NationMaster - Encyclopedia: United States presidential election, 1948

The United States presidential election of 1948 is considered by most historians as the greatest election upset in American history. Virtually every prediction (with or without public opinion polls) indicated that incumbent President Harry S. Truman would be defeated by Republican Thomas Dewey. Truman won, overcoming a three-way split in his own party. Truman's surprise victory was the fifth consecutive win for the Democratic Party in a presidential election. Truman's election confirmed the Democratic Party's status as the nation's majority party, a status they would retain until the 1980s. Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Harry Truman, see Harry Truman (disambiguation). ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Thomas Edmund Dewey (b. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas Politics Portal Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic...

Nominations

Republican Party nomination

Both major parties courted general Dwight Eisenhower, the most popular general of World War II. Eisenhower's political views were unknown in 1948. He was, later events would prove, a moderate Republican, but in 1948 he flatly refused the nomination of any political party. Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ... Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 â€“ March 16, 1971) was the Governor of New York (1943-1954) and the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in 1944 and 1948. ... This is a list of the Governors of New York. ... Joseph William Martin, Jr (November 3, 1884 - March 6, 1968) was an American politician from North Attleborough, Massachusetts. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the American general; for the municipality in the Philippines, see General MacArthur, Eastern Samar. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Largest metro area Greater Milwaukee Area Ranked 23rd - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 310 miles (500 km) - % water 17 - Latitude 42Â° 30â€² N to 47Â° 05â€² N - Longitude 86Â° 46â€² W to... Harold Edward Stassen (April 13, 1907 - March 4, 2001) was the 25th Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943. ... The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the states executive branch. ... Robert Alphonso Taft I (September 8, 1889 - July 31, 1953), of the Taft family political dynasty of Ohio, was a United States Senator and Presidential candidate in the United States Republican Party. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Greater Cleveland Area Ranked 34th - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 kmÂ²) - Width 220 miles (355 km) - Length 220 miles (355 km) - % water 8. ... Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg (March 22, 1884â€“April 18, 1951) was a Republican Senator from the state of Michigan who participated in the creation of the United Nations. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... For the swing saxophonist and occasional singer, see Earle Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 â€“ July 9, 1974) was a California district attorney of Alameda County, the 20th Attorney General of California, the 30th Governor of California, and the 14th Chief Justice of the United States (from 1953 to 1969). ... Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (left) and Governor Gray Davis (right) with President George W. Bush in 2003 The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the state government, whose responsibilities include making yearly State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

With Eisenhower refusing to run, the contest for the Republican nomination was between New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen, General Douglas MacArthur, Ohio Senator Robert Taft and California Governor Earl Warren. Governor Dewey, who had been the Republican nominee in 1944, was regarded as the frontrunner when the primaries began. Dewey was the acknowledged leader of the GOP's powerful eastern establishment; in 1946 he had been re-elected Governor of New York by the largest margin in state history. Dewey's handicap was that many Republicans disliked him; he often struck observers as cold, stiff and condescending. Senator Taft was the leader of the GOP's conservative wing. He opened his campaign in 1947 by attacking the Democratic Party's domestic policy and foreign policy. On foreign policy, Taft was an isolationist who blamed Truman for implementing the Morgenthau Plan in occupied Germany, thereby wrecking the European economy which (in his view) thus required rescue from U.S. taxpayers in the form of the Marshall Plan. [1] In domestic issues, Taft and his fellow conservatives wanted to abolish many of the New Deal social welfare programs that had been created in the 1930's; they regarded these programs as too expensive and harmful to business interests. Taft had two major weaknesses: he was seen as a plodding, dull campaigner, and he was viewed by most party leaders as being too conservative and controversial to win a presidential election. Taft's support was limited to his native Midwest and parts of the South. Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 â€“ March 16, 1971) was the Governor of New York (1943-1954) and the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in 1944 and 1948. ... Harold Edward Stassen (April 13, 1907 â€“ March 4, 2001) was the 25th Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943 and a later perennial candidate for other offices, most notably and frequently President of the United States. ... This article is about the American general; for the municipality in the Philippines, see General MacArthur, Eastern Samar. ... For the former Governor of Ohio and Robert Tafts grandson, see Bob Taft. ... For the swing saxophonist and occasional singer, see Earle Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 â€“ July 9, 1974) was a California district attorney of Alameda County, the 20th Attorney General of California, the 30th Governor of California, and the 14th Chief Justice of the United States (from 1953 to 1969). ... Isolationism is a diplomatic policy whereby a nation seeks to avoid alliances with other nations. ... The Morgenthau Plan showing the planned partitioning of Germany into a North State, a South State, and an International zone. ... Map of Cold-War era Europe and the Near East showing countries that received Marshall Plan aid. ... The New Deal was the title President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to the series of programs he initiated between 1933 and 1938 with the goal of providing relief, recovery, and reform (3 Rs) to the people and economy of the United States during the Great Depression. ...

