are in order. There was a big loser and

are in order.

There was a big loser and a big winner in the affair.

Hie big loser, regrettably, was Gov. Chuck Robb.

The governor is supposed to be the titular head of the party, yet his role at the convention seemed to be that of a passive bystander with only a bemused and detached interest in what was taking place.

His reluctance to become actively involved ranged from his lukewarm endorsement of the candidate for the U.S. Senate nominated by the convention, former Del. Edythe Harrison of Norfolk, to his failure to openly support his own positions on a number of issues. His views on them were somewhat furtively passed to party leaders by a Robb lieutenant early in the action. They were on an untitled and unsigned sheet of paper which was distributed, and heard of no more.

Among the ftaeitions was a recommendation that incumbent National Committeewoman Louise Cunningham of Lynchburg be re-elected. She was defeated. Another was a recommendation that the convention reject a proposal that a Resolutions Committee be formed to writetpplstform for the party. It ? - was done, albeit by a narrow vote. *

Robb’s ftOure may have been that ne tried to ‘ work behind the scenes through the party organization to achieve his goals. The problem was that no organization had been developed with sufficient strength and clout to do the job.

Perhaps the most unhappy contingent at the convention was made up of those delegates who, in response to a letter from Robb, had remained in the uncommitted caucus. But that caucus, like the rest of the convention was leaderless. At the time when the at-large uncommitted delegates to the national convention were to have been elected in accordance with Robb’s request, he left the convention and headed far Richmond to meet a "previous engagement.” The caucus foiled to muster enough strength to qualify for even one delegate.

“He left us high and dry!” complained one dele