Favorite Sons: Obsolete Presidential Candidates
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Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science Volume 31 Number 2 Article 17 1964 Favorite Sons: Obsolete Presidential Candidates James W. Davis St. Cloud State College, St. Cloud Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/jmas Part of the Life Sciences Commons, and the Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons Recommended Citation Davis, J. W. (1964). Favorite Sons: Obsolete Presidential Candidates. Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science, Vol. 31 No.2, 156-163. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/jmas/vol31/iss2/17 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science by an authorized editor of University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. For more information, please contact [email protected]. improvement of currently available photo interpretation . Table for Northern Minnesota. Univ. of Minn. For systems. estry Note 106. The examples presented in this paper have, necessarily, 3. MEYER, M. AND R. TR0CHLIL. 1961. A Test of Ap been concerned primarily with forest resource photo in plicability of Three Aerial Stand Volume Tables for terpretation. Let it be said, however, that workers in Northern Minnesota. 14 pp. (unpublished). · other area specialties are finding the potential uses of 4. MEYER, M. 1962. Basic Aerial Photo Measurements photo interpretation to be no less promising and in for non-Photogrammetrists. Norsk Kartografisk For triguing. It will be a great pity, indeed, if we should con ening, Oslo, Norway. tinue to overlook the additional rewards inherent in its 5. MEYER, M. 1963. The Quantitative Method in Forest further development. Aerial Photo Interpretation and Research - Ap LITERATURE CITED proaches and Limitations. Photogrammetric Engi l. AMUNDSEN, 0. AND M. MEYER. 1962. A Preliminary neering. 26(6) :937-941. Aerial Volume Table for Coniferous Forest Stands in 6. MINOR, C. 1960. Estimating Tree Diameter of Ari Southeast Norway. Research Report, Institutt for zona Ponderosa Pine from Aerial Photographs. Skogtaksasjon, N.L.H., Vollebekk, Norway. U.S.F.S., Rocky Mtn. For. & Range Expt. Sta. Re 2. MEYER, M. 1961. A Composite Aerial Stand Volume search Note 46. POLITICAL SCIENCE Favorite Sons: Obsolete Presidential Candidates JAMES W. DAVIS St. Cloud State College, St. Cloud With the 1964 national nominating conventions slightly ers, although the trend has been observable for more more than a year away, nationwide political attention than a generation. The last time a Republican national will once again be focused upon the presidential sweep convention selected a favorite son candidate for president stakes race. Inasmuch as the party controlling the presi and elected him was in 1920 when Senator Warren G. dency, the "in-party," almost never discards an incum Harding of Ohio became the convention choice on the bent, the president is virtually assured renomination by tenth ballot after the three leading contenders, Major the Democrats; consequently politicians in both parties General Leonard Wood, Illinois Governor Frank 0. and the American voters will be concerned chiefly with Lowden, and Senator Hiram Johnson of California, be the selection of the Republican candidate. came hopelessly deadlocked. The Democratic party has At this juncture it is impossible, of course, to predict not selected a favorite son presidential candidate since flatly how many of the leading Republican contenders John W. Davis of West Virginia was chosen in 1924 on will openly toss their hats in the ring. But it is safe to the 103rd ballot, following a ten-day balloting stalemate assert now that no matter which candidate formally en between New York's Governor Alfred E. Smith and Sen ters the race early next year, Republican organizations ator William Gibbs McAdoo, Secretary of the Treasury in several states, operating under a time-honored custom, in President Wilson's cabinet and son-in-law of the will once again choose favorite son candidates to head former president. their convention delegation. Unlike yesteryear, however, Before proceeding further, let us clarify the term when favorite son candidates were frequently chosen as "favorite son." In political parlance a favorite son is a presidential candidates - and successfully elected - the home-state presidential aspirant who may or may not be favorite sons of 1964 and future presidential election a serious contender for the nomination. The types of fa years will not achieve the nomination prize. Why? vorite sons and the roles that they may perform can be It will be the purpose of this paper to show that the classified generally into five categories: 1 changing forces in the presidential nominating process - 1. Outstanding favorite sons, who usually come from especially the growing influence of the presidential pri maries since World War II - have for all practical pur ' Material in this section is based, in considerable part, upon poses ruled out the possibility of a favorite son ever again the discussion of favorite sons found in Paul T. David, Malcolm Moos, and Ralph M. Goldman (ed.), Presidential Nominating winning the party nomination at the national convention. Politics in 1952 (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. 