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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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enveloped the cars and the candidate. And, curiously enough, Kennedy got into our car and he drove back in the car with us.

Q:

Did he comment on this kind of reception?

Lasker:

Not at all. Neither he nor Stevenson made the slightest comment about the tumult, the screaming, the shouting people, the roars of applause. Absolutely cool and collected! Neither of them even made the slightest mention of it.

Q:

By that time it was so commonplace.

Lasker:

It was so commonplace they didn't even talk about it. There were other people in the car with us, including possibly Scotty Reston, although I'm not sure about him, but some good writers or reporters, perhaps Bill Shannon. And Kennedy made some very cool and rather adroit remark to Stevenson. Stevenson answered with great calm or coolness. They weren't being at all mean to each other or hostile, but they were extremely cool and composed, both of them. And the tumult and danger of this performance was something you can't imagine, because of the unbridled enthusiasm of people who were rushing around.

Q:

This kind of turmoil was so characteristic of that particular campaign, wasn't it?

Lasker:

Yes, and neither of them had the slightest feeling of





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