Imperial Valley press., 1944-06-19
POLITICAL BATTLEL!NES
SOON WILL BE DRAWN

SOON WILL BE DRAWN
In less than month the nation will
have drawn its political battlefront. The
two major parties will have met and
selected their candidates for the preSl-
dency and adopted their platforms. I'm
I'll this year both parties have perform
ed this task before the end of June. Ihls
time the Democrats set their national
convention in mid-July. The Republ-
cans meet June 26, the Democrats July
10. Both call for strain on public
transport That could not be avoided
since no one would go as far as to ad-
wise elimination of these conventions.
They are very much part of what Stlll
is called our tWo-party system. Even the
most decided advocates of primaries have
not yet demanded that system for noml-
mating presidential candidates and, con-
sidering the pitiful showing of votes IN
primaries for lesser office nominations,
it appears the delegate system comes
nearer representing our democratic
ways"
While much may happen in politics,
generally it is believed that the candl-
dates will be Dewey and Roosevelt. And
since this conclusion is hard to upset.
the real and actual contests in both par
ty conventions will be for vice presiden-
tial runners. Governor Warren still Is
among the top for the Republicans
choice despite his announcements to the
contrary His is unique position mas
much as he will deliver the keynote
speech Ordinarily this automatically
removes him as candidate, but this is
peculiar year for politics and he may be
on the ticket.
Viewed from the attitude of host of
democrats. selection of the Number =
man at the Democratic meet, holds the
elements of die-hard contest. The
South is quite up in arms for the vice
presidential candidate to be a man from
Dixie. Texas, Mississippi and North Car
olina are leading IN the mo Wallace
move. We may look Tor a real scrap.
The campaign itself will be unique. 1t
will be the first time since Lincoln'S sec
ond election for a presidential campaign
to be conducted with a major war on.
Wilson was reelected as we were on the
verge of entering the world war. The
1910 campaign was fought out year
before we had our Pearl HarbOr and war
declaration. The present war may be
over before the November vote. But the
campaign will be running concurrent
with the war. And this campaign also
has before it peace issues, too.
Wendell Willkie is in the print with
series of articles written, as he stated
for the guidance of the Republicans in
formulating their platform at their ma
tional convention on June 26. He has
chosen a half dozen or so of what may
be termed pressing issues, including for
eign and domestic There is much of
interesting and beneficial nature for the
general public in these observations. Re-
publcans who are studying in a dispas-
siOnate way the dominant issues before
the country today will find no little of
value in his advice. That the issues he
discusses will be written into their plat
form goes without saying.
But the value of his remarks can be
well taken by the Democrats too, in a
retrospective attitude as much he has
to say points out the blundering manner
in which the New Deal has handled var
iouS matters vital to the welfare and
progress of this country. The Democrats
would be wise to give careful cOnsidera-
tiOn to the words of the man who left
their ranks TO run for president as a Re-
publican in the third term campaign. At
that election more than fourteen million
voters followed WILKES lead. The is
sues he discusses are not new. What he
has to say is how the Republicans shall
approach them.
All will agree that he is eminently cor
rect in counseling a forward look" and
in debunking the pet theory Of the New
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