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"It is the mission of each true knight to dream the impossible dream... to run where the brave dare not go, to right the unrightable wrong."
-Don Quixote, the Impossible Dream, Man of La Mancha
"Some see things as they are and say: Why? I dream of things that never were and say 'why not?’ - Robert F. Kennedy
“This is NBC News, and I’m David Brinkley. We now return to our coverage of tonight’s primaries in California, South Dakota and New Jersey. As polls close in New Jersey the race is too close to call. Early returns from Trenton show Senator McCarthy with 37 percent to Senator Kennedy’s 33 percent. Only McCarthy is on the ballot in New Jersey, but a strong write-in campaign for Kennedy might yet deliver him the state. Polls have now closed in California and South Dakota, though we do not expect results from either state until 2 AM Eastern time at the earliest…” Royal Suite, Ambassador Hotel, 11:30 Pacific Time “Why did we not get on the New Jersey ballot again?” “Filing deadlines Bob. You don’t seriously expect us to win-““Of course I do. I expect to win all the remaining primaries I’ve entered. If I can’t win a state with a substantial blue-collar, Catholic, Italian, black, urban population that’s pretty damn embarrassing, isn’t it?” “Polls have now closed in California and South Dakota, and we can now project that Robert Kennedy has won both states with roughly 50% of the vote. Still waiting on those New Jersey results though, McCarthy has 38% to Kennedy’s 36%, and we cannot yet predict the outcome of this highly volatile race tonight.” New York, 2:30 AM “Well, looks like its Bobby. He’s got the momentum now and would be the toughest opponent by far. I always thought he’d be the one, and now I’ve been proven correct.” - Richard Nixon to Bob Haldeman
- Well he won. We don’t know by how much yet, but he won.
This doesn’t mean our campaign is over. Ron says that they still might try to strike a deal. Bobby has been trying to get The Senator join up and as a coalition against The Hump. Ron says that The Senator will never agree to it, especially since they hate each other.
“You’d think two Irish cats like them would get along, but no way.” 3
So here we all are at The Beverly Hills Hotel, waiting for the Senator to say something. We’ve got a row of TVs and some music playing in the background. The Senator is upstairs. I sure hope he hasn’t fallen asleep already.
We’re watching Bobby make his victory speech. Ron said that at least he looks better than he did yesterday.
Democratic primaries, June 4 California (174 delegates) 4 Robert F. Kennedy: 46.3% Eugene J. McCarthy: 41.8% Thomas J. Lynch: 12% New Jersey Robert F. Kennedy: 38.1% Eugene J. McCarthy: 35.6% South Dakota Robert F. Kennedy: 50% Lyndon B. Johnson: 30% Eugene J. McCarthy: 20%
“You should say a few words before the networks go offline for the night: get a victory statement in.” “Wait for me. I’ll be back in fifteen or twenty minutes.” Kennedy headed downstairs to the Embassy Ballroom, where he would address the assembled throng. …“We have certain obligations and responsibilities to our fellow citizens which we talked about during the course of this campaign, and I will fulfill them as your President. So my thanks to all of you, and on to Chicago and let’s win there.”
“Senator, how are you going to counter Mr. Humphrey and his backgrounding you as far the delegate votes go?” “It just goes back to the struggle for it.-” Kennedy paused to shake hands with a dishwasher, turning slightly to his left as he did so.
Before Bobby released the hand of Jesus Perez, the gunman managed to get across the room, prop his right elbow on the serving counter and, from behind two assistant maîtres d'hôtel, fire at his victim just four feet away. Kennedy fell. The hotel men, Karl Eucker and Eddy Minasian, grappled with the assassin, but could not reach his gun hand. Author George Plimpton and Kennedy Aide Jack Gallivan joined the wrestling match. The gun, waving wildly, kept pumping bullets, and found five other human targets. Eight men in all, including Rafer Johnson, an Olympic champion, and Roosevelt Grier, a 300-Ib. Los Angeles Rams football lineman, attempted to overpower the slight but lithe assailant. Johnson finally knocked the pistol out of the stubborn hand. "Why did you do it?" he screamed. "I can explain! Let me explain!" cried the swarthy man, now the captive of the two black athletes and spread-eagled on the counter. Several R.F.K. supporters tried to kill the man with their hands. Johnson and Grier fended them off. Someone had the presence of mind to shout: "Let's not have another Oswald!" Johnson pocketed the gun. So This Is It. From both ends of the serving kitchen, scores of people pressed in. All order had dissolved with the first shots ("It sounded like dry wood snapping," said Dick Tuck of the Kennedy staff). The sounds of revelry churned into bewilderment, then horror and panic. A priest appeared, thrust a rosary into Kennedy's hands, which closed on it. Someone cried: "He doesn't need a priest, for God's sake, he needs a doctor!" The cleric was shoved aside. A hatless young policeman rushed in carrying a shotgun. "We don't need guns! We need a doctor!" Television and still photographers fought for position. Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh swung at one of them. Ethel, shoved back to safety by a hotel employee at the first sound of gunfire, appeared moments later. While trying to get to her husband, she heard a youth scream something about Kennedy. "Don't talk that way about the Senator!" she snapped. "Lady," he replied, "I've been shot." And Ethel knelt to kiss the cheek of Erwin Stroll, 17, a campaign worker who had been wounded in the left shin. “Get a doctor. Senator Kennedy has been shot- Senator Kennedy has been shot. Is that possible? Is that possible? It is possible ladies and gentlemen. He has…” “Is everybody all right?”