The "surprise" candidate of 1948 was Stassen, the former "boy wonder" of Minnesota politics. Stassen had been elected governor of Minnesota at the age of 31; he resigned as governor in 1943 and served in the U.S. Army in World War II. In 1945 he had served on the committee which created the United Nations. Stassen was widely regarded as the most "liberal" of the Republican candidates, yet as the primaries continued he was criticized for being vague on many issues. Stassen stunned Dewey in the Wisconsin and Nebraska primaries, thus making him the frontrunner. He then made the mistake of trying to defeat Senator Taft in Taft's home state of Ohio; Taft defeated Stassen in Ohio and Stassen earned the animosity of the party's conservatives. Even so, Stassen was still leading Dewey in the polls for the upcoming Oregon primary. However, Dewey, who realized that a defeat in Oregon would end his chances at the nomination, sent his powerful political organization into the state. Stassen also agreed to debate Dewey in Oregon on national radio - it was the first-ever radio debate between presidential candidates. The sole issue of the debate concerned whether to outlaw the Communist Party in the United States. Stassen, despite his liberal reputation, argued in favor of outlawing the party, while Dewey forcefully argued against it; at one point he famously stated that "you can't shoot an idea with a gun". Most observers rated Dewey as the winner of the debate, and a few days later Dewey defeated Stassen in Oregon. From this point forward, the New York governor had the momentum he needed to win his party's second nomination. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... UN and U.N. redirect here. ...

Republican Convention

The 1948 Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first presidential convention to be shown on television. As the convention opened Dewey was seen as having a large lead in the delegate count. His major opponents - Taft, Stassen, and Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan - met in Taft's hotel suite to plan a "stop-Dewey" movement. However, a key obstacle soon developed when the three men refused to unite behind a single candidate to oppose Dewey. Instead, all three men simply agreed to try and hold their own delegates in the hopes of preventing Dewey from obtaining a majority. This proved to be futile, as Dewey's efficient campaign team gathered up the delegates they needed to win the nomination. After the second round of balloting, Dewey was only 33 votes short of victory. Taft then called Stassen and urged him to withdraw from the race and endorse him as Dewey's main opponent. When Stassen refused, Taft wrote a concession speech and had it read at the start of the third ballot; Dewey was then nominated by acclamation. Dewey then chose popular Governor Earl Warren of California as his running mate. Following the convention, most political experts in the news media rated the GOP ticket as an almost-certain winner over the Democrats. This article needs to be wikified. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area - City 369. ... Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg (March 22, 1884â€“April 18, 1951) was a Republican Senator from the state of Michigan who participated in the creation of the United Nations. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... Politics An acclamation is a form of election not using a ballot. ... For the swing saxophonist and occasional singer, see Earle Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 â€“ July 9, 1974) was a California district attorney of Alameda County, the 20th Attorney General of California, the 30th Governor of California, and the 14th Chief Justice of the United States (from 1953 to 1969). ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... News media satellite up-link trucks and photojournalists gathered outside the Prudential Financial headquarters in Newark, New Jersey in August, 2004 following the announcement of evidence of a terrorist threat to it and to buildings in New York City. ...

Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 â€“ March 16, 1971) was the Governor of New York (1943-1954) and the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in 1944 and 1948. ... For the former Governor of Ohio and Robert Tafts grandson, see Bob Taft. ... Harold Edward Stassen (April 13, 1907 â€“ March 4, 2001) was the 25th Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943 and a later perennial candidate for other offices, most notably and frequently President of the United States. ... Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg (March 22, 1884â€“April 18, 1951) was a Republican Senator from the state of Michigan who participated in the creation of the United Nations. ... For the swing saxophonist and occasional singer, see Earle Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 â€“ July 9, 1974) was a California district attorney of Alameda County, the 20th Attorney General of California, the 30th Governor of California, and the 14th Chief Justice of the United States (from 1953 to 1969). ... Joseph Martin was the name of several prominent people: Joseph Martin (Canadian politician) Joseph William Martin, Jr. ... This article is about the American general; for the municipality in the Philippines, see General MacArthur, Eastern Samar. ...

