Snowball

The Gallup poll, measuring the effect of Henry Wallace's candidacy on the popular vote this week, found it almost nil. The pollsters reported that, if the election were held now with Henry in the race, Harry Truman would beat Tom Dewey (46% to 41%) and would wallop Bob Taft (51% to 31%). They also reported that Ike Eisenhower, with no help from Henry, would defeat the President, 47% to 40%. (In none of the three trial heats did Wallace get more than 8% of the vote.)

There was no longer any doubt that General Ike's candidacy was snowballing. This caused repercussions all around. Just as if he had known in advance of the Gallup trial heats, Governor Dewey decided that it was time to start running. He announced that he is an open candidate and prepared to do some real campaigning.

Ike Eisenhower, who will quit his chief-of-staff duties on Feb. 15, acted as if he were beginning to enjoy the political rumpus. In Philadelphia last week to lay a wreath on Benjamin Franklin's grave, he was stopped by a man who proudly showed him a "Draft Eisenhower" button in his lapel. The General said: "Take that thing off and throw it away." But he wore his widest grin as he said it.

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