“Get him to Samaritan- they’re the only ones with a 1-A neurosurgery unit. Yes sir.” “A few hours later I was awakened by the TV announcement, saying ‘Senator Kennedy has been shot’. I was shocked but quickly fell back to sleep: further updates would be broadcast later that morning.” - My Life by Bill Clinton
The Senator just came down to tell us to pray for Bobby Kennedy. Becca is crying now.
Baby John has gone on with a group to pray for Bobby in another room. Some people have taken their rosaries out to pray.
There’s also a Rabbi here who is also trying to counsel people.
Roger Mudd says that his color was good at the Ambassador. They’ve taken him to a good hospital and he will go into surgery. The reporters are optimistic, especially since the facilities are so good.
Disregarding the relatively harmless bullet in the neck, the surgeons turned their attention to uncovering the damage to Kennedy's brain. The head was shaved. Overlying skin and muscle were then cut and laid back. An air-powered drill bored through the skull, and a segment of bone was removed. Then, while Reid helped control bleeding, Cuneo probed the wound. Softened and bruised brain tissue, bone fragments and clotted blood were removed by suction. "Fortunately, the bullet hit one centimeter to the rear and the Senator is in fairly good condition," Cuneo explained curtly.” - Time, June 18, 1968
“Later we found out that Kennedy had regained consciousness 12 hours after being shot, around 12:30 pm Pacific time, though the media did not know until roughly 4 on the East Coast. I was ecstatic: Bobby had survived and would now be able to continue his campaign after a few weeks’ convalescence.” - My Life Notes 1: Project 1968: Started in January 2008, Project 1968 is a blog docu-novel about the lives of two young women on their way to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago.
It is a way to look at the day-to-day happenings from 40 years earlier. It was created solely by independent writer and researcher, Laura Axelrod.
Janine Stephenson, an 18-year old freshman from the University of Wisconsin, took the semester off to campaign for Senator Eugene McCarthy. She is accompanied by her best friend, Becca.
Amy, a 23-year old anti-war protester, works at a well-known peace group in Chicago.
Character list from Project ‘68 Cast of Project 1968 In Janine's Story... Janine - 18-years-old. A McCarthy Campaign Worker. Intelligent, analytical and grounded. Academically minded and socially pleasing. Becca - 18-years-old. A McCarthy Campaign Worker. . Emotional, adventurous, and often says whatever is on her mind. Mrs. Stoutmiller - In her 60s. A New Hampshire McCarthy Campaign Worker. Precise in her movements and beliefs Craig - In his mid-20s. A grad student who spent too much time with books and now wants to live a little. Socially minded and a good communicator. Ron – In his late 20s. Works on the National staff of McCarthy’s campaign. Intelligent, charismatic, and is often the Devil’s advocate. Janine calls him "Grease Pit." Benjamin - In his early 20s. An African-American hotel doorman in Indiana. Janine dates him during her stay in Indianapolis, despite objections from his family and society-at-large.
In Amy's Story... Amy - 23-year-old passionate red-headed young woman. Committed nonviolent activist. Her father is a well-known Chicago newspaper columnist. Coleman - In his late 20s. A radical journalist who is impatient with nonviolence. Lesley - A 24-year-old radical who lives in a commune called "the living group." She works with Amy. Glasses - A 26 year-old well-respected member of the Movement. Amy becomes his assistant at Coleman's behest. He is well-organized and scientific in his approach. Bea - A 23-year-old woman who serves as office manager to the group. 2. Tommy Caplan was a friend of Clinton’s who worked in Kennedy’s Senate office IOTL. 3. Ironic because that’s precisely why they hated each other’s guts. 4. The only winner-take-all primary.