Correspondents: Morgan Beatty, Leon Pearson, Bryson Rash, Arthur Barriault, Alex Dreier, Elmer Peterson, Leif Eid.
     Producer: James L. Holton. Announcer: Gene Hamilton.

     ANNOUNCER. The Countdown - X Minus Nineteen.

     Voice (simulated intercom with rocket firing in background). Four, three, two, one.

     ANNOUNCER. NBC News presents "Election Countdown," coast to coast the third in a series of campaign progress reports from around the Nation as the 1960 presidential election day approaches. Our two anchor men in Radio Central are Morgan Beatty and Leon Pearson. Here is their roundup report, 19 days before E-day.

     BEATTY. Tonight, we take another look at the campaign situation. My colleague, Leon Pearson, and I, along with five other NBC newsmen who have been keeping watch on campaign developments across 50 States. First, let me defer to Leon Pearson.
     PEARSON. Well, when this series began 3 weeks ago, our reporters from the five areas showed Kennedy leading in Southern States having 60 electoral votes as against Nixon leading in States having 22. Also, Kennedy was leading in Midwestern States with 58 electoral votes, while Nixon had the lead in Midwestern States with 45. Thus, in those two areas, Kennedy had the advantage. But in the Far West and the Southwest, the situation was reversed with Nixon ahead in both areas. Then, when we turn to the Northeast, and we included Ohio in that grouping, we found this to be the great area of indecision.
     Three key States - Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York - were reported as undetermined, as was Illinois in the Midwest area. Well. tonight, we expect to have a much sharper picture. To sum up the findings of 3 weeks ago, we had Kennedy leading in States with 180 votes; Nixon in States with 162. But the largest figure was the undetermined States, that is, 195. We hope to reduce that figure this evening and, by the same token, to increase the definite findings.
     BEATTY. And, as they say in England, Leon, that takes it up to last week. Suppose we take our electronic whirl for this week. First, our report on the South and the border States, to Bryson Rash.

     RASH. * * * plus Louisiana, and Arkansas, and the border States of Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland. The prize here is 144 electoral votes. It seems obvious that neither candidate will win all of them, but they will fight hard for as many as possible. In September, this area was a major battleground. Today, the Nixon strength in the South and border States has weakened. There are at least three reasons for this. The first is, the strength of Democratic candidate Kennedy in the Northern States as indicated by the recent splurge of polls and the enormous receptions he has received on his campaign tours. The southern politician, perhaps the most accomplished practitioner of this art in this country, is reexamining his position. He doesn't like the Democratic platform planks on "civil rights" and economic affairs. He has shuddered at many a statement made by the candidate of his party. He is "gun shy" on the religious issue. But, has come around to the point of view that, perhaps, Kennedy can win this election, and the last thing in the world any politician wants is to find himself in that most embarrassing position of not supporting a winner. Hence, the Southern and border State political leaders are adding strength to the Democratic cause.
     The second reason for the better position of Kennedy in the South is the yeoman work of Vice Presidential Candidate Lyndon Johnson. Democratic Party bigwigs in Washington will frankly admit that Johnson has justified the confidence which Kennedy paced in him. Johnson's recent whistlestop tour through eight Southern States, in which he talked to the people as one of them but more importantly talked to the politicians as one expert to another. He left a trail of converts to the Kennedy-Johnson ticket.
     The third reason for the uplift in Kennedy prospects in the South and border States is the insistence by the Republican vice presidential candidate, Henry Cabot Lodge, that a Negro will be appointed to the Cabinet if Nixon is elected. The Republican standard bearer has tried to discount this possibility, but it is questionable if he has succeeded. The Lodge statement stirred up the relatively quiet civil-rights issue again with a plus value to Democrats, at least in this area of the Nation. In summary, the State-by-State evaluation as of today: Alabama, Kennedy ahead; Arkansas, safe for the Democrats; Florida, Nixon leading; Georgia, safe for Kennedy; Kentucky, tossup; Louisiana, almost safe for Kennedy; Maryland, leaning to Kennedy; Mississippi, tossup; Missouri, Kennedy ahead; North Carolina, leaning toward Kennedy; South Carolina, tossup; Tennessee, leaning toward Kennedy; Virginia, Nixon ahead; West Virginia, leaning to Kennedy. Of the 14 States with 144 electoral votes, Kennedy leads in 9 with 96 electoral votes; Nixon leads in 2 States with 22 votes. Three States are a tossup with 26 electoral votes.

