The midland journal., 1940-09-20
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CAMPAIGN WEAKNESSES

keep the show going all by himself
and to conduct a brilliant political
campaign without even seeming to
know that one is going on.
He is doing it in scintillating FASH
ion. He is getting away with it.
He isn't even being seriously chal-
lenged by what should be his opposi-
ton. Maybe Mr.. Willxie is just wind
ing up, but he is taking a painfully
long time about it.
Public enthusiasm is tickle Jade.
Mr.. WILKES performance in taking
the nomination away from the pro-
fessionals at Philadelphia was as
spectacular show as Mr.. Roose-
velt's getting the naval and air
bases. It captivated the country,
but, as the President knows so well,
popular figure has got to keep the
glass balls dancing.
Mr.. Willkie, himself, apparently
relies more on Orrin Roots anna
teur Willkie clubs than on the Re-
publican party organizations in the
several states. That is mistake
that Mr.. Roosevelt never made. He
had all kinds of amateur clubs, too,
Businessmen's Roosevelt for Presi-
dent clubs, the Good Neighbor
league and as many others as could
be thrown together.
These don't have to putter around
depending on emergency organiza-
tion and manufactured enthusiasm.
They depend on dough and, Hatch
| act or no Hatch act, money still
talks. Mr.. Roosevelt has 10 billions
to spend. Yet, with all that intri-
cate pattern of decentralized region
al organization, Mr.. Roosevelt never
neglected the good old Democratic
political organization. On the con-
trary, he relied on it, rewarded it,
reorganized it, and built it up to a
greater strength and on a wider
range than any Democratic organi-
zation had ever known before. Mr..
Willkie may have been nominated in
spite of the professionals, but he
certainly cannot be elected without
them.
He can't be elected without max
ing election issues either. The am
munition is there by the ton-cais-
sons bursting with it. But no shell
is worth its cost without a gun to
shoot it. I always thought the Presi-
dent was wrong in condemning
"Yes-But" men in off-term debate
Of issues but you can't get any,
where in political campaign if all
you have learned to say is eyes
But" You have got to learn to say
'No Sir!" and make it emphatic
and convincing enough to be heard
and carry conviction.
I didn't expect that any candidate
or any party would ever again make
the terrific blunders of the ALI Lam
don campaign, but so far this Re-
publican campaign looks enough like
it to be it's twin.
The high command Of both the po-
1itical armies appear reasonably
confident and tranquil, but the great
general staff of each is in dither.
For the Democrats, the loss Of
Jim Farley on the eve of the battle
of the third term was some such
catastrophe as would be the loss Of
Hitler to the Nazis before decision
in the Battle of Britain. Mr.. Flynn.
make no mistake about it, is very
able man with better basic brain,
I think, than his great predecessor.
But Mr.. Flynn's field command
has been restricted to the Battle of
the Bronx and this great American
terrain is a very different matter.
Even on his own ground, Mr.. Flynn
will have to wait until the great
boss buster, Tom Dewey, gets
through with him.
Mr.. Flynn's Bronx empire was
just a little imitation, competition
Tammany. don't know what bones
are buried in that realm-but may
be Mr.. Dewey does.
On the Republican side, campaign
manager Joe Martin is as active as
night prowling tona-cat on tin
roof dodging missiles and talking
back, but that is in congressman
the campaign. The purely politi-
cal general staff is therefore, leader
'lGSS dllQ dCCO10A1Siy NASOA 3 S1klAACSAs
There isn't even a speech-factory.
There is no strategy board of elder
statesmen-or rather, seasoned poll
ticians. Mr.. Willkie fascinates ev-
erybody who sees him or hears him
talk extemporaneously either on a
chair or platform, but there are 130,-
100000 people in this country and
he can't see them all.
There is the radio, but he is not
coached to click there and in spite
of the wailing of several such speech
experts as Haines Falconer that he
has a natural equipment with which
he could promptly be made the
greatest radio orator of our time, a
combination of difidence and rug
ged individualism prevents that. A
great opportunity seems to be trem-
bling in the balance.
WASHINGTON.-Senator Pepper
wants the President to have the
power to suspend all statutes" in