WHY ROMNEY DROPPED OUT

THE reasons for George Romney's abrupt exit from the New Hampshire primary last week are abundantly clear in a Roper poll commissioned by TIME. Like Romney's own samplings, the Roper survey--completed just before the Governor's decision--presaged humiliating defeat for the Michigander at the hands of Richard Nixon. On the Democratic side, the poll also indicates that the write-in campaign for Lyndon Johnson will end in a handsome victory for the President. The results:

Richard Nixon 65%

Nelson Rockefeller 13%

George Romney 9%

Ronald Reagan 1%

Other Candidates 4%

Undecided or not answering 8%

DEMOCRATS

Lyndon Johnson 62%

Eugene McCarthy 11%

Robert Kennedy 9%

Other Candidates 9%

Undecided or not answering 9%

Despite weeks of wading through New Hampshire's snowdrifts and pushing its doorbells, Romney showed up even weaker than Rockefeller, who has openly discouraged any campaigning for himself in the state. Surprisingly, only 9% of those polled had actually met Romney or even heard him speak in person. But if Republicans were not buying this year's model from Detroit, they were enthusiastic about the "new" Dick Nixon. Asked to pick their candidates' outstanding qualifications, 52% of the Nixonites cited his "maturity and experience" and 40% his "sincerity and conviction." As for Rocky, perhaps partly because his name suggests fiscal solidity, 51% of those who prefer him cited his "ability to keep the economy healthy" while 32% thought the New Yorker had the best chance to win in November, v. 17% who favored Nixon's chances.

Crucial Issues. Not surprisingly, Viet Nam was the question on everyone's mind. Given a list of top issues, 69% said they would choose a candidate partly according to his views on the war, 55% on his ability to manage the economy and--.perhaps reflecting the credibility gap attributed to Johnson--41% on the candidate's sincerity and conviction. Since New Hampshire is largely made up of small towns in a rural setting, only 25% thought "crime and violence in the streets" was a crucial issue.

Within his own party, L.B.J.'s Viet Nam policy won strong backing. The evidence is that 56% of Democrats who favor his renomination cite his position on the war as the main reason. In contrast, Senator McCarthy of Minnesota, whose explicit aim in running is to attack that policy, has so far drummed up scant support. Nor does an avalanche of write-ins appear imminent for Bobby Kennedy, another critic of the war policy, who is not on the ballot and has discouraged any campaigning on his behalf.

Though New Hampshire Democrats heavily favor Johnson, only 28% named sincerity as one of his strong points. Johnson is in trouble with the rest of the New Hampshire voters. In 1964 he beat Goldwater in a state with 149,000 registered Republicans and 89,000 registered Democrats. Now, 63% of Granite Staters say they want to see him defeated in November.

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