State of the Union Page #2

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through my lame brain,

if you have

no interest in politics,

why did you make that speech?

Oh, now, wait a minute.

I can be interested

in the country

without being interested

in politics.

That'll surprise Jim Conover.

I don't care

who it surprises.

Don't get the idea that

I'm not interested in

what's going on.

I like this country,

Mr. Conover.

It's been darn good to me.

I started with a screwdriver

and a monkey wrench

and two years of high school,

and built the

Matthews Aircraft.

Did you ever fly an airplane?

Oh, no, you don't like

airplanes, do you?

You better not

elect me President then,

because I'd make it a law

for every politician

to spend at least

100 hours in the air.

This year, most of us are

up in the air all the time.

Well, the next time

you're up there, Mr. Conover,

look down.

Look down on Pittsburgh,

for example, what do you see?

Smoke.

That's right, smoke.

From the steel mills.

Miles and miles of

steel mills.

But you see

something else, too,

don't you?

Farms, factories, lumber,

mines, railroads, business,

management, labor.

Not one able to exist alone,

but together, working together

with courage and imagination.

That makes America.

That's a great picture

from the air.

Yeah, but come down to earth

and walk into one of

those meetings

like that one in Cleveland,

and what do you find?

Farmers, cattlemen, lumbermen,

business, labor,

they were all there.

All working together?

In a pig's eye.

All scared to death,

all fighting each other.

Each out for the biggest bite

in the apple.

Well, there aren't

that many bites in the apple.

That's what I was

talking about in Cleveland

and that's why I'm surprised

that you asked me here.

Why surprised?

Because you politicians,

instead of pulling

the country together

are helping pull it apart,

just to get votes.

To labor, you promise

higher wages and lower prices.

To business,

higher prices and lower wages.

To the rich, you say,

"Let's cut taxes".

To the poor, "Soak the rich".

To the veterans,

cheaper housing.

To the builders,

uncontrolled prices.

There's no halo

around my head, Mr. Conover,

but that's what keeps

men like me out of politics.

Hurray!

You didn't ask me

to make this speech,

did you?

You just asked me

what I said. Let that

be a lesson to you.

Mr. Matthews,

you've just created the

ideal political platform.

Drown the politicians.

Very funny.

Mr. Matthews, now, if you

really believe those things

and weren't just spouting

to hear yourself talk,

you've just given yourself

several reasons to run.

That's my whole point.

The only way

to correct those evils

is to get into politics.

Get into the White House

where you can

do something about it.

But, Kay, you just don't

get into the White House,

millions of people

have to vote for you.

You're not afraid of the job,

are you?

What do you mean, I'm afraid?

Of course I'm not afraid

I'd make

a darn good president.

What am I saying?

You've got me doing it now.

I would like to

pause at this moment

and take a one-man

Gallup poll.

What chance do you think

Mr. Matthews here

really might have, Jim?

I don't know.

Any native-born American

over 35 has a chance.

Jim, on Tuesday

Grant starts a tour

of his plants.

Everywhere he's going

he's been invited to speak.

Wait a minute. I'm going to be

pretty busy, you know.

I've got problems

in all those plants.

Grant, you've got to

go along with us

that far. Try it out.

At least you get

a few things off your chest.

Spike, you're going

along with him.

You've been telling

everyone for years

how to run a campaign.

Now we'll see

if you can really run one.

Fine, I'll go over to

the White House and tell

the Trumans to start packing.

Yes, Norah, what is it?

Norah!

Do you know

a man named Mac?

Mac who?

He's calling from New York.

He just said to say, "Mac."

Oh, Mac.

Hello?

Yes, I've been waiting

to hear from you.

Oh? Oh, wait a minute.

I'll take this call

in another room.

I'll hang up

as soon as you're on.

Do you mind?

Might get a little

Drew Pearson blood.

I thought it was agreed

we'd all trust each other.

Only when we're

in the same room.

Jim, I've been

waiting for you...

Just a minute, Congressman.

I've got a call to answer.

I don't get this.

If he's really serious

about me

as a possible candidate,

the Republican Party

must be pretty desperate.

The party isn't desperate,

just Conover.

If he doesn't personally

select the Republican

candidate this year,

he may as well turn,

if you'll pardon the

expression, Democrat.

Are you on?

All right, I'll hang up.

Kay, put that down.

Wait a minute, what?

They've had someone

looking you up.

They picked up some gossip

about you and me.

Uh-oh.

No.

There's been some talk

about Mary.

Mary and some major.

Who's Mary?

Mrs. Matthews.

Oh!

A major? What's his name?

I can't...

What does it sound like?

A major!

Did you see

what that so and so

wrote about me today?

Well, isn't it true?

Hey, it's 5:
00 already.

Spike, you may have

trouble finding

a taxi at this hour.

If you want

to talk privately,

why don't you say so?

I just did.

Mr. Matthews, you and I

might take time

to finish our drinks.

Do you mind,

Miss Thorndyke?

Jim, I want you to know

that Grant and I

trust you implicitly.

Thank you.

I'm very happy

about this, Grant.

Miss Thorndyke.

You might as well wait, too.

That's what I was

going to talk about.

Close the door, Spike.

Do you mind being seated?

Naturally, Mr. Matthews,

when your name first came up,

I made some enquiries.

It seems there's been

some talk about you two.

There's been that kind of

gossip about every candidate

except Herbert Hoover.

They didn't pull it on Hoover

'cause nobody would've

believed it.

There are no grounds for talk.

Mr. Matthews and I are

very good friends. Period.

You see, Mr. Matthews,

while Miss Thorndyke

happens to be single,

you are a married man,

with two children.

If you consider that

a major... A vital factor.

I guess that ends it.

What's the answer, Jim?

It isn't my problem.

But if it were,

you two wouldn't be seen

together from now on.

Now wait...

You can't get to first base

against a whispering campaign.

Could I get a word in here?

Perhaps Kay's friendship

means more to me than

all this political...

That's all I wanted

to hear, Grant.

Jim's right.

We don't see each other

from now on.

I knew she'd feel

that way about it,

and I'm sure she'll

agree with me

on the next step.

I think Mrs. Matthews

should be down here

with her husband.

And I'd like to see her

make this trip with him.

Now, Jim.

Brother Conover,

that does it.

You have just ended

the shortest political

campaign on record.

If my wife knew that

I was even thinking of myself

as President of

these United States,

you just don't know my wife.

She'd call me Nappy

every other minute.

"Nappy"?

Nappy. That's short

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