Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-01
NEW APPROACH
SIicker Wuys
Are Adopted
By Kefouver
BY TAFT TRUSSELL

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Estes Kefauver Is turning pro.
The senior Senator from Ten
nessee. who has found handshake
to be the most potent campaign
gimmick since the torchlight
parade, still bankers to be the folksy
peoples choice" candidate. But
he's trading in his coonskin cap for
some of the trappings Of Madison
avenue.
Slick brochures for campaign
workers. film strips for television,
recorded spot commercials" for
radio. mass rallies in hired halls,
women'S tea parties and other
modern political tools will augment
the street corner meetings and per-
sonal contact that figures so cru
cially when he clinched the New
Hampshire and Minnesota pri-
maries.
Advertising experts are busy
weaving new Slogan-"Get an
Even Break With Kefauver"-into
campaign material. The newly re-
corded commercials" are q far cry
from the famous personal approach
An owlish smile, firm handclaSp
and the modest salutation-"I'm
Estes Kefauver. I hope you'll vote
for me-" The recordings open with
a changing bell. Then a purported
farmer. businessman or what-have-
you asks question on a current
issue and the Senator replies, work
ing in the even break" wherever
possible. The commercial" close
with a bid for funds.
The Senator's campaign workers
insist that the person-to-person ap-
proach will remain: it is merely
being modified. This is probably
true both because the old style has
been so successful in the past and
because he genuinely enjoys the
personal contact.
Too Big for WoIkine
One reason for the modernization
OF the Kefauver stumping tech
nique is that on June the Senator
will make his most crucial primary
fight in California-the nations
second state both in size and popu-
lation. Even SO indefatigable a
campaigner as he could not hope to
shake the hand and personally beg
the vote Of more than a tiny per-
centage of the Is million people
there.
A more fundamental reason Is
that his two primary wins-es-
pecially the whipping ne gave Adlai
Stevenson in the Minnesota pri-
mary-have loosened some Demo-
cratic purse strings. For the first
time. Senator Kefauver has the
wherewithal to edge gingerly into
more expensive campaign tactics.
The fact is. the old foot-slogging,
handshaking technique was an eco
nomic necessity.
Mr.. Kefauver'S Strategists are
planning to buy all the TV time
they can afford, says F. Joseph
(Jiggs) Donohue, the Senator's ma
tional campaign manager.
With contributions now flowing
more heavily, Mr.. Kefauver has re-
tanned as his national agency the
Washington advertising firm Of Kal,
Enrich & Merrick. The agency is
preparing a portfolio for key sup
porters to use where Mr.. Kefauver
can't get close enough to touch or
talk to voter. The portfolio con-
tains background material and a
selection Of spot plugs for TV and
radio use. 1t also contains glossy
prints of the candidate with old
folks. with farmers, with laborers
and with his family. Film strips
for TV and records for radio are
being made.
But even If the funds pour in,
Senator Kefauver's associates are
convinced he will not stray too far
from the approach that has pulled
votes like flies to sugar pie. For one
thing, he just plain likes his old
technique. According TO Mrs. Ke-
fauver, he loves to stride through
the grass roots" Cabling with
people. When he does this he
seems TO leave behind the wooden
demeanor and droning speech ia
miliar to capitol committee rooms
and the Senate floor.
Emphasis on Feet
A Kefauver saying symbolizes
his approach: IF your feet are all
right everything else will be-" On
the campaign trail he often changes
his socks three times a day and his
shoes twice In "a hours.
Another asset that carries SenA-
TOR Kefauver along his country
nds-covering campaign trips Is his
stamina. II got so tired almost
fell out Of my skin" sighed one
observer who tracked his steps in
Minnesota.
Senator Kefauver who has de-
scribed himself as "a bundle of
calm" just never seems under
pressure and never gets excited. He
can catnap five minutes and wake
rested and alert" says Mr.. Dono-
hue.
Senator Kefauver never wants
TO know what's on the schedule 30
he can give his all to what he's
doing at the moment" Mr.. Dono-