Progressive Party nomination

Meanwhile, the Democratic party had fragmented. A new Progressive Party — the name had been used earlier by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 and Robert M. La Follette, Sr. in 1924 — was created afresh in 1948 with the nomination of Henry Wallace, who had served as Secretary of Agriculture and Vice-President under Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1946 President Truman had fired Wallace as Secretary of Commerce when Wallace publicly opposed Truman's firm stand against the Soviet Union. Wallace's 1948 platform opposed the Cold War, the Marshall Plan and Big Business. He also campaigned to end discrimination against blacks and women, backed a minimum wage and called for the elimination of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which was investigating the issue of communist spies within the U.S. government and labor unions. Wallace and his supporters believed that the committee was violating the civil liberties of government workers and labor unions. The Progressive Party Convention, which was held in Philadelphia, was a highly contentious affair; several famous newspaper journalists, such as H.L. Mencken and Dorothy Thompson, accused the Progressives of being covertly controlled by Communists. Some leading figures of the Progressive Party (such as socialist leader Norman Thomas) quit the party in protest over what they perceived as the undue influence Communists exerted over Wallace. Thomas ran as the Socialist Party presidential candidate to offer non-Communist liberals an alternative to Wallace. Image File history File links Image from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. ... Image File history File links Image from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. ... Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 â€“ November 18, 1965) was the 33rd Vice President of the United States (1941â€“45), the 11th Secretary of Agriculture (1933â€“40), and the 10th Secretary of Commerce (1945â€“46). ... The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Robert Marion La Follette, Sr. ... Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 â€“ November 18, 1965) was the 33rd Vice President of the United States (1941â€“45), the 11th Secretary of Agriculture (1933â€“40), and the 10th Secretary of Commerce (1945â€“46). ... The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture concerned with land and food as well as agriculture and rural development. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... FDR redirects here. ... The office of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the mid-20th century. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Map of Cold-War era Europe and the Near East showing countries that received Marshall Plan aid. ... Big Business or big business is a term used to describe large corporations, individually or collectively. ... The House Committee on Un-American Activities or HUAC (1945-1975) was an investigating committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ... H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken (September 12, 1880 - January 29, 1956) was a twentieth century journalist and social critic, a cynic and a freethinker, known as the Sage of Baltimore and the American Nietzsche. He is often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th... Disambiguation:- (Dorothy Thompson (nee Towers) (1923- ) is also the historian wife of the late E. P. Thompson; she is a leading expert on the Chartist movement. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 - December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. ... There have been two political parties in the United States called the Socialist Party: The Socialist Party of America, which was founded in 1901 and dissolved in 1973. ...

Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho, an eccentric figure who was known as a "singing cowboy" and who had ridden his horse "Nugget" up the steps of the United States Capitol after winning election to the Senate in 1944, was named as Wallace's running mate. Glen Hearst Taylor (April 12, 1904 - April 28, 1984) was a United States Senator from Idaho and the vice presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket in the 1948 election. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... The United States Capitol is the capitol building that serves as the location for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. ...

Democratic Party nomination

On July 12, the Democratic National Convention convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the same arena where the Republicans had met a few weeks earlier. Spirits were low: the Republicans had taken control of both houses of the United States Congress and a majority of state governorships during the 1946 midterm elections by running against Truman, and the public-opinion polls showed Truman trailing Republican nominee Dewey, sometimes by double-digits. Furthermore, some liberal Democrats had joined Henry Wallace's new Progressive Party, and party leaders feared that Wallace would take enough votes from Truman to give the large Northern and Midwestern states to the Republicans. is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1948 Democratic National Convention was held in Philadelphia from July 12 to July 14, and resulted in the nomination of President Harry Truman for President and of Alben Barkley for Vice President. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area - City 369. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political...

