Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-07
They Sure Like Ike

me dominating fact of this eXtraor-
binary election is the enormous popu-
larity of the President.
II ever there was strictly personal
triumph, this was it. Nothing mattered
to the voters except that they liked,
wanted and were determined to have Ike.
His age, his heart attack, his operation
these counted for little or nothing. The
voters trust the President, they respect
his integrity, they approve his modera-
ton, and above all, they want to keep
him in office in a time of threatening
crisis. These seem to be the obvious
differences to draw from the balloting
1t is clear that Adlai Stevenson never
had chance. Judging from the re-
turns, he had only one good issue-the
slump in farm income. Many farmers
deserted the Eisenhower ranks, but not
enough to Offset his rising popularity in
the towns and cities of the Midwest.
Furthermore, Mr.. Stevenson didn't
stay with this issue. He hurt himself,
we think, when he switched to such
unrewardng ventures as the draft, the
H-bomb tests and, as the war clouds
gathered, attacks which scarcely stopped
short of charging the President with
untruthfulness. These simply didn't pay
of, and while Mr.. Stevenson could not
have won, he might have done better
If he had stuck to his original lines of
attack
The second major conclusion to be
drawn is that while the President is
tremendously popular. the Republican
Party is not. Mr.. Eisenhower, on the
basis of incomplete returns, had some
thing like SO per cent of the vote-well
ahead of the ssh per cent he got in
1852. Apparently he has carried all but
seven States And yet the Democrats,
from present indications, will retain
control of both the House and Senate
and may even increase their margins.
Mr.. Eisenhower interpreted his VIC
tory as a triumph for modern Repub-
licaniSm." We think he should have said
Eisenhower RepublicaniSm." For the
congressional returns can only mean
that the Democratic Party is relatively
stronger, or better organized or both,
at the local level. The Republican right
wing, which still has little stomach for
the Presidents progressive policies, had
better take note. For one of these days
the G. o. P. will have to go into cam
paign without the asset of the EiSen-
hover smile, and when that day comes,
unless the elephant really embraces the
new Republican religion, it is going to
lose.
What of the future? If present in
dications are borne out by the final re-
turns, If Mr.. Eisenhower will have to
do business with Democratic Congress,
1t Is reassuring to look back over the
past two years For the Democratic Con-
gress which was elected in 1854 turned
in, on the whole, creditable perform
ance. There was some politicking, to be
sure. But when the issues were grave
and the chips we're down, it was a Con-
greSS which manifested a praiSeworthy
sense of responsibility.
Certainly, in the dangerous days
which lie Immediately ahead, the people
will expect and we think they will get
a comparably responsible performance.
When another election season rolls
around, with the President foreclosed
from running again, it may be different.
The Democrats will be out to win with
a vengeance and few holds will be barred
In the congressional infighting. But we
hope and expect that this will be con-
fined to domestic politics. We do not
believe that those respected Texans
Senate Leader Lyndon Johnson and
Speaker Sam Rayburn-are going to
sell this country down the international
river for the sake of partisan advan-
tage.
Finally, we wish to join all Ameri-
cans in extending congratulations and
best wishes to Mr.. Eisenhower and his
running mate, Vice President Nixon.
The President, at Sc, is assuming a ter
ribly heavy burden. He needs and he
ought to have--for his own sake as well
as for the country'S sake-an of the
support that can be given him.