Election of 1948 The Election of 1948: Dewey Defeats Truman? Text Credit: 2003 Teacher Fellows Candidates: Harry S. Truman, Democrat (pictured), Thomas Dewey, Republican, Strom Thurmond, Dixiecrat, and Henry Wallace, Progressive C-SPAN Video Clip | Fun Fact | Historically Significant Elections Campaign Overview | Electoral Overview

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW Harry S. Truman, who became president upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1945, was the Democratic nominee. The Democrats were deeply divided resulting in the formation of two significant third party campaigns. Henry A. Wallace, a former Treasury Secretary and Vice President during F.D.R.'s historic third term, opposed Truman by running as the Progressive Party nominee. South Carolina governor Strom Thurmond, who opposed Truman's civil rights policies, represented the Dixiecrat Party. The Republican nominee and overwhelming favorite to win the election was former New York Governor Thomas Dewey. In the News In the off-year elections of 1946 Americans elected the first Republican Congress since 1928. This led to foreign affairs confrontations over Truman's Marshall Plan which provided over $13 billion for economic recovery in Western Europe. On the homefront Truman faced similar opposition to his liberal domestic programs that eventually were known as the "Fair Deal." These proposals included an extension of Social Security, an increase in minimum wage, national health insurance, and government support for housing. In the area of civil rights, a particularly volatile issue of this era, Truman issued an executive order to integrate the United States military. Tactics/Strategy The election of 1948 was the first presidential election to extensively use polls to plan campaign strategy. The Dewey campaign in particular relied upon polls to dictate campaign strategy. With every significant poll showing a comfortable Dewey lead in the final weeks before the election, Dewey ran a "safe" and relatively nonconfrontational campaign. At the same time, Truman took an "old school" whistle-stop tour of the country in which he attacked Dewey at every opportunity. Platforms The 1948 campaign focused on a debate over the Communist threat abroad, while meeting the needs of the American people. President Truman advocated for funding to prevent Communist expansion and his "Fair Deal" domestic package. Republican Thomas Dewey tended to be more conservative in foreign and domestic spending. The third party tickets focused on domestic issues. Wallace and the Progressives supported a nationalized banking system and the increased socialization of the economy while Thurmond and the Dixiecrats argued that civil rights were issues that should be left to the states. Slogans During the 1946 Congressional elections the Republicans successfully used the slogan "Had enough?" to oppose the Truman Democrats. The plain speaking Truman was identified with the slogans "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" and "The buck stops here."

ELECTORAL OVERVIEW President Harry S. Truman's narrow victory in 1948 is considered one of the greatest upsets in American history. Every major poll in the United States had Truman trailing the night of the election. Electoral College Results Harry S. Truman (Democrat) 303 Thomas Dewey (Republican) 189 Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat) 39 Henry Wallace (Progressive) 0 Aftermath After President Harry S. Truman's election in 1948, Congress was more receptive to some of his Fair Deal proposals. Congress passed an extension of Social Security benefits, a Housing Act that led to the building of 800,000 houses for the poor, and almost doubled minimum wage by approving an increase from 40 cents to 75 cents per hour. The United States became more committed to foreign policy. The Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and United States membership into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (N.A.T.O.) made it clear that preventing future Soviet expansion was an administration priority. The tension between the United States and Soviet Union, known as the Cold War, would last until 1989.