Truman's Political Divisions + 1948 Election Flashcards
What were the political divisions Truman faced during his presidency? (2 examples)
Legislative conflict between congress
Conflict within own Democratic party
Who was Joseph Martin? And why is his complaint about Truman highlight his unpopularity?
House Minority Leader
‘not even President Roosevelt had asked for so much at one sitting.’ - highlights how Truman wasn’t respected unlike his predecessor, FDR
What happened in 1946 which meant Truman’s authority was challenged?
The mid-term elections in Congress were won by Republicans (House + Senate)
What two slogans did the Republicans use during the mid-term elections?
‘To Err is Truman’
‘Had Enough?’
How was there legislative conflict between Truman and Congress?
Throughout his presidency, Truman vetoed 250 bills from Congress (They only overrode 12 of the 250)
What were the criticisms of Truman from his own Democratic Party? (2 examples)
Liberal Democrats criticised his failure to push for the ‘New Deal’ started by Roosevelt
Conservative Democrats criticised his stance on civil rights
What two events happened within Truman’s own Democratic party which were a cause for concern?
Former VP Henry Wallace broke away with his new ‘Progressive Party’
Conservative Democrats broke away in 1948, forming the Dixiecrat Party with Strom Thurmond as their leader
What were the Dixiecrat’s slogan in the lead-up to the 1948 election? Who were the candidates?
‘State’s Rights’
Strom Thurmond (Presidential Candidate)
Fielding L Wright (Running Mate)
In the lead-up to the 1948 election, who did Truman AND the Republicans approach in an attempt to convince him to run for president? Did he agree?
Dwight Eisenhower
He rejected both Truman’s and the Republican’s proposals to run for their parties
Who did the Republicans chose as the presidential candidate + his running mate in 1948?
Thomas Dewey (Presidential candidate)
Earl Warren (Running Mate)
Why were the Republicans so confident in Dewey’s success in the 1948 election? What did this mean for his campaign?
They had won a majority in Congress in the 1946 midterms, they expected the same result here
They meant Dewey’s campaign was over-confident, uninspired and aloof
What infamous interaction happened with Dewey which showcases how cautious and mundane his campaign was?
A reporter had said to him - ‘Smile governor!’
He responds - ‘I thought I was.’
What massive event did Truman undertake during his campaign? How long + far was this?
Truman did a whistle-stop tour across the USA
It lasted 33 days and was 30,000 miles
How did Truman showcase his charisma during his campaign? (2 examples)
He would showcase his family - Wife Bess + Daughter Margaret
He would ask audiences what word rhymed with ‘hooey’ as an attack on Dewey while rising morale about his own campaign
What infamous phrase said by Clark Clifford sums up Truman’s charisma during the campaign? and what else was he described as?
‘It wasn’t Harry Truman the politician who won, it was Harry Truman the man.’ (Clifford)
‘The common man’s man’