1954), I. I 186-188. Additional information on favorite son candidates may be obtained in Clarence A. Berdahl, "Presidential Selection and The declining influence of favorite son candidates has Democratic Government," Journal of Politics, XI (February not sufficiently attracted the attention of political observ- 1949), 35-40. 156 The Minnesota Academy of Science large pivotal states, are serious contenders when the field councils of the party professionals, but lacking full stat is wide open; their political influence and contacts extend ure, comprise the second team of presidential candidates. considerably beyond their state borders. Front-runing candidates treat them with respect and, in 2. Rising favorite sons are usually governors or prom turn, expect the rising favorite son to step aside when inent members of Congress who have gained prominence the smaller islands of delegates began breaking up and in their state. They are interested in spreading their gravitating toward the nationally-known candidates. This names beyond their state border and usually are more works no great hardship on the rising favorite son. He concerned with future presidential elections, since they has had the opportunity to bask in the limelight of the cannot be expected to compete on even terms with na convention, be wooed by the national candidate's politi tionally-known candidates or outstanding favorite sons. cal managers, or be promised certain political favors in 3. Token favorite sons, usually the state party leader, the event of the nationally-known candidate's successful assume this role to demonstrate their control over the election. He may even be considered as a "long-shot" state party organization or to forestall rival faction en vice presidential candidate. The rising favorite son is croachments upon their control of the party. They may given an opportunity to test his political wings; the party wish to swing delegate support behind a particular candi professionals may mark him down in their books as a date later. future national contender. Or, more likely, the rising favorite son may never reach those dreamed-of heights 4. Stand-in favorite sons, usually hand-picked by the and be forever consigned to the second team or destined state organizations, are selected to reflect the wishes of to political oblivion. Democratic Governor of New Jer the party and are on the ticket because the presidential sey, Robert B. Meyner, in 1956 would belong to this primary laws of such states, for example, Ohio, require category. that a candidate be listed. Token favorite sons are usually veteran party leaders 5. Nuisance favorite sons are marginal candidates, who wish to be in a position to exert powerful influence sometimes lacking solid organizational support even in in the choice of the party nominee. The token favorite their own state. They have no chance of winning the son maintains tight control over his delegation so that he nomination but crave the publicity that attends their will be in a position to swing behind the candidate he entry in the presidential race. Occasionally these candi considers best-qualified as the party's vote-getter in No dates cast themselves in the role of "spoilers," that is, vember. If he wishes, he may serve as a stalking horse they try to prevent front-running candidates from obtain for a leading presidential contender who needs to have ing a clear victory in a primary contest. his support of the delegation at a vital point in the bal Examining these categories in more detail, the out loting. The token candidate is almost never in the thick standing favorite sons usually enter one or more presi of presidential contention. For a variety of reasons, he dential primaries outside of their state as part of their is not politically "available" - he may come from a quest for the nomination. While the outstanding favorite "safe" Republican or Democratic state, be too told, tar sons are not front-runners, they are well up in the pack, nished with the boss label, too closely identified with a within striking distance of the nomination in the event a large pressure group, or unacceptable to important mi convention deadlock develops between two front-running nority groups. Governor George Docking of Kansas in candidates. For example, Governor Earl Warren, Cali 1960 would undoubtedly belong in this category. fornia's outstanding favorite son in 1952 (and now Chief Stand-in favorite sons are largely products of certain Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court), would have been in presidential primary laws and are never serious contend an excellent position for the nomination if a deadlock ers for the nomination.