Evening star., 1948-06-12
The Political Mil
Undercover G. O. P. Race
On for Vice Presidency
Candidates and Geography Figure
In Choice of Party Ticket
By Gould Lincoln

In Choice of Party Ticket
By Gould Lincoln
Running for vice presidential nomination
out In the open-isnt done. However, there
are large number OF gentlemen who would be
delighted to have second place on the Republi.
can national ticket this year. Their undercover
candidates. for such preferment may have lot
to do with the nomination of COP presi.
Dental candidate. Geography enters the pic.
ture, too, since 1t Is not considered wise to
nominate both presidential and vice presidential
candidates from the same section of the
country.
Two Eastern Governors and one Eastern
Senator who was formerly Governor Of his
State, any of whom might conceivably become
the vice presidential nominee. look askance at
Gov. Dewey Of New York for the presidential
nomination. Gov. Driscoll of New Jersey,
whose friends have already started q drive to
have him placed on the Republican ticket in
second place, will control his States 35-strong
delegation. He might throw major part or all
Of this vote at psychological moment to .
Midwestern candidate. Geographically speak
Ing his friends say, Gov. Driscoll would team
up well with Messrs. Taft, vandenberg Stassen
or Warren. SO far 1t does not appear that Gov.
Driscoll has aligned himself with any Of the
presidential candidates-although at one time
(before the Oregon debate and primary Harold
E. Stassen appeared to be making great strides
with both Gov. Driscoll and the Jersey delegates.
Duff in Strong Position.
Take another Eastern Governor who may be
in an even more important position to make
presidential nominee-Gov. Duff of Pennsyl.
vania The Pennsylvania delegation is the
second largest in the convention-73 in all.
Gov. Duff has never made any bones about
his lack of interest-to put it mildly-in Gov.
Dewey's candidacy. On the other hand, he
has been friendly to the idea of nominating
Senator Vandenberg Of Michigan. He was
at pains not so long ago to have publicized
speech he made against the selection Of any.
standpat or reactionary standard bearer for
the Republican Party This was interpreted
as turning thumbs down on Senator Taft and
placing Gov. Duff in line to favor a candidate
like Mr.. Stassen. ..-...
The Pennsylvania Governor however, OUT
side of his own possible hankering for q vice
presidential nomination, has one major de.
sire-to make Pennsylvania's vote count in
the final showdown on the presidential nomi-
nation. He does not want to see the Pennsyl.
vania delegation and himself left back of the
starting post when a presidential nominee 10
chosen-as has happened to other Pennsyl-
vania delegations and Governors. So strong
Is this desire that he might even go along
with Gov Dewey in final pinch, If 1t seemed :
the New York Governor was going to win.
Senator Baldwin of Connecticut, former
Governor, will be his States favorite-son candi-
date for the presidential nomination. at least
on the first ballot. That means 10 delegate
votes. Senator Baldwin has been friendly to
Mr.. Stassen. He, too, would fit in as vice
presidential nominee with Messrs. Stassen,
Vandenberg Taft or Warren. He has, however.
been leader of the Republican freshman
Senators in their demands for greater recog-
might align him against Senator
Taft. -
Westerners Like Dewey.
There are Western vice presidential possibili<
ties, on the other hand, who might very much
prefer to see Gov Dewey or another Easterner
nominated for President. Take Gov. Green Of
Illinois, as case in point Gov Green will
head the third largest delegation in the con-
vention, 56 all told. He is somewhat on the
spot, since one Of his own principal hackers
in the past, Colonel Mccormick, publisher Of
the Chicago Tribune, is favorable to Senator
Taft for the presidency and does not like
Gov. Dewey. However, If it appeared that
Gov. Dewey could be and probably would be
nominated If he had SUPPORT from Illinois.
Gov. Green would be in position to do some-
thing about 1t.
Charlie" Halleck of Indiana, majority
leader of the House, is another who would
be natural to name with Gov. Dewey on the
Republican national ticket. Not only does he
hail from a State which is usually political
in national elections but he is
of the Republican Congress, on
whose record the campaign will be fought out
in large part. In the national convention,
Mr.. Halleck could WELD influence not alone
with the Indiana delegation, but with other
delegations when it comes to a showdown.
Decidedly he is in q good bargaining position.
1t was Mr.. Halleck who placed Wendell Wllkis
in nomination in 1940-and then worked like
a beaver for his nomination. He is friendly to
Gov. Dewey this time. ,.