Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-23
By the Radio Editor.


phone manner is primary req
uisite in modern political campaign
u ing, then the inside boys" in
Washington are in more or less COM
mon agreement that President Roose-
welt will enter the election lists this
Summer with a distinct advantage
over any one the Republicans may
pick to oppose him. From the radio
viewpoint, not single one of the
potential Republican stalking horses
compares with the President as a
broadcast orator-and comparisons are
possible almost any night of the week
as the Republican possibilities are
heard over the air.
This is not merely the opinion of
non-partisan observer of the radio
snd political scene. Over the luncheon
tables at the National Press Club,
whose building houses large proper
ton of Washington's corps of cor
respondents and the headquarters of
the Democratic National Committee
and the American Liberty League
not to omit mention of the studios OF
one big radio chain and the Offices of
many legal advisers to radio companies
/ there Is common agreement that
President Roosevelt is far and away
the most striking radio personality
who has ever occupied either the
White House or any other high Federal
Office since broadcasting began on a
national scale some 10 or IL years ago.
OF COURSE, this table talk does not
disclose such unanimity of agree
ment on the proposition that radio
personality" will win the next election,
though the conversation does bring
out certain fundamental aspects of
radios current. and later role as a
campaigning medium that the party
chieftains cannot very well ignore.
These points might be summarized as
follows:
Political oratory already is occu-
plying far more radio time than public
interest warrants, and the candidates
for nomination are showing entirely
too much eagerneSs to 60 on the air
at such an early stage in the election
game. What the public wants first
and foremost on the radio is enter
tainment. Most listeners, especially
young folk, don't regard political talks
as entertainment. In this connection
it is significant that radio audience
survey reported after Al Smiths recent
talk showed that only % per cent OF
a crosS-section of set owners reported
they had listened to his speech: after
Senator Joseph Robinson's reply the
figure was only 1914 per cent.
The day after President ROOSEVELT
jackson day dinner address the survey
showed 1926 per cent, which would
seem to indicate that he is still the
biggest audience-getter among political
speakers. But except for his routine
addresses and his speeches at the
opening of Congress and at the Jack
son day dinner, President Roosevelt is
cutting down on his radio appearances
in compliance with good and sound ad-
vice presumably of his press and radio
contracting secretary, Steve Early not
to overreach his welcome. That is
why he delivered only one "fireside
talk" last year as against two the pre-
ceeding year and four during 1888.
A GAINST the argument that the
candidates are talking too much
too early. there is good point in the
theory that radio now and in the
forthcoming campaign will thoroughly
debunk issues and men. The multi
plicity of partisan speeches already be-
ing heard on the air is bound to catch
the ears of large part of the public,
so that definite ideas are forming in
almost every voters mind. More than
that, President Roosevelt on the Demo-
cratic side and the various potential
candidates on the Republican side have
been heard or are being heard so often
that they are becoming more or less
vivid personalities to the radio audi
ence.
This latter fact may not always be
to their respective advantages for.
other than President Roosevelt, few of
the speakers, in the consensus here,
are particularly appealing as radio
personalities. Consider some of the
more prominent ones being heard these
days, as judged by the reactions Of
radio men here. The following OBJ
servations are the summaries of these
reactions: