A miracle victory
Most political experts predicted a crushing defeat, a few
thought it would be decisive but perhaps not humiliating, and even
his wife acknowledged later that she had serious doubts of his
success.
In fact, the only person optimistic about his return to the
White House in 1948 seemed to be President Harry S. Truman
himself.
Truman had succeeded to the presidency in April 1945 upon the
death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the final spring of World
War II. He made the decision to drop Atomic bombs on Japan to end
the war. In 1946 a Republican congress was voted in and the
Democrat from Missouri had trouble pushing through legislation.
To make matters worse, Henry Wallace, his predecessor as vice
president, broke with the party to run on the Progressive ticket.
Another disaffected Democrat, Strom Thurmond, left to head the
States’ Rights Democratic Party, dubbed the Dixiecrats, after
Truman stressed the need for more civil rights.
When Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York became the Republican
candidate even many Democrats thought he would win because Dewey
had been re-elected governor by a landslide.
But Truman was never daunted. He summoned back the 80th
Congress, which he called the
”
Do-Nothing Congress,
”
because it had accomplished little during the regular
session.
Truman was openly scornful of Dewey and his policies. Dewey
remained aloof from the fray on advice from his staff, and talked
in platitudes. The Gallup and Roper polls predicted he would win by
double digits.
Truman decided to take his campaign directly to the people. He
arranged for a train to carry him all across the country for a
series of whistle-stop speeches. While blasting Congress early in
the campaign, a listener shouted,
”
Give ’em Hell, Harry!
”
and the laughing Truman promised to do so.
The cry became general whenever the train pulled into a station
for a short speech and many listeners noted,
”
He can’t win but you have to admire his spirit.
”
Shortly before the Nov. 2 election, a New York Times headline
proclaimed that Dewey’s victory was a foregone conclusion, and Life
Magazine’s cover was a photograph of Dewey captioned:
”
Our Next President.
”
Truman retired early the night of Election Day. A Secret Service
agent roused him at midnight to say he was leading. Around 4 a.m.
he awoke to find he had maintained the lead. Dewey finished with
189 electoral votes in 16 states, and Thurmond carried four
Southern states (Truman was not even on Alabama’s ballot) for 39
electoral votes. Truman took California, Ohio and Illinois by less
than a single percentage point each and won in 28 states for 303
electoral votes. The Democrats also recaptured the Senate and
House.
The most famous photograph of the election shows a jubilant
Truman holding aloft a copy of the Chicago Tribune. In its desire
to be first out with the results, its headline blazoned
”
Dewey Defeats Truman.
”
It was called the miracle victory because no one could have
predicted it
– except Harry S. Truman.
A miracle victory
Most political experts predicted a crushing defeat, a few thought it would be decisive but perhaps not humiliating, and even his wife acknowledged later that she had serious doubts of his success.
In fact, the only person optimistic about his return to the White House in 1948 seemed to be President Harry S. Truman himself.
Truman had succeeded to the presidency in April 1945 upon the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the final spring of World War II. He made the decision to drop Atomic bombs on Japan to end the war. In 1946 a Republican congress was voted in and the Democrat from Missouri had trouble pushing through legislation.
To make matters worse, Henry Wallace, his predecessor as vice president, broke with the party to run on the Progressive ticket. Another disaffected Democrat, Strom Thurmond, left to head the States’ Rights Democratic Party, dubbed the Dixiecrats, after Truman stressed the need for more civil rights.
When Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York became the Republican candidate even many Democrats thought he would win because Dewey had been re-elected governor by a landslide.
But Truman was never daunted. He summoned back the 80th Congress, which he called the “Do-Nothing Congress,” because it had accomplished little during the regular session.
Truman was openly scornful of Dewey and his policies. Dewey remained aloof from the fray on advice from his staff, and talked in platitudes. The Gallup and Roper polls predicted he would win by double digits.
Truman decided to take his campaign directly to the people. He arranged for a train to carry him all across the country for a series of whistle-stop speeches. While blasting Congress early in the campaign, a listener shouted, “Give ’em Hell, Harry!” and the laughing Truman promised to do so.
The cry became general whenever the train pulled into a station for a short speech and many listeners noted, “He can’t win but you have to admire his spirit.”
Shortly before the Nov. 2 election, a New York Times headline proclaimed that Dewey’s victory was a foregone conclusion, and Life Magazine’s cover was a photograph of Dewey captioned: “Our Next President.”
Truman retired early the night of Election Day. A Secret Service agent roused him at midnight to say he was leading. Around 4 a.m. he awoke to find he had maintained the lead. Dewey finished with 189 electoral votes in 16 states, and Thurmond carried four Southern states (Truman was not even on Alabama’s ballot) for 39 electoral votes. Truman took California, Ohio and Illinois by less than a single percentage point each and won in 28 states for 303 electoral votes. The Democrats also recaptured the Senate and House.
The most famous photograph of the election shows a jubilant Truman holding aloft a copy of the Chicago Tribune. In its desire to be first out with the results, its headline blazoned “Dewey Defeats Truman.”
It was called the miracle victory because no one could have predicted it – except Harry S. Truman.
