Up Truman

Harry Truman's 1948 stock has taken a strong upsurge, the FORTUNE Survey reported last week. In March, the FORTUNE poll showed that any one of four Republican candidates--Dewey, Stassen, Vandenberg or Taft--would have beaten the President if an election had been held then. After President Truman's vetoes of the tax and labor bills, FORTUNE measured the same candidates' popularity against his. Results: Tom Dewey is now the only G.O.P. hopeful running ahead of Harry Truman. But Dewey is only two percentage points in front; his rating slipped from 50% to 45%, while Truman's rose from 28% to 43%. Harold Stassen, who had a 40-to-24 edge over Truman in March, now trails by 46 to 33. Arthur Vandenberg had a 42-to-27 lead; now Truman leads by 48 to 33. Bob Taft had led, 35 to 31; the latest score: Truman 53, Taft 29.

FORTUNE'S conclusions: 1) "Republicans cannot expect to defeat Truman merely by selecting at random any one of their present aspirants"; 2) "Dewey comes most readily to the minds of those who want to defeat Truman."

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