THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY December 1,1956 from the United States Analysis of Election Results (From Our American Correspondent) November, 15 THE most striking thing about the The events In Hungary and Suez been for the past two years, and elections has been the lack of did not lessen Eisenhower's appeal. there were no significant changes in change In the composition of the If four years of peace was to his the personnel. federal government. An overwhelm­ credit, so equally he was regarded In the senate the Democrats re­ ing Eisenhower victory was expect­ as the man best fitted to deal with tain their 49 to 47 hold but eight ed, but it was, if anything, a little crises arising abroad. It must be senatorial seats changed hands. This more overwhelming than expected. understood that the errors of his is almost a. quarter of the 35 seats The polls predicted that Eisenhower Secretary of State, being errors of up for election. but the net result would receive fifty five or six per technique, are not really appreciated was nil as four democrats took Re­ cent of the popular vote; in fact he at home. Dulles' mis-steps have publican seats and four Republicans received fifty-eight per cent. But been monumental at times, amount­ took Democratic seats. A closer despite such a huge majority (and ing to total disregard of the rules look at these changes may serve to unlike Franklin Roosevelt's victory of the diplomatic game, but if one mustrate, first, how senatorial races in 1936, it cannot be said that the sticks to acts and ignores words, can be independent of presidential losers were terribly disappointed or the Aswan Dam Affair is about the and party races, and second, how upset), the Republican presidential only concrete act-of-commission the political complexion of the candidate failed to carry a Republi­ blunder which can be laid at his Senate can change or remain the can majority Into either house, and door, and so it is not easily appa­ same within the same party totals, In fact the Democrats added one, rent to the electorate that perhaps and despite marked changes in per­ and what will probably be four or much of the blame for the deteriora­ sonnel. five seats when the counting Is over, tion In Anglo -U.S.-European and to their majority In the House of U.S.-Arab-Asian relations belongs Opposite Cases of Personal Standing Representatives. with the U.S. First, we have two and opposite, The situation as it has developed The faith reposed In Eisenhower cases of personal standing. In Ohto Is this: probably the most popular the man and Eisenhower the presi­ Frank Lausche (Dem.) unseated president since George Washington, dent does not extend to his party The Senator Bender (Rep.). Lausche but at that time the electorate saw American electorate did not accept has been almost a perpetual Demo­ fit to give his party only the barest the view that Eisenhower needed a cratic governor In an almost perpe­ of majorities in Congress. Two Republican Congress. Quite the con­ tually Republican State. As a gov­ years later at the Interim elections, trary. They took the view that ernor he has been extremely success­ the electorate took away this majo­ what he really needed was a Demo­ ful. As a Democrat he has been so rity. A swing away from the majo­ cratic Congress, and they gave h'm independent as barely to quality as rity party is common at these off- one. All across the country tickets a Democrat. He has even hinted year elections. but it Is most un­ were split as never before. Iarge that in the voting on the organiza­ common for such a swing to be con­ numbers of Americans voted for tion of the Senate (Commitee chair- firmed at the following election Elsenhower, Democratic governors, manshis sec.) he may not vote without unseating the President as Republican senators and Democra­ with the Democrats. Thus Lousche well. A men sure of the unusualness tic representatives, or split their the man and the governor defested of the election result Is that one votes in other ways. In Mich'gan must go back to 1848 to find a year Bender the Republican. In Idoho, Eisenhower's presidential majority mother strongly Republican State, in which a president was elected was matched on the Democratic side from one party while the opposition Senator Walker (Rep.) has made by William's majority in his candi­ such a poor reputation for himself— party won control of both houses of dacy for the governorship. If the Congress. extremely rebctionary and generally results were disappointing to loyal useless to Idoho constitutents— that The Man for the Job members of one party or the other, Frank Church (Dem.) could beat An explanation is obviously called there can be no doubt that the vomers him easily with Public- for, and the explanation is equally did have a clear idea of whom they con votes. The Idoho result show obvious. Eisenhower has the con­ wanted and gave a first class de­ that if a sentor is poor enough no fidence and the admiration of the monstration of the vigor of demo­ party lovalty can save him, American people. They believe him cracy. "If now seems clear that Special mention should be made to be eminently suited to the job, other things being equal the Ameri­ of the results in Kentucky where and eminently trustworthy, and can voter prefers the Democrats to John Sherman Cooper. recalled from events under his administration have , the Republicans, but that in this India for the purpose won the secreate done nothing to destroy this faith case Eisenhower was not other seat vacated by the death of Senator There has been peace during his things being equal. (formerly Vice-President) Barkley. administration, and until the last There should be no need to explain few days before the election a defi­ The New Congress to Indians why Cooler. although a nite feeling tint International ten­ In comparing the new Congress Republican could win handsomely in sions were lessening. On the do­ with the old. one Is struck with the a normally Democratic State. mestic scene there has been pros- similarity in political complexion perity and as stable a price level as between them. The House of Repre­ The second point to be made is is likely to be seen In this world. sentatives, remains virtually as it has that the senate is now neither more 1303 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY December 1,1956

