Grace Carlson Archive | Trotskyist Writers Index | ETOL Main Page
From The Militant, Vol. 12 No. 36, 6 September 1948, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
Despite the blistering heat we had very fine campaign rallies in Cleveland and Toledo last week. But the most intriguing features of the tour in those cities were the radio interviews – two in each place.
I have had some interesting talks with the interviewers who conduct such programs. Privately, they are somewhat impressed by honest people – maybe they are even a little envious. Radio announcers, who have to reel off one commercial after another all day long, are forced to be fakers. And there is always a big whip held over them! A prominent sign in Toledo’s station WTOD tells its announcers “Commercials Pay Your Salary – Do Them Right.”
Selling Socialism is a much more satisfying kind of work than selling Taystee Bread or Kiddies Kute Klothes.
Of course it isn’t possible to sell the entire Socialist Workers Party program on one of these radio interviews but I get in as much Trotskyism as possible. Perhaps it would be interesting to the Militant readers to know what kind of questions are asked on such a program. I’ll just copy the questions off the mimeographed sheet, which the director of station WTOD’s Women’s Page of the Air gave me before the broadcast yesterday. The answers were not written out and, of course, I don’t have to give them because all of our readers know what the answers should be.
Announcer: 1. “We have here in the studio with us today Dr. Grace Carlson, Socialist Workers Party Candidate for Vice-President of the United States. Dr. Carlson, I might add, is the only woman running for Vice-President in this election. Have women been chosen to fill the vice-presidential berth in any other election to your knowledge, Dr. Carlson?”
2. “Do you expect to be elected?”
3. “When you’re a candidate in a national election, you can vote for yourself, can’t you?”
4. “Where were you born?”
5. “Where did you get your doctorate degree and in what subjects?”
6. “When did you first become actively interested in the principles of the Socialist Workers Party?”
7. “Have you encountered any resentment towards having women in positions of prominence in your political party?”
8. “Do you receive a salary from the party?”
9. “How do you manage to make both ends meet?”
10. “In your tours around the country, I imagine you’ve picked up a great many cooking recipes that are particular favorites in sections. Can you tell us about some?”
And inasmuch as I'm the best cook among all of the vice-presidential candidates (maybe even the presidential candidates) I was able to give Toledo’s citizens the recipe for a very good Italian dish, Liver Rocco.
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Last updated: 11 October 2022