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I
PROM/SE ...
women of lesser ability have failed?
Look at the record :
*HERBERT HOOVER ran on a platform
in
1928
that promised prosperity.
"The record of the present administra–
tion [Coolidge] is a guarantee of what
may be expected of the next. Our
words have been made deeds. We offer
not promises, but accomplishments."
Hoover's "chicken in every pot" tragi–
cally turned to "crow" with the crash
of the stock market and the resulting
depression. Through no fault of his
own, he was unable to deliver pros–
perity as promised - for the world
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Wide World
Herbert Hoover
was suddenly caught in a terrible stock
market crash and depression.
*
fRANKLJN ROOSEVELT, in running
for President against Hoover, in
1932,
promised a balanced budget and an
end to extravagant spending. He was
unable to achieve either. "He [FDRJ
tossed out the window his pledges to
balance the budget and cut down on
spending" (
Democrals ·vs. Repttbli–
cans,
by Thomas Bailey). Why
~
The
realization that circumstances alter
cases. "He ( FDR
J
decided that balanc–
ing the 'human budget' was more im–
portant than balancing the- financia!
budget"
(ibid).
*HARRY
TRUMAN campaigned on a
platform that promised to maintain
"those sound .fiscal policies whicb
under Democratic leadership have
brought about a balanced budget."
However, simply implying a balanced
budget for the next four years did not
mean the budget would be balaoced.
In fact, due to his decision to involve
the United States in the Communist–
inspired Korean cooflict, the next four
fiscal years'
deficit
totaled over $20
billion. Yet, Mr. Trumao tried as hard
as any recent President to balance the
budget.
UPI
Lyndon B. Johnson
C/oyton
Price -
Block
Stor
*DwiCHT EJSENHOWER "crusaded" as
a candidate in
1952
to mobilize the
best brains of America, to surround
himself with potentially great states–
men for a dynamic America. Not only
did política! pressure for politica1
nepotism greatly hinder bis freedom
of choice, but many of the "great
brains" were un
0
villing to leave their
traditional niches, aloof from politics.
He was uoable to surround himself
with the caliber of men he desired.
"lt
is one promise he did not even
come dose to keeping, even on bis
own terms"
(American Presidency,
Clinton Rossiter).
*]OHN KENNEPY as a candidate de–
clared, "Rebuilding our prestige must
be the primary concern of our next
president." Yet the Bay of Pigs in–
vasion was one of the worst fiascos in
American history. In Latín America,
resentment mounted. Worldwide the
U.S. lost prestige.
*LYNPON }OHNSON, in seeking re–
election in 1964, conveyed a "sense of
restraint" to the voters on Vietnam.
The President said, "We have lost less
than 200 men.... We think it is
better to lose 200 thao 200,000. For
that reason we tried very carefully
to restrain ourselves and not to en–
large the war." Yet, during his next
term, because of growing Red pres–
sure, troop strength peaked to over
500,000 men and the death toll
jumped into the tens of thousands.
When a man becomes President,
conditions and circumstances of oflice
inevitably take on a different com–
plexion than they had when he was
just a candidate standing out on
Pennsylvania Avenue.
One thing is clear. Presidents,
prtme ministers, chancellors - all
world leaders - are mortal men. •
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