AMERICAN POLITICAL TIDES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23707, 14 January 1939, Page 14

AMERICAN POLITICAL TIDES

“ What is more important in American politics than parties is the tide—the long swing from Right to Left, and from Left to Right.” said Mr Raymond Gram Swing', in a broadcast from New York relayed to 8.8. C. listeners. “And if you look up the tides of American politics in the past four decades you will And that none has lasted more than 12 years. A Conservative tide which brought McKinley into power had a 10-year run: then the Liberal swing set in about 1910 and lasted eight years—the Wilson er#; then came a 12-year Conservative tide which ended in the Congressional elections in 1930. And now we have had eight years of a Liberal tide. Now, how long is that going to last—and if it ends, would it be followed by a Conservative Democratic victory or a Conservative Republican victory. That’s a question I shall not try to answer, but you will see that it is more significant to recognise the tide than to be able to name the party.