conservative nor more liberal than the House, and while there, his vot­ over previous years. More was a it was before the election although ing record would have done credit Republican until 1952, became an in- liberals have lost seats, for so have to a Truman Democrat. New York dependent in that year, and in 1955 conservatives. On the extreme Republicans? are as a rule "liberal" became a Democrat, but throughout right Herman Welker of Idaho has they were the nucleus of the his career, he has been on the far left been eleminated, but at the same Federal, Risenhower wing of the Re- of the Senate. Washington and Ore­ time former Republican Senator publican party but many of them gon have been Republican States but Chapman Revercombe, once in and regard Ives as far too liberal it not of recent years have sent Democrats then out and a very, very conserva­ dewnright. leftist. Thus the change to the Senate by close votes when the tive man indeed, has now been of party in New York will not signi­ issue was between a Democrat re-elected in West Virginia. Moving ficantly change voting patterns in favouring Federal Government deve­ in from the extreme right wing of the Senate. lopment of hydro-electric power. the Republicans we find Senator Cooper's victory in Kentucky is This year's results indicate that Bender, definitely of the "old guard' even more upsetting to the common these two States will be sending of the Republican party, defeated, view outside America that Repub­ more Democrats to Washington but by a very conservative Demo­ licans are conservative and Demo­ (D C) than they have in the past crat. The substitution of Democrat crats liberal or left. Cooper has Lausche for Republican Bonder is In Michigan, G Mennen Williams served twice in the Senate, from far from a radical change. East (Dem) has won his fifth two year 19-17 to 194 9. and from 1951 to 1953, coast Republicans would regard term as governor, this year defeat­ each time filling out. the last two Lausche as a conservative. ing the popular Mayor of Detroit by years of some one elses unexpired a larger margin than he has defeated Moving to into the middle of the term, as he is again to do from 1957 lesser opponents in the past. In con­ road we find Clarke (Dem.) replac­ to 1959. His record in his previous sequence it looks as if Williams ing Duff (Rep.), but here Duff was terms indicates that he is as much may develop into the Democratic of the liberal, Eisenhower wing of to the left as Senator Barkley whom Presidential candidate in 1960. It the Republican party, while Clarke he succeeds, and very like'y more should be noted that Williams is a does not appear to be on the left of so. Much less is known about centre to left-of-centre Democrat In the Democrats. Except on a few Morton (Rep) who defeated Senator i normally Republican State. specifically "party" issues (where a Clements (Dem) for the other, full vote does not definitely reflect inter­ six year term from Kentucky, but What then can we anticipate to nationalist or isolationist strongly Morton is an Eisenhower Republican be the probable effects of this elec­ pro- or strongly anti-labour, views and hence it is expected that he will tion upon the course of American for instance) Clarke's voting record not increase right wing Republican policy? First, with President, Senate, in the Congresses to come will pro­ strength. While Cooper won by a and House remaining as before, bably not differ greatly from the large vote. Morton barely made it, there is no reason to expect any record which Duff would have made and his victory therefore seems at­ large changes, certainly in basic had he been elected. In part if not tributable to the Eisenhower land- attitudes. But two, joint results of In whole the Clarke victory reflects slide in Kentucky rather than to his the election may lead to an Ameri­ changes in internal Pennsylvania own vote-getting power. can foreign policy more sensitive politics. By industrial and occupa­ and sympathetic to the problems of tional standards one would expect The last, change of party occurred both our allies and the neutral Pennsylvania to be generally Demo­ in Colorado, traditionally Republi­ nations. One result, the great vote cratic, but for years an extremely can, where John Carroll, formerly of confidence in Eisenhower, was efficient—and in Philadelphia cer­ a Democratic representative, now underlined by the other result, the tainly corrupt Republican political becomes Senator. As the Democrats vote of lack of confidence in tradi­ organization kept the State's admi­ also won the governorship in Colo­ tional, isolationistieally inclined Re­ nistration in Republican hands. rado, this change is most probably publicans. These two together Clarke broke the power of this poli­ the result of the increase in urban should give Eisenhower more scope tical "machine" to become Mayor of industrialization (large cities tend to to follow out his evident desire to Philadelphia, and this year's shift to be Democratic) and .some shift in a work more through the United the Democratic camp (except for farm vote irritated at lower farm Nations and to accomplish more by voting for Eisenhower) largely re­ prices. This election result will understanding negotiation and to presents the final, demise of long­ mean a slightly leftward shift but reduce the number of occasions on standing Republican control and the if we sum up the leftward changes which American policy is reduced to election of an honest and worthy of Church, Clarke. Cooper, Carroll belligerent statements. As against man whose work tor pood govern­ and Lausche against the right ward this stand the fact that as a Presi­ ment within the State has earned changes of Bevercombe Morton, dent approaches the end of his term him further recognition. and Javits, the net movement has in office (and Eisenhower cannot been very small indeed. run again), his influence in Congress In analyzing two other Republican declines. Lastly, there remains the victories we must move to the left Other election results, while leav-. great question mark of what will of centre in American politics. In ing the men unchanged, point to happen if Eisenhower does not fill New York, the Democrats put up more permanent changes in the out his term and Vice-President Wagner to succeed retiring Senator future. In the northwest Democrats Nixon succeeds to the Presidency. Lehman, Wagner, who would rnve Manrnuson of Washington (the continued Lehman's leftish New State) and Morse of Oregon re­ Whatever may happen, this elec­ Deal, Fair Deal record was defeated tained their senate seats in cam­ tion has shown clearly that there is by Ives. Until he became Attorney- paigns against former Republican but a dim and dismal future for General of New York in 1954. Ives governors Langlic and Mckay, and politicians who try to make a carrer was a Republican representative in increased the Democratic margin put of bomb-waving and thrests. 1394