Monday, Apr. 08, 1940
Nebraska and Illinois Primaries
Last week, as Nebraska and Illinois edged up to their April 9 Presidential preferential primaries, the question Democrats pondered was not who would win, but how much he would win by. "Who" in both States was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Republicans had a wider choice of worries.
> In Nebraska, where the primary election was expected to be a straw in the wind of this year's farm votes, ripe and eager was Thomas E. Dewey, silent and aloof was his rival. Senator Arthur Vandenberg. Twice "Buster" Dewey had invaded Nebraska, speechifying, conferring, shaking every hand within reach. Senator Vandenberg, though he was backed by most of the regular party leaders, had made it clear that any nomination must come to him "from the deliberative judgment of the American people." The best his campaign managers could think up was to bluster that young Mr. Dewey was pushing and undignified, persuade Mr. Vandenberg to address local rallies from Washington by radio.
With Franklin D. Roosevelt unopposed on Nebraska's Democratic ticket, safe and simple was the strategy of Democratic politicians. If Mr. Roosevelt decided to run for a Third Term, they would be in the right corner. If he declined, they would have 14 free delegates.
Chief interest of Democrats was in the Senatorial primary between stately, rumbling Senator Edward R. Burke and ponderous, conservative Governor Robert L. Cochran. Conservatives approve Governor Cochran's financial policies, and he has managed not to antagonize New Dealers. Senator Burke, elected six years ago on a New Deal ticket, has consistently opposed New Deal legislation, though his chief campaign cry has been that he has generally supported the Administration. His record in the past three years in the Senate: on 42 bills that mattered, he has voted eight times with the New Deal, 34 times against it.
> In Illinois, Mr. Dewey had the Republican field to himself.
Opposing Franklin Roosevelt was John Garner, who had no more hope of winning the primary than the Presidency. Cactus Jack wanted only to prove to the President that Term III is impossible. He felt this could be proved if two things happened: 1) if only 10% of Illinois' Democrats voted for Garner--and thus against Term III; 2) if Mr. Dewey's G. O. P. vote equaled or nearly equaled Mr. Roosevelt's Democratic vote. John Garner can add. He wanted to add up the Republican vote and the Garner vote to show Mr. Roosevelt that, if he runs, he will inevitably lose Illinois, a key State.
To help Garner along, his managers put out a red-white-&-blue handout which sang: ". . . His home is a typical American, West Texas home. . . where many birds, singing their thanks, I imagine, praising God for their happy life, being the guests of that peaceful home. I felt the tears come. . . ."
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