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He was not thought of for the Governorship at this time because he wasn't big enough timber for it then. After all, Boxing Commissioners don't get to be Governors just like that. There must be something in between. After he had been Postmaster General that would have been a different matter, but not then. I don't think he even thought of it himself.
Jim Farley was always around, in and out. I expect that he and Smith went to see Roosevelt a good deal. Farley went probably because he's good-hearted and friendly. It may have been that Louis Howe sold Jim the idea that Roosevelt would be a fine Governor. I think it's more likely that, although Louis may have planted the idea in his mind, Jim and Roosevelt, talking things over, thought that it was a good bet politically.
In the first place, Roosevelt had a magic name, because of old Teddy. Teddy Roosevelt had been a very popular figure in the State of New York. Franklin always said that half the upstate people who voted for him in the '28 election for Governor voted for him under the impression that it was Theodore. He was well aware of that.
To what extent Louis put the flea in Jim's ear, I don't know. I didn't know Louis Howe awfully well. At this point I think Louis did a great deal for Roosevelt. I think
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