WASHINGTON: The Democratic party emerges from the national mid-term elections with its opposition majority clipped, but still absolute in the United States Senate. With 34 seats accounted for and only one (Alaska) still undecided at 1100 hours GMT, Democrats had won 21, Republicans 11 and a Conservative and an independent one each. …

President Nixon said today [Nov 4] he was “very satisfied” by the way the mid-term elections had gone. Press spokesman Ronald Ziegler, speaking at the President’s holiday resort in San Clemente, said Mr Nixon was particularly happy about the Republican party’s Senate victories in Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland and Connecticut. … Mr Nixon faces a Senate in which his potential Democratic challengers will be sitting with significant political strength.

In Paris, observers said foreign policy consideration did not seem to have affected the election outcome. They were in fact struck by the American electorate’s lack of interest in overseas events, particularly the Indo-China war, which affects so many American families. …

In London, Press and radio commentators saw the outcome as a setback for President Nixon.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2020