NEWS CONFERENCE 739

trying to assess the implication of his position as he stated it very
recently. I told you it came as a great surprise to me, and I think it
did to many people. But I am not going to jump from one position
to another hastily, without giving it a great deal of thought.

Q. Would you prefer the Maryland delegation to go to the Con-
vention uncommitted?

A. I don't know at this point. That decision may not even be made
until immediately before the delegation is ready to leave. We don't
even know who they're going to be yet.

Q. Sir, do you hold out hopes that maybe Mr. Rockefeller will still
see the light of day or still get in the race? Do you hold out any hope?

A. I don't see any possibility of that, of his own initiative. I think
that, having once made as clear-cut a statement of his position as he
made, there's little likelihood that he would enter the race for the
nomination.

Q. Do you see any possibility of his winning the nomination without
becoming a candidate?

A. I think it's possible, but you're asking my personal opinion, and
I'd say the odds against it have increased.

Q. Governor, any possibility of any other dark horse coming out at
the Convention?

A. Oh yes, there's always a possibility in anything as fascinating as
politics in a year like this year that some new movement will take
place thrusting some new personality on the scene.

Q. Could you support someone like John Lindsay or Mark Hatfield?

A. I can't think of anyone in the party that's been mentioned as a
candidate for the nomination — offhand — that I couldn't support.

Q. Do you have a No. 2 choice?

A. Not at this point. You recall when I was asked during the time
I was most violently campaigning for Mr. Rockefeller — I guess violent
is a good word because I was probably as active as anyone — was this
a "stop-Nixon" movement? And I said at that time — and I repeat —
that I am not against Mr. Nixon; he may — may— even be my No. 2
choice.

Q. Will this meeting in New York be just you and Mr. Nixon or
with a group of governors?

A. Just the two of us.