1968.01.12 “I see a few…” by Eddie Germano

1968.01.12 “I see a few…”
by Eddie Germano (1924-2026)
11 x 15, ink and wash on board
Coppola Collection

A native Bostonian, Germano became a full-time cartoonist in 1948, at age 24, after serving in WWII. Among other positions, he worked as the editorial and sports cartoonist for the Brockton Enterprise from 1963-1990. 

The iconic Old Man of the Mountain of Franconia Notch (a face profile that crumbled in 2003) looks to the nation’s first presidential primary, held on March 12, 1968, as all the would-be candidates line up to woo the Granite State.

Although no one anticipated it, the New Hampshire presidential primary was a historic political turning point. In the Democratic race, anti-war Senator Eugene McCarthy, who had only announced in January, captured 42% of the vote against President Lyndon B. Johnson's 48%. On the Republican side, former Vice President Richard Nixon won in a landslide with roughly 78% of the vote. McCarthy's unexpectedly strong showing against an incumbent president severely damaged Johnson's political standing, precipitating Johnson's decision to drop his re-election bid just weeks later on March 31.