The Key West citizen., 1952-09-17
Florida Editors Predicting
Split In November Election
By MALCOLM B. johnson

ABOUT 0U-0U between dwight u. FL
senhower and Adlai Stevenson if
The presidential election were held
low.
But many of them representing
counties with substantial votes said
hey expect the balance to swing
oward Stevenson when the enthu-
iasm from EisenhoWer's recent
our wears off, the Democratic
-sulpaign opens land the in
7erited tendency to vote Demo
cratic starts working.
Forty-eight newspaper and radio
stations with 88 per cent of the
states registered voters participat'
I'd in he Associated Press survey
VI the political outlook.
Their county-by-county percent
lge estimates we're translated into
Totes and totaled. The consensus
was that as things stand right now,
Eisenhower would get So per cent
Of the vote, Stevenson 48.
However, the missing counties
with IL per cent of the voters are
preponderantly in areas where the
tradition of voting Democratic is
strongest. They probably would
leutraliZe EiSenhower'S advantage
b the others.
Most of the editors were frank
IN declaring their opinions came
mostly from casual conversations
along Main Street, in civic club
luncheons and other circles where
Eisenhower is strongest. They said
they knew less about what the
farmers, fishermen and laborers
are thinking.
Seven of the editors who partici
pated represent papers which have
editorially endorsed Eisenhower,
are from papers which are sup
porting or leaning toward Steven
son. The rest are neutral so far.
The ultimate decision could rest
with 10000 States Rights Demo-
Gratis who four years ago didn't
like Truman and the Democratic
platform, but couldn't bear to
break away from grandpa's party
and vote Republican.
They cast their ballots then foI
Gov. Strom Thurmond of South
Carolina and thereby kept Truman
from getting a majority in the
state (although he won the Flor
ida electoral vote by winning a
plurality.
But it is strictly between Eisen.
hover and Stevenson this time
Democrat or Republican. They're
the only ones on the ballot. viii
the States Fighters break away
fom the Democratic Party entire
ly this time and vote for Eisen-
hover? Or will they find Steven
son more acceptable than Truman
was?
And there are about 275, 900 more
voters this year than Florida had
in 1948. Nobody quite knows wheth-
er they are newcomers from Re-
publican areas of the North, un-
ion laborers from Democratic
farms and small towns of neigh
boring Southern states, young ma
tives just out of military service
and colleges, or Negroes voting
for the first time. They probably
make up a general mixture of po-
ii al backgrounds and leanings.
Most of thell are registered
Democrats--but Republican pres
idential candidates always far out
poll their party membership in
Florida. Thomas E. Dewey's total
vote in 1913. for instance, was
more than three times as big as
the total number of registered Re-
puhlicans.
Many voters register as Demo-
Gratis simply because the real elec.
tion for state and local offices is
in the Democratic primaries. The
Republicans generally offer token
candidates or none at all for such
posts.
Much Of EiSenhower'S strength
In the survey of Florida editors
came from Dade County, which
has almost a fifth of the states
voters in Miami and its suburban
aroa.
A consolidation of the Miami
9 1gs estimates indicates that
4hovcr would get SIS per cent
o v0.es That would be a
reversal oG political trends,
A5c'S record in recent
years has been distinctly pro-New
Deal. Truman got SIS per cent of
the vote there four years ago, and
carry II as hometown boy max
ing good against Claude Pepper
two years ago
One Miami political writer said
he was thinking strictly Of today,
ard Elsenhower'S recent reception
in Miami when he put the general
2aead. He said he expected the
Naduirm to swing back TO Ste
fason by election day,
saieer said he also was bsS-
h his o0iqion Of Eisenhower's
ta oa the generals reception,
Ere {set i' re IS 50 much
g-i.'sfg rsU ar} So