Imperial Valley press., 1944-07-24
WHEN is CAMPAIGNING
NOT CAMPAIGNING?

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We can't quite reconcile President
Roosevelt's now twice announced lnten-
ton of not campaigning for the presl-
dency, and incidentally for fourth con-
secutive term, in a political or partisan
manner In the first place If he does any
campaigning at all it will be as the candi-
date of the democratic, or New Deal,
party He will be in absolutely no differ
ent position in whatever he says or does
than any other candidate on either ticket,
and he of all persons is aware of that
fact. For man who has been in politics
all his life; who has held political offices
gained by partisan campaigning, to make
any such declaration doesn't make sense,
neither does it go down with anyone VINO
stops for a moment to think. lie has done
more partisan campaigning, perhaps,
than any other man alive today. And as
long as he seeks public office as the can
didate of a partisan group, he Will be
campaigning politically.
Was he campaigning as partisan in
1910? Or in 1886 or in 1882? Well, If
he wasn't then, neither were the men he
defeated. As a matter of fact he has not
rested very long at time in the last II
years from campaigning one way or an
other as a democrat, first and then as
new dealer.
Was he campaigning as a political
party candidate in 1910 when he solemn
ly pledged "the mothers of America that
your sons never will fight on foreign
soil" and was he partisan or not IN June
1910 when he told congress to go on
home that he had everything under con-
troll?
Of course he has tremendous duties IN
the conduct of the war. So would any
other president. All agree to that and
every other American is doing just that,
albeit they are not also running for office.
And they will continue doing their ut
most, right at his shoulder, but they are
doing it because they are loyal citizens
as he is loyal citizen, and they may vote
or not vote for him when it comes time to
perform their duty at the polls, duty
as great and as important as winning the
war. They do not set themselves apart
simply because they are helping win the
war.
The plain facts are that Mr.. Roosevelt
is president; that, as president he IS COM
mander-in-chief that he is the regularly
nominated candidate of political party
for the office he seeks, and that's all
there is to it. Why not call a fact fact?
Why not be fair? He expects to win. He
is using every means possible to win re-
election. He is too good politician not
to do that.
Perhaps it was just non-partisan that
he happened to be at naval base at the
moment for accepting political nomina-
ton. Perhaps it was a coincidence that
the convention nominated him at that pc
culiar moment, although he and every
democratic leader and new deal official
and bureaucrat knew almost to the mo-
ment when the convention would make
the nomination.
If the president is not going to cam
paign, then we await an early directive
from him to Chairman flanagan of the
National Democratic committee to cancel
all plans including each and every candi-
date for congress, governor and so on.
That sounds mighty consistent, we be-
lieve.
But no one is going to hold his breath
until that directive is issued.
After all, Mr.. Roosevelt, why not be
plain fair and admit that you are seeking
public office in the good old-fashioned
way, come hell or highwater?
We are going to have a great deal of
(postwar) promising around October,
from both sides. One will try to out
promise the other, but nothing will hap
pen, and that has me worried.-Mayor
FiOrello II. LaGuardia of New York.