Effective Opposition, Personable Candidates Seen Democrat Need

The establishment of "effective" opposition in Congress and the nomination of more personable candidates are the two most important methods by which the Democratic Party can retain national power, three members of the government and economics departments declared yesterday.

Ayers Brinser '31, lecturer in Economics, urged the party to analyze its votes to discover what its position should be and who the people are whom the party represents. Brinser maintained that Eisenhower's victory was due in large part to "responsible" Democratic opposition which made the Republican record "look very good."

Analyzing the importance of the once solid South, Brinser asserted that the position of the Southern Democrats "is not consistent with the liberal wing," which is itself "cracked by the breakdown of the urban vote." Robert G. McCloskey, associate professor of Government, felt the party does not need the Solid South, and should not pay "a very big price for it, as I think it did this year."

Alexander J. Cella '51, Teaching Fellow in Government and State Assembly-man-elect from Medford, warned the party not to consider the South as "safe areas" any longer, but to consider the implications of the rise of suburban communities in the North. Brinser also asked whether the loss of some of the urban vote has been caused by a movement to the suburbs, or by a shift in income groups.

A dissenting opinion regarding the importance of the South was voiced by Alfred C. Hanford, professor of Government, a Republican. Hanford felt that the South will be secure to the Democrats as long as Southern party members take "the attitude they do" toward segregation.

Samuel P. Huntington, assistant professor of government, noted the shift of party power to the West. He said that the Democrats must nominate more candidates with "personality," since that factor has displaced "basic issues" in election campaigns.