Marxists’ Internet Archive: ETOL Home Page: Trotskyist Writers Section: Farrel Dobbs
Source: The Militant, Vol. 12 No. 41, 11 October 1948, p. 4.
Transcription & Mark-up: Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
NEW YORK, Oct. 5. – We enter the homestretch in the presidential contest armed with valuable experience already gained in the campaign and confident that the Socialist Workers Party is emerging as a force to be reckoned with on the national political arena.
Millions of people know about the SWP today where only thousands heard of us before. Many have given us a sympathetic hearing despite the heavy pressure of the red-baiting hysteria. They are becoming aware of the bleak future in store for them under capitalism. They want to know how they can protect their interests.
Some in our new audience have already begun to grasp the essence of our program to abolish capitalism and build a socialist society. As the World crisis becomes sharper in the days ahead, the Trotskyist program will win the support of an increasingly large section of those who are now learning about our party.
Our slogans for independent labor political action are widely publicized through the presidential campaign at the precise moment when the political bankruptcy of the top union officials is most glaringly revealed to the workers. We are thus laying foundation stones for the building of a strong left wing in the unions.
We get particularly good response to our program among the doubly-oppressed Negro people, who have no illusion about capitalist “democracy.” They are already convinced 'to the marrow of their bones that economic, political and social relations must be changed fundamentally.
Students, too, show keen interest in our ideas. The bitter alternatives under capitalism of a wartime chow line or a depression bread line have inflicted upon American youth a frustration which violates every law' of nature. They are seeking a perspective that will restore to them youth’s precious right to believe and dare and do.
The impact of our campaign and the timeliness of our basic program is also reflected in the changing attitude of the Stalinist rank and file toward us. From the reports of comrades and from my own experiences on the road, I have learned that many Stalinist workers are beginning to shed their worst prejudices and listen to our arguments.
All this has been possible because the party was capable of making the bold decision to launch a full-scale national election campaign despite our limited forces and financial resources. And having made our decision, we set to work with determination and confidence, learning the ropes as we met each new problem.
Basic to our success has been the long, hard hours of labor by the party membership gathering petitions to put our national ticket on the ballot. We have already made the grade in nine states, with at least two additional states virtually a certainty. That impressive performance, reinforced by placing a number of local candidates on the ballot, laid the basis for our major propaganda activities.
Thanks to our getting on the ballot in sufficient states, we obtained considerable free time for radio broadcasts over national and state networks and individual local stations. We have reached a bigger audience through these broadcasts than our combined audiences of the past 20 years.
We have had excellent outdoor meetings in working class and Negro neighborhoods and at plant gates. These audiences have been characterized by their interest in our fundamental solution for the current political crisis.
Through the campaign we have broken into the newspapers, magazines and radio newscasts to an unprecedented degree. From this experience the whole party is learning rich lessons that will enable us to exploit these mediums more fully in the future.
Party literature has been distributed in huge quantities throughout the campaign. Here again we are learning new technique. Especially important is the beginning we have made in translating our fundamental program into simple but precise language.
Most striking of all is the way the entire party membership is growing in experience and ability as a result of the presidential campaign. New speakers, writers, technical specialists, money raisers are being developed.
Comrades in mass organizations are learning new techniques for political agitation thanks to the impetus of the presidential campaign and the new opportunities. The whole party is extending its activity onto a broader arena of political work.
We still have almost a month in which to add new campaign achievements. Every comrade to his appointed post! Let’s go down the homestretch with everything we’ve got!
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Last updated: 26 March 2023