     PEARSON. Well, now, Morgan, I've got my pencil and paper handy here, and I'm going to keep a running total.
     BEATTY. Good.
     PEARSON. For the South, as Bryson Rash has just reported, Kennedy is shown to be leading in States representing 96 electoral votes. Nixon, ahead in States with 22. And 26 electoral votes in the South are undecided.
     BEATTY. Twenty-six undecided! Those "undecideds" are dropping away. Well! Let's turn to the Southwest. Arthur Barriault.

     BARRIAULT. At the moment, Senator Kennedy seems to stand a fairly good chance to win 36 of the 40 electoral votes in the States of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. Nothing certain about this, but he seems to be gaining ground. Big Texas is also the big "if," so we'll save this for last. Oklahoma has 8 votes. I'm told, 6 weeks ago, Nixon was a sure winner by a large majority. Since then, a Kennedy trend has started. Part of this background is the religious issue, which in Oklahoma has been latent, never rampant. Many Oklahomans were impressed by the Senator's appearance before the ministers in Houston, Tex. Democratic Senators Kerr and Monroney have helped Kennedy by meeting the issue head-on, under the theory, the more publicity the quicker it disappears in voters' minds. Kennedy has also made a great impression in the radio-TV debates. He, Lyndon Johnson, and Senator Symington - all plan Oklahoma appearances to help the cause. Democrats feel this will help. They wonder how long the trend will continue, and, of course, what the outcome will be. But sources in Washington now think Kennedy can take the State. Arizona's a tossup, with followers of young, vibrant Democratic Congressman Udall fighting the great influence of conservative Republican Senator Gold water. Four votes involved here. I'm told Kennedy would be foolish to write it off, but Nixon seems to have the edge. New Mexico's congressional representation is all Democratic. This, plus the fact the State has a large Catholic population, seems to put it in the Kennedy column. As we said, "big" Texas, the big "if." Kennedy's religion does not add to his popularity. Texans don't like the Democratic platform. Oilmen fear Kennedy might cut their tax-depletion allowance. They don't like native son, Lyndon Johnson, playing second fiddle. But basically, they're Democrats. Johnson is a Texan. State pride could be a big factor, so Kennedy could take it. The guess here is, you may take out your little tabulator and give Kennedy 36 electoral votes.

     PEARSON. Well, that qualified assessment of the Texas outlook gives Kennedy 36 more electoral votes, that is, for the Southwest; Nixon, 4; and none, in this area, undecided.
     BEATTY. And, we should stress the word "qualified," perhaps. Next, the Midwest.
     Our reporter, Alex Dreier.

     DREIER. We are about to go out on a limb. How long it is and how strong it is, we just aren't. sure. But it's our limb and we're stuck with it. We're handing the majority of the Middle West over to Senator Kennedy. How big a majority, we're not sure. We're not even sure of our limb, at this point; but this is the way we see things now. Illinois looks like Democratic country again. The liberal, tireless Senator Paul Douglas is working his political magic again and figures to outtalk and outlast his Republican opponent, Samuel Witwer. Otto Kerner, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Illinois, has made a deep impression on non-Democratic audiences and one Republican precinct captain put it this curious way: "Somehow, this guy has got a nonpartisan look about him." Well, I'm not so sure the Democrats would agree with the logic of that. As to the No. 1 man, Senator Kennedy, he benefits from the huge Chicago area majority and possibly from a shift from Governor Stratton to Kerner downstate. It doesn't have to be a big shift to put Kennedy across. The "farm vote," pooh-poohed by the less sophisticated political prognosticators in the Middle West, could swing Iowa, Kansas, and the Dakotas either way. But other forces are at work. In South Dakota, Karl Mundt has a tough fight on his hands with 38-year-old George McGovern, an ex-teacher already toughened in the political wars in his jousting for a seat in the House of Representatives on two occasions. In Minnesota, the Democrats are not too optimistic over Senator Humphrey's chances for reelection, and some who are saying there is a hard core of Humphrey men who won't forgive some of the tactics used by Kennedy supporters in the West Virginia primary. Yet, Minnesota has a history of liberalism at the ballot box. Indiana you concede to Mr. Nixon, if you can really concede anything in this election. Wisconsin could provide surprises, but Kennedy made a good impression there. It makes little sense to say that as Illinois goes, so goes the Middle West, but it could happen that way. The big ones - Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota - could go to Kennedy and some think they will. If they did, it wouldn't even be close as far as electoral votes are concerned, so the "limb" reads this way: Kennedy 74; Nixon 41. And we think that's a limb and not driftwood.

