The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-09-19

(RY STAFF WRITERl


Presidential campaigns are won
or lost in the last three weeks
of October. That is the history OF
all of them. 4. It. is something to
keep in mind when anyone comes
forth with the claim that the
election is Gin the bag for either
Mr.. Roosevelt or Mr.. Willkie. It
isn't.
The most expert and experien-
ced students of politics and politi-
cal trends are agreed, as of the
middle of September, that the
political signs all show that there
isn't hairsbreath to choose be-
tween the two candidates, in
their estimates of the probable
votes on November S. That is
what the newspaper correspond
ents say, also, who have been
travelling around the country
with the two candidates.
For the moment it would ap-
pear to the casual observer that
Mr.. Roosevelt has a slight edge
on Mr.. Willkie. There are several
reasons for that impression, apart
from the fact that a President in
office, running for reelection, al
ways has an advantage over one
who is trying to take the job
away from him. In Mr.. Roose-
velt's case, however, that parti-
cular advantage is believed to be
counteracted to a large extent by
the anti-third-term feeling among
the voters, including many of
the staunchest old-line Demo-
Gratis.
But assuming that those two
considerations balance each
other. the President seems def
nitely to have made great gains
in popular favor because OF
things he has been able to do,
while Mr.. Willkie, in the circum-
stance, cannot do anything but
talk about what is going on.
Destroyer Deal Popular
Probably the most popular
thing Mr.. Roosevelt has ever
done was his consummation of
the deal with Great Britain for
swapping $50 average" destroy
ers for a long chain of naval and
airplane bases from which to
guard our Atlantic coast and the
approaches to the Panama Canal
from attack from the East. The
criticism of his method of putting
this over, like his agreement with
Canada for mutual defense, is
regarded by the public as ra-
Their abstract and legalistic point
How far Mr.. Willkie can make
his criticism stick is a doubtful
question.
The mass Of the voters doesn't
care whether a President consults
Congress or not before acting.
even on a matter of such vital
implications. All that the people
demand of the Executive is that
he shall act, and that Mr.. Roose-
welt did, whereas Mr.. Wi1lkie was
not in a position where he could
act.
Mr.. Roosevelt has another de-
cided advantage, which he has
not hestitated to seize. After an
nouncing that he would make no
political speeches and take no ac-
tive part in politics during the
campaign. he started on his tour
of inspection of defense prepare
tons, dedication of public works
and parks, and has made mon
POLITICAL" speeches at every stop.
Whatever the President of the
United States says, anywhere, at
any time, is news, and has to be
put on the press association tel
egraph wires. whether it has poll
teal implications or not.
Therefore, Mr.. Roosevelt has
been able to snatch the front
rage headlines away from Mr..
Willkie bv doing and saying
things in his capacity as Presi-
dent, which he might not have
said or done if he had not also
been a candidate for reelection.
AS Washington observers see it,
Mr.. Roosevelt has made valuable
political capital for himself out of
the whole defense program and
the war situation.
Course Approved
Whether or not, as some who
do not care very much for Mr..
Roosevelt are saying, not too
loud, he really precipitated the
war scare and promoted the
defense program for personal
political reasons, the fact re-
mains that expect as to what the
public considers insignificant de-