Thoughts on the political past and future

One hundred years ago, Republican Calvin Coolidge defeated Democrat John Davis and Robert La Follette, Progressive Party. The election was analyzed in the Northern Idaho News by editor Don Moore. In part he wrote: 

“Much advice has been tendered on the “reorganization” of the democratic party and many diagnosticians have rendered their conclusions on the significance of the defeat, but in all the clutter of impressions there is very little of material value. Probably the men whose judgment is of the most help are not talking very much, on the theory that it is not well to be too cocksure about what to do about the next election until we are without the shadow of the last. 

“It is plain the democratic party was not liberal enough, when so many democratic votes went to LaFollette. The conservative field was already well occupied but the democrats turned to it and left the discontented vote to LaFollette. 

“How completely a presidential campaign may change in the course of a few months. This time last year the chances were materially better than fifty-fifty in favor of the democrats. But the consolation to be derived from the experience is that a similar change the other way can also take place as quickly. 

“The democrats should organize for the campaign two years hence. A reasonable effort can wrest control of congress from the other party and that should be the stepping stone to success four years hence.” 

FYI: In 1928 Herbert Hoover, a Republican, won by a landslide. In 1932 Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt exceeded that landslide to begin the first of his four terms. 

HELEN NEWTON

Sandpoint