As a result of Truman's low standing in the polls, several Democratic party bosses began working to "dump" Truman and nominate a more popular candidate. Among the leaders of this movement were Jack Arvey, the "boss" of the Chicago Democratic organization, Frank Hague, the "boss" of New Jersey, James Roosevelt, the eldest son of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Senator Claude Pepper of Florida. The primary target of the rebels was General Dwight Eisenhower. Despite their efforts, however, Eisenhower refused to become a candidate (in 1952 he revealed that he was a Republican). Dispirited, the leaders of the "dump" Truman movement then reluctantly agreed to support Truman for the nomination. At the Democratic Convention, a group of Northern liberals, led by Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Humphrey, successfully pushed through a platform (over vigorous Southern opposition) that promoted civil rights for blacks. This caused some three dozen Southern delegates, led by South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond, to walk out of the convention. Nonetheless, 947 Democrats voted to nominate the incumbent President as their candidate (against 263 for Senator Richard Russell, Jr. of Georgia). Truman then selected Kentucky Senator Alben W. Barkley as his running mate, who was nominated by acclamation. Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area - City 234. ... Frank Hague Frank Hague (January 17, 1876 â€“ January 1, 1956) was the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) and his son James Roosevelt (1907-1991) in 1934. ... FDR redirects here. ... Claude Denson Pepper (September 8, 1900 â€“ May 30, 1989) was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for liberalism and the elderly. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] kmÂ²) - Width 361 miles (582 km) - Length 447 miles (721 km) - % water 17. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... This article is about the city in Minnesota. ... For other uses, see Hubert Humphrey (disambiguation). ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 â€“ June 26, 2003) was an American politician who served as governor of South Carolina and as a United States Senator representing that state. ... Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. ... Alben William Barkley (November 24, 1877 â€“ April 30, 1956) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate from Kentucky, and the thirty-fifth Vice President of the United States. ...

Dixiecrat Party nomination

The Democratic delegates who had bolted the Democratic Convention over Truman's civil rights platform promptly met in Birmingham, Alabama and formed yet another political party, which they named the "States Rights" Democratic Party. More commonly known as the “Dixiecrats”, the party's main goal was continuing the policy of racial segregation in the South and the Jim Crow laws that sustained it. South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond, who had led the walkout, became the party's presidential nominee. Mississippi Governor Fielding L. Wright received the vice presidential nomination. Although the Dixiecrats did not expect to win the election, they did hope to take enough Southern states from Truman to force the election into the United States House of Representatives, where they could then extract concessions from either Truman or Dewey on racial issues in exchange for their support. Despite being an incumbent President, Truman was not placed on the ballot in Alabama.^[1] Nickname: Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: , Country State County Jefferson, Shelby Government - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area - City 151. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Rex Theatre for Colored People Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 â€“ June 26, 2003) was an American politician who served as governor of South Carolina and as a United States Senator representing that state. ... Fielding Lewis Wright (May 16, 1895 â€“ May 4, 1956) was a Democratic politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi from 1944 to 1946, then as Governor after the incumbent, Thomas L. Bailey, died in office in 1946. ... Amendment XII in the National Archives The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution alterd Article II pertaining to presidential elections. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party...

General election

The fall campaign

Given Truman's sinking popularity and the seemingly fatal three-way split in the Democratic Party, Dewey appeared unbeatable. Top Republicans believed that all their candidate had to do to win was to avoid major missteps; in keeping with this advice, Dewey carefully avoided risks. He spoke in platitudes, avoided controversial issues, and was vague on what he planned to do as President. Speech after speech was filled with non-political, optimistic assertions of the obvious, including the now-infamous quote “You know that your future is still ahead of you.” An editorial in The (Louisville) Courier-Journal summed it up best: “No presidential candidate in the future will be so inept that four of his major speeches can be boiled down to these historic four sentences: Agriculture is important. Our rivers are full of fish. You cannot have freedom without liberty. Our future lies ahead.”^[2] Truman, trailing in the polls, decided to adopt a slashing, no-holds-barred campaign. He ridiculed Dewey by name, criticized Dewey's refusal to address specific issues, and scornfully targeted the Republican-controlled 80th Congress with a wave of relentless, and blistering, partisan assaults. He nicknamed the Republican-controlled Congress as the "do-nothing" Congress, a remark which brought strong criticism from GOP Congressional leaders (such as Senator Taft), but no comment from Dewey. In fact, Dewey rarely mentioned Truman's name during the campaign, which fit into his strategy of appearing to be "above" petty partisan politics. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1132x1536, 158 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): United States presidential election, 1948 ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1132x1536, 158 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): United States presidential election, 1948 ... The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the C-J, is the main newspaper for the city of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the paper is the 48th largest daily paper in the United States and the single largest in Kentucky. ...

