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HARTINGTON — A Lincoln author helped several Hartington area residents relive some fond memories Sunday.
Dennis Crawford, co-author of the new book, 'Robert F. Kennedy: The Road Not Taken,' spoke at the Cedar County Historical Museum Sunday to two dozen area residents about Kennedy’s 1968 primary campaign in Nebraska, which included a brief stop in Laurel and a speech and tour around Hartington.
He wrote the book with his daughter, Dr. Laura Crawford.
Crawford, a Lincoln native who practiced law for 47 years before retiring in 2023, said he has always been fascinated by history.
'There are several books about Sen. Kennedy's 1968 campaign for president, but Nebraska is almost completely ignored in all the books,' he said.
The book focuses on Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign in Nebraska, highlighting how the state’s Democratic primary played a critical role in his journey toward the nomination.
At that time, only 15 states held primaries so the Nebraska primary was very important.
Kennedy and his rival Eugene McCarthy placed strong emphasis on winning in Nebraska.
The authors argue that by proving he could carry farm states and rural constituencies, Kennedy bolstered his appeal to party insiders and delegates.
The narrative includes specific moments and anecdotes from Nebraska: Crawford did interviews with several people either connected with Kennedy or who covered the Kennedy campaign. He also did a lot of research through old ne=wspapers, noting that the Cedar County News coverage of the event was invaluable.
One of his favorite interviews was with longtime Lincoln Journal Star reporter Don Walton, who covered Nebraska politics Crawford's talk drew stories from several people in the audience. Cindy Howey recalled how the day unfolded for her, as did Dan Kathol and Duane Arens.
Crawford also talked about how Kennedy made a spontaneous visit to the Beatrice State Home, where he met and interacted with residents, including children with disabilities.
He also writes about Kennedy's engagement with students at Creighton University, addressing issues of draft evasion and public responsibility.
