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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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general run of the Convention. He was very popular. They liked him a lot, and they would have loved to nominate him.

Now why he hadn't been consulted before in advance by the high command, I don't know. I never did know what Hannegan was doing. I never fully understood Hannegan's play and purposes. I didn't begin to understand him as I had understood both Jim Farley and Frank Walker, and I think he played the game somewhat differently. I think he had built up a very strong organization through the states, and it was highly political--I mean, in the partisan sense. I haven't a doubt he had very good control of that organization.

Interviewer:

Politics changed somewhat during the war, didn't they? Would you say that the New Deal became more political during the War than it had been during the thirties?

Perkins:

I think it was only because--I don't think the New Deal changed any, but the party changed, and that was due largely to Hannegan's leadership. Certainly Roosevelt didn't dominate the activities of Hannegan the way he had those of Jim Farley and Frank Walker. Now, he couldn't. I mean Roosevelt couldn't--he couldn't spare the energy to do it. He couldn't pull himself together to do it, to put over ideas and thoughts and so forth. Of course it was always said--and Roosevelt once said--“The New Deal? I don't want to





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