The Sidney herald., 1956-11-15

Helena - In the contests for
president, governor and the two
congressman. the Montana pattern
as it appeared to be shaping up
by mid-O October was verified by
election results. If one isolated
himself from partisan bias, he
hardly needed to be a prophet TO
anticipate what most likely would
happen in some of the Montana
races, or to foresee the prob
ability of Democratic control of
both houses of the legislature.
During the campaign / made
Montana political forecasts tor
Newsweek magazine. These had
to be based, of course, on the
thinking of the elements making
up the states economic groups, as
well as the effects of political
appeal. For despite all the preach
ing one hears about adherlng TO
or accepting political party dog
mas. principles and policies, cleo
tons are still decided by "inde-
pendent voters whose primary
concern is how they, personally,
will be affected.
1t will bear repeating that quite
a number of citizens, in 1852 n
again in 1856, voted for Elsen-
hover as the individual rather
than for Eisenhower as the Re
publican. That is why the presl-
dents personal popularity did not
ON the verag substantially help
other Republican candidates.
Election of a president or gov
ernor of one party ana a con-
T or legislature of the oppos-
ing party has little If any logic
TO support it, but it proves that
a lot of people vote for the
man" without ever a thought that
at the same time they may be
voting to hamstring that man.
On the state level and below,
local factors frequently have more
to do with the outcome of an
election than issues enunciated In
party platforms or championed
by candidates. In practice, it Of
ten gets down to every man for
himself, and party doctrines be
damned.
That president Eisenhower
would again win Montana's four
electoral votes seemed a reason :
able assumption, although any :
thing close to the SO percent of :
he vote he got in 1852 did not ;
likely. However, he did {
yet Sc percent of the vote last :
week. In Montana as in the Ia !
ion generally, the world crisis :
hat flared late in the campaign :
= along with Adlai Stevenson's !.
Ittempt to turn that crisis to his /,
political advantage - help :
d to give President Eisenhower :
mother landslide victory. !.
In his successful bid for re- r
lection, Governor j. Hugo Aron- 7
on did an excellent job of cam :,
'aigning, but / believe that his !.
pponent, Atty. General Arnold =
/. Olson, should be credited with :
Aronson his narrow win !,
ling margin, Sis percent Re- {
Iction which Olsen had brought :
himself by his uncompro- r
attitude toward not a few '
Democrats had by mid =
october developed significantly !.
nd gave momentum to an Aronson =
rend that foreshadowed Olsen's =
efeat. Yet, if Governor Aronson =
ad made a less effective cam !"
aign, Olsen's unintended help +,
-ould not have been enough to "
ut the governor over for a sec :,
nd term .,
Governor Aronson has given x
Lontana an even-keel administra- r
on in which state business has Ia
cen attended TO in an orderly n,
tanner, with political emphasis 81
low key. Up to now he has
ad two legislatures to deal with, dr
lis relationship producing no ia
otable friction. Likewise, there z,
been little discord in depart cl
tents under his appointive con-
'ol. c;
Governor Aronsons first legis- D
lture, in 1858, was Republican ps
ominated in both houses. In 1851 w
he house of representatives or H
anization was in Democratic W