Stranica 1 [1]
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oA for November 1952.
REPORT FROM THE USA.
This year, as in 1948, the prognosticators were shown to be
wrong, The margin of Eisenhower's victory was way beyond the fondest
hopes of his supporters. If many people were not compelled to confess
error in public, it was only because the upset of 1948 had made them
cautious, so that they did not commit themssives publicly.
It is interesting to note that the surprise was so complete
that one of General Hisenhower's campaign staff told this observer on
November 34, that they would be extremely lucky if General Eisenhower
just Barely squeaked throughe ine same man was positive that there was
no hope for a Republican Sematee On the same day, speaking to leaders
of the Washiagton administration, this observer found them absolutely
certain of success on the basis of their ow first chass reportse
If one analyses the returns a stragge similarity to the result
of 1948 will showe Truman's success was due primarily to the shift in
Catholic vote, to the action of foreign language groups and to the
surprise vote of the more sentimental sections of the electorate. This |
time, these three factors actéd in exactly the opposite senses
First of all the Catholic vote went definitely for Hisenhower.
This can be proven by facts: In Catholic Massachusetts, a traditionally
Democratic State, a tidal wave of votes from the Catholic industrial
cities swept Eisenhower into a tremendous lead over Stevensone At the
same time, exactly the same votes threw Senator Hodge, a rrotestant, out
of office, though he was a kepublican, anál elected in his place the
Catholic Democrat Kennedy. Democratic and labcr-Bominated Rhode island
went for Eisenhower, but elected to every other office Democratse In
Montana, “isenhower got a good margin of votes; while vatholic Democrat
Mike mansfield defeated Protestant Republican Senator Zales HEctcne
Similar examples could be brough up from such widely divergent States
as Michigan, Wisconsin, Louisiana etc. lt can be proven that there was
a Catholic vote and that this Catholic vote was influenced by two facts:
Governor Stevenson's divorce and his declaration that he would not
appoint an Ambassador to the Vatican. An additional fact was President
fruman's lurid attack on General Eisenhower'#/anti-Catholic, which
forced Cardinal Spelbman out of his usual reserve and made him make a
statement which could be interpreted as an endorsement for General
Eisenhowere
In the industrial States furthermore the shift of huge blocks
of foreign born groups, hitherto solidly Bemocratic, was also decisive.
In this sense, MreDulles' statement that foreign policy was a decisive
factor in the elections is correcte it can be proven that Dulles!
approach to shift on a policiy of containmmt to a policy of decision
br ught about this landslides Huge blocks, like the Polish Americans,
the Eungarian Americans, the Slovac Americans, went for the first time
in their existence into the Kepublz an columm. kesults in Connecticut
Pennsylvania, and Michigan are there to prove it. Only the bulk of the
Czech americans,~largely influenced by very leftist views, - stayed in
oh eee 6 Ob