The popular incumbent is re-elected by a record margin to a third term as governor, and immediately the talk begins that he should be running for president. This is the same governor who was thrown out of office in an upset at the end of his first term and was forced to make a comeback after spending time in political exile. Well, he learned a lot in exile and did come back, winning his old job back and then winning it again for a total of three terms, two of them in a row. The incumbent president is not seeking re-election so the job is open, and candidates have been lining up on both sides for a crack at it. The presidential primaries promise to be long and tough, but people around this governor think their man can be a player in this political scenario. No, this is not Democratic Gov. Michael Dukakis and the year is not 1986. The year is 1966, and the governor is Republican John A. Volpe. Bat the political situation now bears an eerie resemblance to that two decades ago when Volpe, dreaming about a possible shot at the presidency, came close to becoming Richard Nixon s vice president. Volpe was first elected governor in 1960, defeating Democrat Joseph D. Ward by 52.5 to 46.8 percent of the vote. Seeking re-election in 1962, when the term of the governor was only two years, and when the lieuten- ant governor was elected separately, Volpe was defeated in a surprising upset by Democrat Endicott \"Chub\" Peabody in a close fight. Volpe got 49.7 percent of the vote to Peabody s 49.9. This is the same Peabody, by the way, who was beaten by incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Warren Rudman for the Senate in New Hampshire Tuesday. Peabody served for two years before he was beaten by then-Lt. Gov.
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