Under Dewey's leadership, the Republicans had enacted a platform at the 1948 convention that called for expanding social security, more funding for public housing, civil rights legislation, and promotion of health and education by the federal government. These positions were, however, unacceptable to the conservative Congressional Republican leadership. Truman exploited this rift in the opposing party by calling a special session of Congress on “Turnip Day” (referring to an old piece of Missouri folklore about planting turnips in late July) and daring the Republican Congressional leadership to pass its own platform. The 80th Congress played into Truman's hands, delivering very little in the way of substantive legislation during this time. The GOP's lack of action in the "turnip" session of Congress allowed Truman to continue his attacks on the "do-nothing" Republican-controlled Congress. Truman simply ignored the fact that Dewey's policies were considerably more liberal than most of his fellow Republicans, and instead he concentrated his fire against the conservative, obstructionist tendencies of the unpopular 80th Congress. For his part, Dewey remained aloof. Following the advice of his campaign staff, he did not respond directly to Truman's attacks. This would prove to be a major mistake. Image File history File links Staggers-truman1948. ... Image File history File links Staggers-truman1948. ... For other persons named Harry Truman, see Harry Truman (disambiguation). ... President Harry S. Truman at the mic, left Harley O. Staggers & Alben W. Barkley. ... Alben William Barkley (November 24, 1877 â€“ April 30, 1956) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate from Kentucky, and the thirty-fifth Vice President of the United States. ... Keyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral CountyGR6, West Virginia, United States. ... President Harry S. Truman at the mic, left Harley O. Staggers & Alben W. Barkley. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Social security primarily refers to social welfare service concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... The Turnip Day Session (or the Turnip Day session) was a special session of Congress called on July 26, 1948, Turnip Day according to Missouri folklore, by United States President Harry Truman. ... 80th Congress (1947-1949) Congressional Profile Total Membership: 435 Representatives, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commissioner Party Divisions: 246 Republicans, 188 Democrats, 1 American-Labor Leadership & Officers Speaker of the House: Joseph W. Martin, Jr. ...

Truman toured -- and transfixed -- much of the nation with his fiery rhetoric, playing to large, enthusiastic crowds. “Give 'em hell, Harry,” was a popular slogan shouted out at stop after stop along the tour. However, the polls and the pundits all held that Dewey's lead was insurmountable, and that Truman's efforts were for naught. Indeed, Truman's own staff considered the campaign a last hurrah. The only person who appears to have considered Truman's campaign to be winnable was the President himself, who confidently predicted victory to anyone and everyone who would listen to him. However, even Truman's own wife had private doubts that her husband could win.

In the final weeks of the campaign, American movie theatres agreed to play two short newsreel-like campaign films in support of the two major-party candidates; each film had been created by its respective campaign organization. The Dewey film, shot professionally on an impressive budget, featured very high production values, but somehow reinforced an image of the New York governor as cautious and distant. The Truman film, hastily assembled on virtually no budget by the perpetually cash-short Truman campaign, relied heavily on public-domain and newsreel footage of the President taking part in major world events and signing important legislation. Perhaps unintentionally, the Truman film visually reinforced an image of the President as engaged and decisive. Years later, historian David McCullough cited the expensive, but lackluster, Dewey film, and the far cheaper, but more effective, Truman film, as important factors in determining the preferences of undecided voters. David Gaub McCullough (mÉ™-kÅlÉ™) (born July 7, 1933) is an American historian and bestselling author. ...

