The day in 1968 when presidential candidate Romney visited McMinnville

Romney campaign button and a recent photo of the house.

On Feb. 23, 1968, presidential candidate George Romney visited McMinnville.

Governor of Michigan at the time, Romney announced he was running for president on Nov. 18, 1967, in Detroit, Mich.

On Feb. 23, he delivered a speech to the City Club of Portland and taped an edition of KOIN-TV's "Let's Face It." program in the television station's downtown Portland studios. Then he traveled to McMinnville for a campaign stop. After Mac, he went to Lincoln City and was keynote speaker at the Dorchester IV Conference.

On Feb. 28, in Washington D.C., Romney withdrew from the presidential race.

Here’s how the Linfield Review and McMinnville News-Register covered the visit and more.

::::::
Linfield Review
Linfield College student newspaper
McMinnville, Ore.
Feb. 29, 1968, Page 1

Michigan's Romney
Stops In McMinnville
Gov. George Romney of Michigan stopped in McMinnville Friday to "press the flesh." Romney made the nearly unpublicized stop in McMinnville on his way to the Dorchester Republican Conference in Lincoln City.

The day was a blue for Romney, from the baby-blue Chrysler Newport (which has a strange twist since Romney is a past president of American Motors) to his penetrating blue eyes. He played the theme to the hilt, wearing a blue suit, ala LBJ, and blue tie.

Arriving approximately 15 minutes late, Romney bustled past CBS cameras, paused for a moment on the porch and made a bee-line for the lavender living-room. Romney greeted about 70 people including 20 pressmen.

The governor who seemed to have lost his ruddy of cheek television image proceeded with his "blue" talk. He minced no words on the Vietnam "conflict" as he preferred to refer to it. Romney outlined his plank to avert the United States from continuing "down the road” to World War III.
After speaking for less than 20 minutes, Romney bowed out on his host and hostess amid the flashing of cameras. He donned his blue, what else, overcoat and was nearly back in the official car before photographers beckoned him back.

Romney will push for a peace program which Richard Nixon and President Johnson both lack. He insists he'll be back in Oregon, but several primaries and much stumping remains between now and then.

::::::
News-Register
McMinnville, Ore.
Feb. 28, 1968, Page 1

Photo cutline
PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT George Romney, governor of Michigan, was a visitor to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Kohler, Friday to open a Home Headquarters. The governor spoke to over 40 persons in the Kohlers' living room about a variety of topics. A number of reporters sat on the living room floor while the walls were lined with standing local county officials and interested persons. (See picture story on page five.)

Story
"Bring Back Collective Bargaining"
McMinnville Greets Presidential Aspirant

By ELAINE DAHL ROHSE
N-R Special Writer

Governor George Romney, presidential aspirant, in McMinnville Friday afternoon, lashed out at the power of big labor unions and big industries. He said, "Collective bargaining is no longer a process of discussing facts. Union power is so great it takes all progress, plus." The Michigan Governor said, "We must bring back free collective bargaining," and he referred to the power of the unions as a "Power Bludgeon."

Governor Romney, standing in the living room of the Larry Kohler residence, 1420 E. 5th, one of his "home headquarters," faced a group of approximately 30, and a flock of TV cameras and newsmen.

In a conservative navy suit, the iron-grey haired former American Motors president, looking amazingly as he does on television screens, said we have serious crises in our country. He cited the crisis of lawlessness and crime; that of inflation, racial unrest in our cities and the crisis of Vietnam.

He asserted that our country has made some terrible mistakes in Vietnam. The initial mistake, he said, was getting involved in the first place. Now our involvement has become so "built up" to such a great extent, in so many ways, that it is now impossible for us to "walk away,"

He said President Johnson made a mistake when he said we were not going to send American boys to do what the Vietnamese should accomplish themselves. The error was compounded, Romney asserted when the President later reversed himself and sent over large numbers of U.S. troops.Gov. Romney asserted that the Vietnam conflict is a "Political Guerilla War" and that in order to win we must win over the people.

He declared that the President has mistakenly thought he could win the war by winning battles and that hasn't worked. He said the South Vietnamese government must win the hearts and the minds, but that top officials nearest to accomplishing this have resigned, discouraged by futility of their efforts. Romney reiterated that it would be "a disaster" to pull out now. But, he warned, too, that escalating the conflict would lead to World War III. He said Russian has indicated that we won't be "permitted" to win, and supporting this theory he cited their introduction into the war of more sophisticated weapons.

Romney's solution equation to the Vietnam crisis is a "positive program for peace." This peace program would include guaranteed neutralization by pointing out that Russia doesn't want China nor the United States in Vietnam, and those countries in that area are fighting to keep the Chinese out. He asserts that other nations feel that the United States is leading them to World War III and they do not wish to be led into such a conflict.

Romney said he had checked in 12 countries he recently visited and in none of these countries did the statesmen with whom he talked had a better alternative. He added, "Nor does the president, or my primary opposition."

"We need leadership,” Romney affirmed,” and we must have the truth from Washington." He said the people of the United States have been consistently misled by information from the Capitol and referred to reports by General Westmoreland (and Ambassador Bunker) which had left the American public to feel the military situation was well in hand, with morale of the Viet Cong so low that could no longer be effective militarily. Romney in illustrating the "falsity" of this information said "The VietCong now have the initiative on every front and the military position of the United States is worse now than two years ago."

In the brief question and answer session that followed, Romney, speaking easily with ready answers for the questions posed him, said the way to slow down inflation is to eliminate deficit spending. He pooh-poohed the president's efforts along this line, such as travel restrictions, and said this eventually will cease worsening of the situation. He said "We must balance the budget and we must cut spending to the bone." He feels we are already heading down the same road as Britain and that our economic situation must be regarded as a "mess."

