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Show Democrats Scan Forest Of Presidential Timber Although the presidential election elec-tion is more than two years away and important elections are coming com-ing up this fall, considerable attention at-tention is being focused these days on possible presidential candidates. This was evident during the recent Governors' Conference in Miami, Fla. It was also given emphasis by Vice President Nixon's Nix-on's South American tour, and by Harold Stassen's defeat in Pennsylvania. Democrats, it would seem have a number of potentially good candidates but none of them has been able to grab the national spotlight and hold it. Among Democrats standing in j the wings are Governor Robert B. Meyner of New Jersey; G. Mennen Williams of Michigan; Averell Harriman of New York; Frank G. Clements of Tennessee; Leroy Collins of Florida; Orville L. Freeman of Minnesota; Geo. M. Leader of Pennsylvania and Edmund S. MusMe of Maine. Each of these men has possibilities possi-bilities but each also has handicaps. handi-caps. Observers can find good things about each of these Demo crats. But they also are able to find things which eliminate virtually vir-tually all of them as "inevitable" choices. Politcal experts are pointing out that the Senate looks like a better forest for finding Democratic Demo-cratic presidential timber. The list of possible candidates in the Senate includes John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who has by far the head start over fellow solons. He almost won the vice presidential nomination in 1956 but was edged out by Sen. Estes Kefauver. And there is Lyndon B. Johnson John-son of Texas, rated by many as the most able Senator today. Another An-other standout is Sen. Stuart B. Symington of Missouri, who reportedly re-portedly has the backing of former for-mer president Harry S Truman. Another is Sen. Hubert Humphrey Hum-phrey of Minnesota, who of late has matured greatly while retaining re-taining his zeal and enthusiasm. Outside the senate there is. still Adlai E. Stevenson, twice- defeated standard bearer who re- portedly is interested in seeking: i the Democratic nomination for the third time. |