Results

On election night - November 2 - Dewey, his family, and campaign staff confidently gathered in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City to await the returns. Truman, aided by the Secret Service, sneaked away from reporters covering him in Kansas City and made his way to nearby Excelsior Springs, Missouri, a small resort town. There he took a room in the local hotel, had a Turkish bath, and went to sleep. As the returns came in Truman took an early lead which he never lost. However, the leading radio commentators, such as H. V. Kaltenborn of CBS, confidently predicted that once the "late returns" came in Dewey would overcome Truman's lead and win. At midnight, Truman awoke and turned on the radio in his room; he heard Kaltenborn announce that, while Truman was still ahead in the popular vote, he couldn't possibly win. Around 4 a.m. Truman awoke again, heard on the radio that his lead was nearly two million votes, and decided to ride back to Kansas City. For the rest of his life Truman would gleefully mimic Kaltenborn's voice predicting his defeat throughout that election night. Dewey, meanwhile, realized that he was in trouble when early returns from New York and New England showed him running well behind his expected vote total. He stayed up throughout the night examining the votes as they came in. By 10:30 the next morning he was convinced that he had lost; he then sent a gracious telegram of concession to Truman. Image File history File links Harry S. Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune at Union Station in St. ... Image File history File links Harry S. Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune at Union Station in St. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Because of both the secrecy of secret services and the controversial nature of the issues involved, there is some difficulty in separating the definitions of secret service, secret police, intelligence agency etc. ... Nickname: Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the Turkish bath establishment. ... Sam Bermans caricature of HV Kaltenborn for NBCs 1947 promotional book Hans von Kaltenborn (July 9, 1878 - June 14, 1965) was an American radio commentator. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ...

When the returns were analyzed, it became obvious that while Thurmond's Dixiecrat party took away some of the Democratic Party's traditional base in the “Solid South”, it had not sparked the wholesale revolt in the South that had been predicted. (Thurmond carried only four states.) Wallace took some voters from the left wing of the Democratic Party, but far fewer of them than pundits had predicted. In part, this was because of Wallace's failure to repudiate the endorsement of the Communist Party, a blunder that severely undermined his popularity. Although he received over a million votes (the only fourth place candidate ever to do so) it was only 2.5 percent of the popular vote. Nearly half of his national vote (44%) was cast for him in New York State, where he appeared on the American Labor Party line. The Dixiecrats, for their part, held no attraction whatsoever for voters outside the South, with Thurmond receiving a slightly larger percentage of the popular vote than Wallace. The phrase Solid South describes the electoral support of the Southern United States for Democratic Party candidates for almost a century after the Reconstruction era, 1876-1964. ... The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States. ... The American Labor Party was a socialist political party in the United States active almost exclusively in the state of New York. ... The States Rights Democratic Party, usually known as the Dixiecrat Party, was a short-lived splinter group that broke from the Democratic Party in 1948. ...

The Chicago Tribune, then a pro-Republican newspaper, had been so confident of victory as to print “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN” on election night as its headline for the following day. A famous photograph taken the next morning showed Truman grinning and holding up a copy of that newspaper. Part of the reason Truman's victory came as such a shock was because of as-yet uncorrected flaws in the (emerging) craft of public opinion polling. Many of the supposedly reliable polls of voter's preferences in the race had been based on phone surveys—which, in 1948, produced a biased sample of affluent voters (who could afford telephones and also maintain a stable address), and who were thus more likely to support Dewey. Much of Truman's support came from the lower- and middle-class voting blocs, who were less able to afford telephones and thus missed being surveyed by the pollsters. Also, some pollsters had been so confident of Dewey's victory that they simply stopped polling voters weeks before the election, and thus missed a last-minute surge of support for the Democrats. After 1948, pollsters would survey voters until the day before the election: they would also announce their results on television, in real time, more or less. // The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois and owned by the Tribune Company. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... A biased sample is one that is falsely taken to be typical of a population from which it is drawn. ...

Truman narrowly carried the large swing states of Ohio, California, and Illinois, all three of which he won by less than 1%. These three states had a combined total of 78 electoral votes. Had Dewey carried all three states, he would have won the election in the electoral college while still losing the popular vote. The extreme closeness of the vote in these three states was the major reason why Dewey waited until late on the morning of November 3 to concede. A similarly narrow margin garnered Idaho's electoral votes for Truman. Dewey countered by narrowly carrying New York and Pennsylvania, the states with the most electoral votes at the time, as well as Michigan, but it wasn't enough to give him the election. Thurmond's handful of electoral votes was not enough to deny Truman the electoral-vote majority. Official language(s) English de facto Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Greater Cleveland Area Ranked 34th - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 kmÂ²) - Width 220 miles (355 km) - Length 220 miles (355 km) - % water 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ... This article is about Electoral Colleges in general. ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... This article is about the state. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Largest metro area Delaware Valley Area Ranked 33rd - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (455 km) - Length 160 miles (255 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ...

