Imperial Valley press., 1939-05-14
Straws in Wind
For Politicians
By CHARLES p. STEWART

By CHARLES p. STEWART
Speculation concerning the re-
spective chances of the various pos
sibilities for the Republican presl-
dental nomination in 1910 has
been greatly stimulated by straw
polls indicating that the q. y, +.
candidate should have slightly bet
ter than a $3.50 prospect of election
in that year. Probably these straw
polls ought not to be taken too
seriously. In the past few oil
them have proved to be very mis-
leading. However, presidential
hopes spring eternal in politicians
breasts. OF course Republican
dopesters take the Democratic sit
uation into consideration. They
figure like this: II President
Roosevelt wishes TO be renominated
most likely he will be. If he pre-
fers not, he'll pick his own candl-
date to succeed him. This, under
stand me, is the G.. o. p. dopeSter's
talk. Regardless of straw polls, the
dopeSterS incline to admit that, as
suming a third campaign by F.. d.
he's apt to be elected-barring the
hazard OF some conyulSion OF ma
ture in the meantime. Still, the
dopesters say he might conceiV-
ably be beaten. And at most they
think he could win only skimpily.
They believe he recognizes as much
and surmise that he'd deem the
anti climax of a hair line victory
(after his two previous landslldes)
as little preferable to an outright
licking.
Dummy Candidate?
Consequently the dopeSters' no.
ton is that he'll put up what they
refer to as a ummy'-Harry Hop
kins or Henry A. Wallace for in
stance. The Republicans are con-
fident of their ability to Wallop
Hopkins, Wallace or another OF
their ilk. They may be wrong, to
be sure, but that's how they cere-
brate
They envlsaged an alternative
though. Suppose conservative De-
mocracy trlEmphS, with the NOM
ination, illustratively of John N
Garner or Bennett Champ Clark
Then. the c.. O. P. dopesters argue
the Democrats will be split wide
open and Republicans will scoop
in the presidency by an avalanche
Thus the Republican managers
are extremely optimistic. Perhaps
they overflatter themselves. but
that's how they feel about it.
But as to their own candidate?
From their chat, I'd guess that
Thomas E. Dewey is No. l on the
list of a majority of them-not ex-
actly as their greatest man but as
their most spectacular. Spectacular
things count in such contests
Next, Senator Robert A. Taft OF
Ohio
Taft would be good party lead
er, with Dewey as the tickets tail
ender, but It's obvious that the
DeWey-ites want their choice to
wag Taft; not Taft to wag Dewey
The two groups seem to be jealous
Vi OllG
BY the way, the Virginia Young
Republicans organization the other
day warned Dewey not to associate
much with eX-President Herbert
Hoover, whom the Young Republi-
cans described as a "reactionary.'
John Locke Green one of their re-
tiring district chairmen Cretiring
because he's over-age for a Young
Republican,, in plain terms gave il
as his judgment that Herbert il
trying to play Dewey off agains
Taft, in order to get himself nomi.
mated as a compromise. Herber
is persona non grata to the whole
country" Green asserted.
Herbert evidently is receptive bu
I wouldn't call him a probability
not from what l hear.
Vandenberg and Others
ALI M. Landon is only barrel.
mentioned, which surprises M
slightly. His cause naturally wa
hopeless in 1886 for many reasons
one of which was that he practical
ly was unknown outside of Kansa
and didn't have time to publiciz
himself nationally. Since then he
done so. and fayorably-but it
true, he's no spellbinder Nor wa
it a favorable advertisement fo
him to be Whaled as mercilessly a
he was the last time he ran.
After Dewey and Taft, Senate
Arthur H Vandenberg OF Michiga
undoubtedly rates. Personally
like him. He's a neWspaperman an
i. nice to neWspapermen. He also
an exceptionally able Statesman
But he has drawback or two. FC
one thing he's been PRESIDENT,
possibility for SO long that innum
cradle shots have been taken {
} him by rivals. Furthermore Tol
Dewey likewise once lived
Michigan; hence Vandenberg ism
the Wolverine commonwealth
fayorite son quite exclusively.
Just limited at are:
S Senators Clyde M Reed of Kar
I sas, Governors James w Brickt
Y Of Ohio and Arthur II. James {
Pennsylvania and Federal Supren
Justice owen d. Roberts, also ol
iginally from the Keystone stat
But there are only chirps TIN
!. far in any of that quartet's fave
: Dewey is the outstanding person