     PEARSON. Well, as I poke through Alex Dreier's Midwest driftwood, I find 74 votes for Kennedy, 41 for the Vice President; and, by the way, it makes an interesting comparison with what he reported in our first report which was 3 weeks ago, when he gave Nixon 45 - it's now 41 - and Kennedy 58 - and that's now 74.
     BEATTY. Well. It looks as if the Midwest is beginning to appear like a photographic print in the developer. Well, let's shift all the way across the country now, Leon, to the 11 States that make up the Far West. Here is Elmer Peterson in Los Angeles.

     PETERSON. President Eisenhower's visit to California this week, with scheduled talks at San Francisco and San Diego, has boosted Republican hopes that Vice President Nixon will carry California with its vital 32 electoral votes. All the President has to do at this stage, in the belief of some Republicans, is transfer some of his prestige in popularity in the Far West to Nixon, and the Vice President will win his home State. Not by any smashing vote - neither side dares hope for anything like that - but enough to gain a State that could conceivably cast the deciding votes in the election. Whether the President can transfer his popularity is, of course, highly debatable. But in the past 10 days, the California campaign tours by Nixon, himself, and by Ambassador Lodge, plus the present visit by the President, have undoubtedly had some effect. Nixon now seems to have gained back a slight advantage in a see-saw battle. But the Democrats have their own plans for a final campaign punch in California, with Senator Kennedy now scheduled to fly in November 1st and 2d for a big slam in northern California, especially.
     All tolled, the Far West with its 77 electoral votes, counting Hawaii and Alaska, is still a tossup with a final swing to one side or the other to be determined in the days ahead by international developments, reports on the economic state of the Nation, and the effects of last-minute campaigning. Kennedy last week had the advantage in California of a campaign tour by Adlai Stevenson, plus new registration figures showing the Democrats with 57.54 percent of the voters. But the struggle for the enormous independent and uncommitted vote in the Far West goes on with unpredictable results on several issues, not least that of religion. And the countdown this week goes like this: Hawaii's 3 electoral votes still look good for Nixon as do Alaska's 3 for Kennedy. Washington, with 9 votes, still favors Kennedy, but the Democrats are a bit worried. Utah, with its large Mormon vote, still looks solid to give Nixon 4 votes; and Idaho should do the same with its 4. Nevada's 3 are regarded as still in the Kennedy column, along with Montana's 4. Colorado, formerly fairly firm for Nixon, now looks a bit doubtful but Nixon can still claim a slight advantage. In Wyoming, Kennedy's gain should pick up 3 votes and Oregon's 6 still look good for Nixon. Now, put aside California, with its big 32 votes, and the 10 other Far West States can be said right now to line up 23 electoral votes for Nixon and 22 for Kennedy. Grant Nixon the California vote as of this reading, and it becomes 55 for Nixon and 22 for Kennedy, compared with 51 to 26, 2 weeks ago. There is a strong impression, however, that Kennedy has been gaining ground throughout the Far West and is cutting down Nixon's apparent advantage in some States. As of now, he and Nixon could come out fairly even in electoral votes with the Far West States outside of California. The big question still is: Who will take California?

     PEARSON. Well, that certainly is a big question - a 32-vote question. Incidentally, I recall that Peterson told us in the first report, 3 weeks ago, that there was an edge for Nixon. And then in the second report, there was an edge for Kennedy, presumably because Stevenson had been campaigning in California. And now, tonight, in the third report, something of an edge for Nixon - really a see-saw situation in California. But, to go back to the tabulation: Nixon edges Kennedy on the west coast by 23 to 22, with that big 32-California-vote in the uncertain class. Next, Morgan?
     BEATTY. Well, next is the most potent part of the Nation, as far as electoral votes are concerned - the giant industrial Northeast. We've asked Leif Eid to summarize tonight's situation there.

