Evening star., 1947-10-02
The Political Mil
Taft Tour Fails to Win
'First-Choice' Delegates
Senator, However, Ready to Announce
His Candidacy Formally
Bv Gould Lincoln

His Candidacy Formally
By Gould Lincoln
CHEYENNE, Wyo.-Senator Robert A. Taft
is at the end of his Western swing to test senti-
ment regarding his candidacy for the Repub-
hcan presidential nomination. This may be
said in summary: He has gained no first
choice" delegates to the 1948 Republican Ma
tional Convention in the six States in which he
has campaigned, beyond the very few who may
be elected and who are already Taft men at
heart. Indeed, 1t is unlikely that there will be
Taft votes among the whole 113 delegates from
these States on the first ballot as things stand
today-a condition which may change with the
passing months.
Nevertheless, Senator Taft is prepared to an
nounce finally and formally his candidacy for
the nomination. He has been encouraged by
the respectful attention given his views, by
the evident interest which his visit has cre-
ated and by his friends in these Western
States, of whom he has considerable number,
especially in organization ranks
The Ohio Senator is only at the beginning Of
his quest for the presidential nomination-and
in the view of political leaders and observers
who have followed his trip West he is very
little nearer the end Of the quest than when
he started the swing. Nevertheless. the trip
has given the Ohioan opportunity to become
better known, to become more of a personality
to the people of these Western States-and his
speeches have been carried to the people Of
all sections of the country.
Service to Party.
Whatever he has or has not done for himself,
he has certainly performed valuable service
for the Republican Party. placing 1t on the
offensive against the Truman. administration.
defending and explaining the record of the
Republican Congress, and laying down posi-
tive program on both domestic and interna-
tional issues.
He has added to his own reputation for
frankness, sincerity and courage-and for these
qualities he has the admiration Of these West
erners. There are, however, two factors which
work against Mr.. Taft as q probable presiden-
tial nominee-if he has to have these Western
States to win the nomination The first is that
the Republican leaders, as we'll as many of the
rank and file, believe that he would be the
hardest man to elect-indeed, that he could not
win. The second is that he leaves his audiences
interested but unenthused. Only on one oc-
casion, when the mass pickets of the CIO
and Communists had been particularly OBJ
jectionable, and his Republican audience was
sufficiently annoyed, as well as the Senator,
was Mr.. Taft able to strike a fighting spark in
his hearers.
Mr.. Taft knew before he started his trip West
the difficulties he faced It is obvious there
fore, he has been angling for second and third
choice support from these Western delegates to
the Republican convention next year. He has,
too, made himself agreeable to Gov. Warren
Of California, who will have CALIFORNIA; big
delegation in his pocket. He has sought to
make friends with the supporters Of former
Gov. Harold E. Stassen of Minnesota
Belief of Inner Circle.
Indeed. the Taft inner circle encourages the
belief, wherever 1t can that Messrs Taft and
Stassen will work closely together in an effort
to head off the nomination of Gov Dewey OF New
York, and, If necessary. to make impossible the
nomination of political outsider like Gen.
Eisenhower, the outstanding dark horse" pos
sibility today
In connection with the Eisenhower boomlet,
Mr. Taft stumbled into an attack on the idea
that college presidents-Gen. Eisenhower Is to
be president Of Columbia University after the
first Of the year-should have anything to do
with partisan politics. He said he believed col
lege presidents should remain outside politics
and that was that
Editorial comment in the States Mr. Taft has
visited gives the Senator credit for fortnight
ness and for the job he has done in the Senate.
But it gives him mighty little encouragement
for the presidential nomination. For example,
the Oregon Journal, in Portland-which will in
all probability support President Truman In
next years campaign but nevertheless takes
cognizance of public feeling in the State-said:
Senator Taft by virtue of his swing around
the national circuit has revealed himself to the
country as he has in the Senate-a courageous,
honest but unenthusing personality who often
by tactlessness makes opponents to himself Of
the proponents of his views. He will not be the
Republican nominee"