Stranica 1 [1]
OCR
rg ty ne 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
