The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-11

The nomination Of Wendell
Willkie as the Republican presi-
Dental candidate sigpified a
triumph of aggressive public SEN
timent over machine politics.
And, on top of that, it was a po-
liticaI miracle.
Mr.. WilIkie mas never held pub
lie office. Six or seven years ago
he was virtually unknown, save
in a limited industrial circle. Up
to a year or so ago the public at
large knew little or nothing
about him. A few months before
the convention, some Of the lead
ing columnists began writing
about him, observing that he
would make a model candidate
but that, unfortunately, his COM
plete lack of influential political
backing made his nomination
virtually impossible. Major news
papers editorially expressed sim
liar views. Mr.. Willkie was,
in other words, the darkest of
dark horses, in a field filled with
political luminaries long IN the
public eye. Apparently MIR. Will
kie himself first took suggestions
that he might be the candidate,
as flattering but rather idle con-
verSation.
When the Willkie campaign
got underway, it was run entire
ly by amateurs. His name was
not entered in any state pri-
marie@though he did receive a
very large and purely voluntary
WRITTEN vote in some states. No
delegate to the convention was
really pledged to him. The COM
parative handful of votes he re-
ceived on the first ballot came
from unpledged delegates. who,
with the whole field to pick from,
considered him the best man.
And long before that ballot was
polled, it became evident that
supposed Dewey and Taft strong
holds were cracking fast in favor
of Willkie. Some of the party
leaders, finding their influence
waning, organized an almost hys-
terical stop-Willkie" movement
It apparently added to his sup
port, and on the third ballot,
when Dewey lost heavily, it was
clear that Willkie was to be the
man.
The obvious question is, What
manner of man is this, who so
dramatically licked the COP
bosses to a standstill? And the
obvious answer is that he is a
very remarkable man indeed. No
one doubts his intellectual capa-
bility for the number one U. S.
job. A Jeffersonian in political
philosophy Che first voted Re
publican in 1886, when he be-
came convinced the New Deal
had abandoned Democratic prin-
cipleS and was moving toward
collectivism) he has done a mag
nificent job of publicizing the is
sue of the individual versus the
state-he is implacably opposed
. to government going into bust
ness competition with its citi-
zens, and to dictatorial govern
ment domination of the social
and economic life of the nation.
But in these days, intellectual
capacity is not enough-other
talents are needed, and MIR. Will
kie has them too. AS William
Allen White has written, he is ex-
tremely photogenic-he is big
man, jovial in manner, with q
shaggy, leonine head. He is quick
as they come on his mental feet
and has a highly developed sense
Of humor. As a speaker and "a
dio platform personality, he is
one of the best-many think even
better in this regard than Presi-
dent Roosevelt He has a strong
sense of drama, and a great ap-
titude for the telling phrase In
brief, seasoned political observers
feel that he was the only COP
aspirant with the important
physical as well as mental at
tributes needed to battle the
strongest Democratic candidate
on even terms
The Republican platform says
little and means less. That is not
important-Mr. Willkie viii make
the platform himself, and no one
IN these days pays much atten-
ton to the political planks. While
he believes in private enterprise
he believes also in strict regula
ton. and the iron-handed elm
ination of business abuses Or
4 4 a,