Evening star., 1952-03-03
Taft and Eisenhower
Leading Straw Polls
|0f 81 Newspapers
BY the Assoeiafed Press

By the ASsociuted Press
NEW YORK, Mar. 3.-Voter
already are marking Ks for thei
presidential choice in a furry o
straw polls from one end of tn
country to the other.
At least 81 newspapers alread
have conducted polls. or are plan
ming them, with the nominatin
conventions still more than thre
months away.
The memory Of President Tru
mans surprise triumph in 1874
against the predictions of politi
cal experts is still fresh.
That has Spurred efforts to di
deeper this time to determin
grass roots sentiment. One pol
even offers ice cream as an in
ducement to the people to expires
themselves.
Republican Vote Heaviest.
Voting in the numerous polls t.
date has been heaviest on tn
Republican side.
Possibly this is because Demo
Gratis believe President Truman
could be nominated almost auto
matically if he chooses to rul
again, while the Republicans hav'
a heated contest that spurs tn,
straw balloters.
Senator Taft of Ohio and Gen
Eisenhower are the front-runner
in the Republican balloting, will
the Senator leading in some poll
and the general in others.
President Truman is in the fore
front on the Democratic side. al
though Senator Kefauver of Ten
nesSee has topped him in SOM
polls. Senator Russell of Georgi'
had not entered the Democratic
race when these polls were taken
Balloting is quite scattere.
among the other possibilities a
this point.
Shows Taft Leading.
The Item, which circulates ii
Massachusetts, North Shore area
announced no preference of it
own among the candidates. It
three-week poll ended this way
Republican-Taft, 1920: Eisen
hover. 3,478. Democratic-Tru
man, 1,070; Kefauver, 859.
In neighboring New Hampshire
which will have the Nations frs
official presidential primary vot,
on March II, the Manchester
Union-Leader, which support!
Senator Taft, has been conductinf
monthly polls.
It reported these results fol
its February poll: Republican
Taft 586, Gen. Douglas Macarthur
$50. Harold E. Stassen $40
Eisenhower 1874. Senator Bridges
Republican. of New Hamp. 1853
Democrat-Truman 48, Kefauvel
A. Gen. Macarthur led in tn.
previous two polls, but dropped
behind Senator Taft after re.
fusing to enter the primary.
The Union-Leader printed bal.
lots listing Republicans ant
Democratic possibilities in separ.
ate columns. alphabetically, ant
asked its readers to vote for one
individual.
Results in Wilmington.
Results were different IL
another kind of poll conducted
by the Wilmington, (DelD, Morn.
ing News, an independent news.
paper.
1t conducted a house-to- -house
sampling in three. Wilmington
precincts-the one that had tn,
biggest Republican lead in 194S
the one that had the bigges
Democratic lead and the one thai
had the closest vote between the
two parties. The results:
Eisenhower 1853, Taft 98, Tru.
man So. Kefauver 81, Stassen 1S
Warren 7, undecided 1872.
This poll indicates that "un
decided" may be quite a factor
when it comes time for the of.
fetal balloting.
Four reporters for the San Diego
(CalifD Union took positions a
business district corners on ;
Saturday afternoon. February 16
and asked passersby:
IF you had your choice of nam.
ing the next president, whom
would you name today?"
One for Churchill.
The results: Eisenhower 296
Gov. Earl Warren Ill, Taft 7S
Stassen 81, Truman 81. McArthu
47, Kefauver 80. Gov. Thomas E
Dewey of New York 2, Vice Presi
dent Barkley l, Gov. Adlai Steven
son of Illinois /. Winston Churchill
/, "any prohibitionist" /. unde,
cided or refuses to say. 103.
The Union is Republican, vel
coined Gov. Warren as a 'favorit,
son" when he announced, but ha'
not committed itself to any can.
didate.
In the south, the Augusta, Ca
Chronicle conducted a poil SHORTY
before Senator Russell became |
candidate for the Democratic
nomination. Readers were asked
whom they preferred for Presi'
dent.
The results: Taft 231. Russell 80
Eisenhower Ga. Truman 80. Mac
ArthKr 81, Kefauver IL. StasSen 8
Stew hson 3, ]. Strom Thurmond
States Rights 1948 candidate, 2