Truman's victory can be attributed to many factors: his aggressive, populist campaign style; Dewey's complacent, distant approach to the campaign, and his failure to revisit basic assumptions about it; a major shift in public opinion during the late stages of a general election (a rarity in American politics); broad public approval of Truman's foreign policy, notably the Berlin Airlift of that year; and widespread dissatisfaction with the institution Truman labeled as the "do-nothing, good-for-nothing 80th Congress." In fact, it was essentially a Democratic year, as the Democrats not only retained the presidency but recaptured both houses of Congress, as well. The Soviet Union blocked Western rail and road access to West Berlin from June 24, 1948 - May 11, 1949. ...

The 1948 election marked only the second time in American presidential election history that the winning candidate won despite losing Pennsylvania and New York (the first time being the 1916 election - later such elections included 1968, 2000, and 2004). It also refuted elections from across the world, as Truman was the war leader who managed to win re-election. As of 2007, Truman is the most unpopular leader to win re-election, though his standing with all Americans increased so much in the ensuing decades that he is remembered as one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century.

Source (Popular Vote): Leip, David. 1948 Presidential Election Results. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections (August 1, 2005). For other persons named Harry Truman, see Harry Truman (disambiguation). ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area Ranked 21st - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 kmÂ²) - Width 240 miles (385 km) - Length 300 miles (480 km) - % water 1. ... Alben William Barkley (November 24, 1877 â€“ April 30, 1956) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate from Kentucky, and the thirty-fifth Vice President of the United States. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area Ranked 37th - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 kmÂ²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 1. ... Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 â€“ March 16, 1971) was the Governor of New York (1943-1954) and the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in 1944 and 1948. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... This article is about the state. ... For the swing saxophonist and occasional singer, see Earle Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 â€“ July 9, 1974) was a California district attorney of Alameda County, the 20th Attorney General of California, the 30th Governor of California, and the 14th Chief Justice of the United States (from 1953 to 1969). ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902–June 26, 2003), known as Strom Thurmond, was the oldest and longest serving United States Senator, who represented South Carolina from 1954 to April 1956 and November 1956 to 1964 as a Democrat and from 1964 to 2003 as a Republican. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area Ranked 40th - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 kmÂ²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 260 miles (420 km) - % water 6 - Latitude 32Â° 2â€² N to 35Â° 13â€² N - Longitude 78Â° 32â€² W to 83... Fielding Lewis Wright (May 16, 1895 â€“ May 4, 1956) was a Democratic politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi from 1944 to 1946, then as Governor after the incumbent, Thomas L. Bailey, died in office in 1946. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 â€“ November 18, 1965) was the 33rd Vice President of the United States (1941â€“45), the 11th Secretary of Agriculture (1933â€“40), and the 10th Secretary of Commerce (1945â€“46). ... The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948. ... The American Labor Party was a socialist political party in the United States active almost exclusively in the state of New York. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area Ranked 26th - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 kmÂ²) - Width 310 miles (500 km) - Length 199 miles (320 km) - % water 0. ... Glen Hearst Taylor (April 12, 1904 - April 28, 1984) was a United States Senator from Idaho and the vice presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket in the 1948 election. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 - December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. ... The Socialist Party of America is a socialist political party in the United States. ... This article is about the state. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... Claude A. Watson was a lawyer, businessman, and minister from Hermon ( a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California ), who was nationally active in the temperance movement. ... National Prohibition Convention, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1892. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Largest metro area Delaware Valley Area Ranked 33rd - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (455 km) - Length 160 miles (255 km) - % water 2. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Results by state

^(a) In New York, the Truman vote was a fusion of the Democratic and Liberal slates. There, Truman obtained 2,557,642 votes on the Democratic ticket and 222,562 votes on the Liberal ticket.^[3]
^(b) In Mississippi, the Dewey vote was a fusion of the Republican and Independent Republican slates. There, Dewey obtained 2595 votes on the Republican ticket and 2448 votes on the Independent Republican ticket.^[3]
This article is about the state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Bibliography

The Journal of American History. Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jun., 1972), pp. 90-110 in JSTOR

Primary sources

External links

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