a voice from the audience remarked, "You don't have any experience, either." Volpe turned beet red, and responded with a full listing of his accomplishments, including his term as head of the Department of Public Works, where there was more construction in my last year of office, 1955, than there ever was before or ever has been since." He concluded, his voice almost a shout, "I have had experience in state government, not in the pit of politics. . . .I don't need to prove my honesty. The FBI proved that."

His opponent, Ward, seemingly was endowed with the same sort of explosive with the same sort of explosive nature, for the gubernatorial race was the only contest in Massachusetts that was really marked by bitterness and good old-fashioned mud-slinging. Volpe's position as a prosperous contractor left him open to attack from the Ward side, and he replied in kind.

Volpe's camp particularly delighted in circulating rather outdated statements by Ward to the effect that Harvard had a slightly red tinge and should be investigated.

Often campaigning side by side with Leverett Saltonstall, Volpe was more conspicous in comparison with the mild and soft-spoken senior Senator. After Saltonstall would finish with his short and innocuous remarks the diminutive Volpe would get the floor and begin a sneering, wise, cracking harangue. His brassiness never failed to impress people, one way or another.

And ultimately, his outspoken manner probably worked in his favor. By the end of the campaign, Volpe seemed to be more well-known than his opponent, and clearly was considered a more colorful figure. This popularity factor, combined with Ward's association with a corrupt administration, swung the election to Volpe.

On election night, Volpe showed just how self-assured he really is. At his election headquarters the tally board showed Volpe behind by such margins as 174,004 to 139,516 as 11 P.M. approached. There was an air of apprehension at the Hotel Somerset, and aides who had been predicting a landslide switched their tune to a more conservative, "We'll beat him."

Saltonstall too was running behind, and the Somerset crowd thought there must have been a mistake when television commentators began to award the Senate seat and State House position to the Republican nominees. It did present a strange prospect to the nation's viewers; Saltonstall and Volpe both had "elected" markers placed beside their names on the TV tote boards, but both were bringing up in the rear.

What happened, of course, was that the Boston returns came in first, and though they gave the Democrats a lead, the margin was not enough to offset the expected Republican vote from the western part of the state. In Boston, which Sen. Kennedy carried, 221,152 to 74,014, Thomas J. O'Connor could manage only a 150, 305-to-116,854 lead over Saltonstall and Ward was ahead of Volpe by only 164,129 to 113,090.

But while Saltonstall soon began to cut into O'Connor's margin, Volpe remained well behind Ward. After 1208 of the State's 1984 precincts had reported, Saltonstall took the lead in his race, 600,725 to 572,608. But Volpe still trailed, 587,413 to 534,908.

As his supporters sweated it out at the Somerset, and while Saltonstall waited for a bit more substantial proof of victory, the grinning Volpe was making the local television rounds, accepting congratulations.

Ward, meanwhile, refused to concede. O'Connor capitulated shortly before midnight, but still Ward held firm. Volpe's victory speech, with a pledge to clean up and reorganize Massachusetts government, did nothing but make him more adamant.

On television, when one newscaster asked him to predict his eventual margin, the cheerful Volpe guessed 172,000.

As it turned out, Volpe did not go into the lead until 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, when the totals finally gave him about a 1,000-vote edge. Ward did not concede to Volpe until noon. The Governor-elect eventually triumphed by nearly 138,000 votes.

In contrast with the timidity of Sen. Kennedy, Volpe appeared to be going way out on a limb. Perhaps he was not, but at any rate his confidence was great enough to allow him to risk serious loss of face.

What Volpe's election will means for Massachusetts is hard to predict. Although many observers shuddered at the thought of either Volpe or Ward as Governor during the early stages of the race, the feeling grew that Volpe was perhaps the better risk. This may be so, but then Volpe has not yet had a real opportunity to pull a fast one.

What Volpe's election will means for Massachusetts is hard to predict. Although many observers shuddered at the thought of either Volpe or Ward as Governor during the early stages of the race, the feeling grew that Volpe was perhaps the better risk. This may be so, but then Volpe has not yet had a real opportunity to pull a fast one.