     EID. The industrial Northeast - 11 States with 161 electoral votes - is probably going to have more to say about how this presidential race goes than any other section of the country. It is still not safe territory for either Vice President Nixon or Senator Kennedy. But the big development of the week, I think, is the Kennedy surge to a slight lead in the biggest one of them all - New York State, with 45 electoral votes. Ohio is another one where the Democratic candidate seems to have the edge. But the lead is tenuous. The "leaners," one way or the other, seem to have no great affection for either candidate, not like they had for FDR or Dwight D. Eisenhower. And some sharp-breaking event, like a Castro attack on Guantanamo or a bad showing by their current preference in tomorrow night's "great debate" broadcast, could make them lean decisively in the other way. Here's tonight's countdown, North to South. Maine, 5 electoral votes, a definite edge for Nixon. New Hampshire, 4 electoral votes, decidedly for Nixon. Vermont, 3 electoral votes, Nixon, the heavy favorite. Massachusetts, 16 electoral votes, safely in the Kennedy column. Rhode Island, 4 electoral votes, count this one for Kennedy, too. Connecticut, 8 electoral votes, the Democrats think they've got it for Kennedy.
     Republicans say that, after Nixon's tremendous visit, Connecticut is now open territory. Probably, still a slight edge for Kennedy. New York - the big one - 45 electoral votes. Republicans are unhappy about Governor Rockefeller's efforts for Nixon , so far. He has advised Nixon to come back and do some "hard" campaigning. The Democrats say Kennedy's ahead at the moment, and he probably is. New Jersey, 16 electoral votes, both parties claim it. Let's call it a tossup. Pennsylvania - another big one - 32 electoral votes. Democrats claim an edge for Kennedy because of heavy registration increases, particularly in Philadelphia, plus depression in the hard-coal fields. Republicans admit they'll take a clobbering in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh but count on the traditionally Republican countryside to pull Nixon through. You name it. Delaware, three electoral votes. Democrats are "underdogging" Kennedy here. Put it down for Nixon. Ohio, 25 electoral votes. Democrats add up Catholicism, anti-Catholicism, the labor unions, unemployment, and Governor Di Salle's better party organization and come out with Kennedy the leader. Republicans count on Nixon's campaign swing next week to turn the tide. Till then, give Kennedy an edge. Total, safe for Nixon, 4 States with 15 electoral votes. Safe for Kennedy, 2 States with 20 electoral votes. The rest: 5 States with 126 electoral votes, up for grabs, but with Kennedy having a momentary edge in two big ones - New York and Ohio, with 70 electoral votes.

     PEARSON. Well, now to recap Leif's report: Leaning to Senator Kennedy, States representing 98 votes; for Vice President Nixon 15; and a big and important 48 votes undecided.
     BEATTY. Well, now, before we go along any further here, Leon, how are your tabulations coming on - the totals?
     PEARSON. Well, as I say, I've got my pencil here. Our reporters have discussed all 50 States, and this is how our countdown report 3 weeks before the election (in fact, it's a little less than that), stacks up. Kennedy leading in States representing 326 votes. Nixon leading in States representing 105. And there are 106 undecided. May I add, by way of comparison, that, in our first tabulation, which was 3 weeks ago, Kennedy was leading in States representing 180 and the figure is now 326, according to our boys. Nixon was leading in States representing 162, now 105. And there were much - a much larger number undecided, that is, 195, now whittled down to 106, which is what we had hoped to do tonight.
     BEATTY. Yes, well. I should think we should discuss New York State now. Don't you think it would be quite appropriate, in view of the fact that New York's 45 looms here as the swinging vote in the eastern-northeastern part of the United States?
     PEARSON. Yes. There's some interesting things that are taking place here. I notice that the New York Daily News, as of today (and by the way, the News editorially supports Nixon), has published the first returns of its so-called secret straw poll, by saying that New York State is still up for grabs but the Republican vote in all parts of the State, rural as well as urban areas, is running far behind the fantastic record made by President Eisenhower in 1956. Overall, the News poll gives Kennedy 51.1 percent of the votes in New York and Nixon 48.9. Incidentally, I happen to be a resident of Westchester County, which is known as the richest county in the country (which doesn't necessarily apply to all its citizens), and I notice that the News says: "A remarkable picture is presented in Westchester County, where the Republican advantage in '56 was 72 percent (that was the Eisenhower vote) and today it is just over 53 percent."
     BEATTY. Well, now, you mentioned the fact that the Daily News is a Republican newspaper, or usually is - registers independent, of course - and does support the Nixon ticket. Now, another New York City newspaper supporting the Nixon ticket took its own survey with the finding that - well, let's quote it: "Senator Kennedy seems to have established a clear lead over Vice President Nixon for the 45 votes of New York State. Soundings [we're still quoting] taken by both parties have astonished Democrats and shocked Republicans." Here's another quote from the World-Telegram, and we must remind you that this is a newspaper supporting Vice President Nixon:

     The No. 1 reason for all of this is that Vice President Nixon simply is not attracting to himself the independent and the dissident Democratic voters who supported General Eisenhower in his two campaigns. Also, the Nixon-Lodge ticket seems to have failed to win the independents whom Nelson Rockefeller rallied when he won here in 1958.

     Voice (simulated intercom with rocket firing in background). * * * Four, three, two, one.

     ANNOUNCER. This has been an NBC News Department presentation, James L. Holton, producer, Gene Hamilton, speaking.