Remarks to Reporters on the Results of the 1970 Elections

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen:

As is usually the case in an off year election, I note that both parties are making claims of victory. Chairman O'Brien,¹ with justification, points to the fact that in State races his party picked up several governorships. On the other hand, we are very happy to see that in the two biggest States, California and New York, Governor Reagan and Governor Rockefeller won overwhelming victories.

In the national races, which you ladies and gentlemen have been covering, and in which I have been campaigning, I perhaps think the best analysis of that can be given by quoting what [columnist] Walter Lippmann had to say after an election in which the results were somewhat parallel to this in 1962. He said then that according to the rules of the political game, as it has been played in this country for the last 50 years, when the party in power loses little or anything in an off year election, it has to be called a victory.

Consequently, I would call this a victory by that standard. First, as far as the House is concerned, the loss appears now to be nine, as compared with the average of 40 since the year 1870, or an average of 36 in the last 50 years. And this means that in the House we will still have the support that we have had previously for our policies in the foreign and the national security areas, which are of such vital importance.

The most important result of the election from the standpoint of the administration, and I think from the standpoint of the world and the Nation, is in the Senate.

The gain was two. It possibly may be three, depending upon how the count comes out in Indiana.

But far more significant than the gain of two or three is something that you ladies and gentlemen will remember when I pointed out that the reason I was campaigning so hard over the country was that, in the past 2 years, the Senate has been so evenly divided that a majority of one determined the big votes on foreign policy and national defense, and that I felt it was important to have more than a majority of one in support of the administration's policies in foreign policy and national defense.

We have increased our majority now to a working majority. We have a working majority in both the House and the Senate for national defense and also for foreign policy; a working majority of four in the Senate, which means that in terms of the President's ability to conduct foreign policy, to make decisions that he considers and that his administration considers are important to the future of the country and to the cause of peace generally, that he can speak with a much stronger voice in the world than was previously the case.

The results of this election, as far as the Senate is concerned, will not go unnoticed abroad. They enormously strengthen our hand at home, and I believe they will contribute to the goal that I have been talking about: our desire to end the war in Vietnam with a just peace, and to conduct our foreign policy generally and our defense policy in a way that we can win a full generation of peace.

In terms of the people who have run generally around the country, I have been getting off a few notes this morning, making a few calls. I, naturally, have congratulated the winners, particularly where we have campaigned for them. I sent a few notes to those who lost, too.

I do want to say, speaking on television and radio, to all the winners, Democrats and Republicans, my congratulations, and to all the losers, my condolences, Democrat and Republican.

This, like all campaigns, was hard fought, and I know how hard it is for the candidate to lose, and it is very hard for his family.

I think they will come out, however, stronger men as a result of the loss, if they just don't let the loss get them down.

One little personal note with regard to the election. I pointed out yesterday that this was the first vote for a couple that has been very close to our family for the last 6 years, Manolo and Fina Sanchez, who are refugees from Cuba.

Mrs. Sanchez told me just before she voted that she didn't sleep all night. She said she felt that having the chance to vote was the greatest thrill that she had ever had in her life. And she summed it up simply by saying, "Just think, my vote is just as important as that of the President of the United States."

I hope all the American people realize that now the majority has spoken, the real majority in this country. There have been hard-fought races. It has been a hard. fought campaign.

But particularly in the field of foreign policy and national defense policy, I am most grateful to the American people, to that majority that has spoken, not in a partisan sense but simply in the sense that I have tried to present to the country.

I believe that our hand has been strengthened. I believe the chances to win a full generation of peace have been increased as a result of the fact that the President can now speak with a stronger voice because he will have stronger backing in the United States Senate than previously was the case.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.