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In addition, the speech had a sort of “praise the Lord and pass the ammunition” quality to it which seemed to befit a former Marine space pilot.

When it was over, his credibility as a presidential candidate, which some in the audience had questioned earlier, seemed firmly established.

Later, in a score of hospitality suites around the hotel, the possibility of a Glenn-Robb ticket seemed a bit less of a pipe dream.

Among those on hand was Dr. Larry Sabato, the nationally respected author and political analyst from the University of Virginia. I asked him if the combination had a winning potential.

“I think it would have national appeal,” said Dr. Sabato. “Whichever candidate wins the presidential nomination, he’s going to have to pick a southerner for his running mate. That’s just a given. And of the southerners who are available, Robb is one of the two or three most likely to be on the ticket, or at least to be asked to be on it by the nominee.

“It seems to me that Robb is most likely to- run with John Glenn,” he continued.

“He’s likely to say no to several others. So a Glenn-Robb matchup is a possibility. It has appeal. It has southern appeal. Robb is the sort of national southern Democrat who could broaden the party’s electoral base throughout the country.

“I think it would be a good, solid ticket that has the right geographic balance while at the same time it is a national ticket without merely a regional favorite for the vice presidency,” he said.

Several speakers in the course of the evening’s program made light-hearted references to such a pairing, but both men steered clear of any comments which might either encourage or discourage the speculation.

Sen. Glenn, however, responded to a reporter’s question shortly after his arrival, and observed that Gov. Robb had “the right stuff’ for national office.

While Glenn’s invitation to address the Democratic fund raiser might reasonably be taken as a signal that he has the inside track as the favorite of the state party’s high command for the nomination, this may not necessarily be the case.

Members of the Democratic leadership insist that no such interpretation should be read into Sen. Glenn’s appearance. He was, however, the only candidate or prospective candidate to whom an invitation to speak was extended.

In addition, some of Gov. Robb’s closest advisers counsel against his even considering accepting the vice-presidential nomination next year. They reason that it would be too dangerous, since a defeat could wreck his chances of being on the ticket in 1988, when they believe he would have his best shot at a successful run for national office.

Others, however, see the robust Genn-Robb duo both ex-marines, as the ideal center-right combination needed to unhorse the aging Pres. Reagan and his politically invisible vice president, George Bush.

These decisions, of course, lie in the misty future.

For the present, it is safe to say that John Glenn is a far stronger candidate in Virginia than he was before his speech.

And it’s also safe to say that a possible Glenn - Robb Democratic ticket in 1984 deserves a bit more serious discussion than it was getting before the Jefferson-Jackson Day festivities.