Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-08

u survey " HoW tue people IeeI oDoul
this yeor's presidential eompoien.
found in Virginia, Tennessee
Florida and Texas:
I I'm the South, the Supreme
Court decision against school
segregation is the big topic of
conversation and there is sur
prisingly little presidential talk
among the people in the streets
just now.
Where State campaigns are
on for Senator or Governor, most
! of the conversation you hear
concerns these State races. The
big talk among many white folk
is about how to prevent racial
indignation.
Mr.. Eisenhower is personally
popular throughout the South,
and many who blame Chief JUS
tice Warren the Attorney Gen.
eral and Mr.. Nixon for integra-
ton troubles exempt the Presi-
dent from any part in it.
an all four States of Vir-
ginia. Tennessee. Florida and
Texas, Democratic officials say
they can recapture those States
from Mr.. Eisenhower by vigorous
campaigns. You hear surpris-
Iingly little discussion of the Pres
ident's heart attack.
Among the Democrats, there
is a lot more sentiment for Mr..
Stevenson than Senator Kefau-
yer or Averell Hartman except,
perhaps, in Tennessee. and 1t is
almost entirely based on Mr..
Stevenson's moderate" ap-
proach.
"The Democrats have their
best vote-getting issue in falling
farm prices and administration
opposition to 80 per cent price
supports. Even the Republicans
say that will hurt them in the
campaign in the strictly rural
counties.
Relman NORM on Massachu-
sets, Connecticut and New
Hampshire:
II didn't find lot of political
talk going on spontaneously. Cab
and bus drivers. bar tenders, and
others said they heard very
little.
However. what you might
call the outlook for Eisenhower
is easily predominant. The great
majority seemed 10 know how
they will vote in November.
las for Mr.. Eisenhower's heart
attack, l found only one person,
a woman. vino said she would
not vote for him because of his
condition. The great majority
seemed to take the position he's
the best judge of his condition.
las to Mr.. Nixon. there was
a yes-and-no set of reactions,
with the great majority of people
on the fence. or puzzled about
the criticism of him. The ques-
ton is whether they would re-
frain from voting for Mr.. Essen
hover because of Nixon. / did
not find many who felt that
strongly.
MY survey was taken before
any primaries had been held. At
that time. Mr.. Stevenson seemed
to be the leading Democrat.
However, Democrats. while nam
ing him as their choice. indi-
Gated no great enthusiasm for
him. I heard no Democratic
names mentioned other than Mr.
Stevenson, Senator Kefauver and
Gov. Hartman.
In New England, prosperity
is the primary answer to the
question of what is going to in
fluence the votes of most people
James Devlin. on New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Maryland:
THE presidential election is
still somewhat distant to the
man in the street and it is not
yet an animated topic of general
discussion.
an stores, restaurants and on
the street, during my travels,
never once overheard anyone
discussing politics.
THE Eisenhower supporters
generally express a simple faith
that he would not be running
if he. his family or his doctors
had any doubt about his ability
ito carry on after his heart
attack.
It was rare ito find anybody
who voted for him before who
said he was changing his vote
this time because Of the health
question.
The Republican man in the
street appeared puzzled at the
Juror over Mr.. Nixon. He has
heard that somebody else doesn't
like Mr. Nixon, or suspects a
top-level power play is being
waged for the Job, but he gen.
orally thinks Mr.. Nixon has done
"a good job
Gov. Theodore McKeldin of
Maryland is a vice presidential
hopeful and there is some in
terest there in his prospects.
Among Democrats Cthis was
before the Minnesota primary :,