“Primary Ring” (March 16, 1968)
By Charles Phillip Bissell (1926 -)
16.5 x 12, ink and wash on board
Coppola Collection

In 1960, Boston Globe cartoonist Phil Bissell, working for $25 a day, was handed an assignment that would change his life—and the lives of fans of the brand-new AFL football team coming to Boston. “Sports editor Jerry Nason came to me and he said, ‘They’ve decided to call the team the Boston Patriots. You better have a cartoon ready for tomorrow’s edition.’” Bissel’s “Pat Patriot” cartoon was the Patriot’s logo from 1961-1992.

In 1968, only 5 years out from the assassination of his brother, Robert Kennedy had decided he was not going to run. A senator from New York, RFK disagreed with President Johnson (LBJ) on policy, especially the Vietnam War. He was hesitant to challenge the man who succeeded JFK.

On March 16, 1968, in the midst of a tumultuous era, Kennedy told the world he had changed his mind. The strong showing by Gene McCarthy in the NH primary is said to have had a strong effect on Kennedy’s decision to run. Reaction to his announcement was generally enthusiastic and hopeful… and is likely to have contributed to the surprise announcement by LBJ, on March 31, that he was dropping out of the race and would not seek to be re-nominated for the presidency.

Less than 3 months after this was published, RFK was assassinated in an LA hotel.

Ironically, the cartoon shows these three still in the game when, eventually, it was Hubert Humphrey who ran against Richard Nixon.