Romney's entourage traveling in a large bus and several cars, had Newport as its next stop.

Only one incident apparently marred the Romney visit. A ride across town in the famed Ralph Wortman 1901 Locomobile had to be axed. The steam car, not made by American Motors, which has transported other political greats, such as Dewey, Warren, McKay and Stassen, did not rise to the occasion and refused to run because of a rusted part.

::::::
News-Register
McMinnville, Ore.
Feb. 28, 1968, Page 5, picture story

Gov. George Romney Makes Campaign Stop in Mac

Cutlines for eight photos of picture story

ARRIVING FIFTEEN minutes late, presidential hopeful George Romney, governor of Michigan, was met at the Oriental Garden restaurant in McMinnville where his motorcade of two cars and a press bus were escorted to a future Home Headquarters home.

MRS. LARRY KOKLER greeted the governor as he arrived amid a large contingent of waiting press and interested bystanders. The Kohlers live at 1420 E. 5th Street in McMinnville.

OFFICIALLY SIGNING a document making the Kohler residence a Home Headquarters, Romney is observed by his state campaign manager, Leonard Forsgren (immediate right of Romney), County Judge Charles Teagarden (background) and Ray Fields. The grey-haired governor spent more than 30 minutes discussing various topics with the more than 40 persons present.

Leaving the Kohler home, Romney is about to shake hands with Pete Beall, manager of the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce. Many local county officials were at the home to meet and listen to the presidential hopeful.

"WELL, LET'S SEE NOW" -- Actually Romney was not stumped for words in the Kohlers' tastefully-appointed living room.

EMPHASIZING A point. Romney sometimes made strong gestures to get an idea across to a person asking a question. Among other things, the governor of Michigan that said that it is now impossible for the United States to "walk away" from Viet Nam.

ALMOST MATCHING the number of persons who wanted to meet the governor was a large number of national and local press people who took enough pictured to fill 100 scrapbooks. Forsgren comment as he left with the governor that "there were too many press people" at the home.

DEPARTING FROM the Kohler home, Gov. Romney shakes hands with Ezra Koch of McMinnville while Merrill Hagan (middle) looks on. Romney headed for the Dorchester Conference immediately after leaving McMinnville.

::::::
News-Register
McMinnville, Ore.
Feb. 28, 1968, Page 4, editorial

Impressive Appearance

Strategy of Michigan Gov. George Romney in taking his campaign to the people at grassroots level resulted in a significant dividend for a good many Yamhill County people last Friday. The GOP presidential hopeful and national political leader gave an impressive performance in opening his McMinnville home headquarters.

The impersonal political campaign most Americans now watch at the national level -- a bombardment of the voter by massive media presentations -- are converted to old-time campaign trail efforts in states such as New Hampshire, Oregon and Wisconsin where primary ballots influence national attitudes. At the same time, candidates may open up with greater revelation of their real positions in the quiet, friendly atmosphere of small gatherings. Massive national forums on major TV and press coverage result in several limitations on the latitude of their statements.

Gov. Romney hit some basic notes in his informal talk and question-answering period. He cracked hard at the Johnson Administration's handling of the Vietnam war but he strongly opposed and abrupt pull out. He does believe, however, that a peace offensive could be mounted more effectively by a new national leadership.

His sharp attacks on forces creating our run-away inflation showed solid, business-like understanding of government. Some plain truths, perhaps unpalatable to big labor and big industry, were contained in his charge that power-negotiation has replaced collective bargaining. When wages rocket up twice as fast as productivity --as they did twice last year -- the result can only be unhealthy inflation.

The former automotive industry leader demanded balanced national budgets and disagreed with the Administration that simultaneously we can support full scale war, foreign aid and have all the butter we want at home. He talks of responsible acceptance of hardships which the nation must face to avoid demoralization of its economy -- responsibility which many in our new socialistic order are not willing to shoulder.

Gov. Romney may not win this spring's primary elections. His chances at the GOP presidential nomination are pretty slim. But, he will have performed a major public service to our nation in months of grassroots campaigning by bringing to thousands of U.S. citizens some basic facts they must face if we are to save our nation and its people from ravages of war and economic disaster.

::::::
News-Register
McMinnville, Ore
March 2, 1968, Page 1

Kicker “Kind of Sneaky” with headline below relates to Rockefeller, not Romney.

Romey Quitting
Elicits Reaction

"We're sad and disappointed, because he was an outstandingly honest and fine man," Mrs. Larry Kohler said to the announcement that Governor George Romney will not e a candidate for the presidency.

Gov. Romney visited McMinnville on Friday and announced at a press conference in Washington, D.C., Wednesday afternoon he was quitting the presidential race. The governor of Michigan had established a Home Headquarters at the Kohler residence in McMinnville and had given them a campaign kit, which included posters, bumper stickers and other promotional paraphernalia.

"I think it's kind of sneaky of Rockefeller to not come out and say he is a candidate," Mrs. Kohler commented. "I don't think any prospective candidate for president should dilly-dally around."
Larry Kohler said he has received some good-natured kidding from McMinnville people over his short political career.

"I'm sorry to see him (Romney) withdraw," Kolher said. "Many people who heard him talk Friday had changed their ideas after hearing him."

Ask about Rockefeller "using" Romney for Rocky's own gains, Kohler said he had no opinion on the subject and it was hard to tell without being in on the inner circle of politics.

"We're not going to vote for someone who hasn't gotten out and campaigned" for the election," he said