A Different America: 1948 Presidential election General election thread

[Elcaspar]

Anton Jepsen decided not to run for office this year, as he was instead focused on dedicating his time to help the candidacy of former Vice President Henry Wallace in the spirit of his Farmer-Labor roots. Jepsen knew full well that Wallace couldn't win, but Jepsen always believed in fighting for what he believed was right, despite what others might think and the futility of it all.

He campaigns for Wallace in the traditional Farmer-Labor constituencies of laborers, trade unions and of course farmers. He will travel across the state to make Wallace's case, citing his long and consistent advocacy for farmers, his successful tenure as Sec. of Agriculture, as well the agricultural sections of the Progressive Party platform laid out in understandable terms.

When campaigning among laborers and unions, he will campaign on Wallace's advocacy of a repeal of Taft-Hartley, a national 1$ an hour minimum wage, establishing adequate safety and health standards for all workers in hazardous industries. Not to mention other parts of the labor section of the Progressive Party platform, laid out in understandable terms.

Among both groups he will cite how Wallace's was an ardent supporter of the New Deal, cite his support for Roosevelt's Second Bill of Rights, as well as how both parties disregard the Bill of Rights when they support things like banning the Communist Party and the investigations of the HUAC. Lastly he will campaign on the legacy of former Governor Floyd Olson and the Farmer-Labor Party.

Once all the campaigning is over Jepsen plans to temporarily return to his job as an instructor at the University of Minnesota, as well as mulling on his political future.

[Elcaspar]

Campaigning for Vice President Wallace had certainly been an experience for Anton Jepsen. He had become the Co-Chairman of the Minnesota Progressive Party in the process, and had expertly led the Progressive Party campaign in the state by focusing on bringing in former supporters of the Farmer-Labor Party to vote for Henry Wallace. Jepsen even got to meet Henry Wallace while he was on a trip to Minnesota, which was amazing to him as he looked up to the former Vice President. Not to mention being called upon by the HUAC a few days before election day, which put his formerly safe position as an instructor at the University of Minnesota in jeopardy. Jepsen was incensed at the idea that he could lose his job just because of his political views, this was supposed to be a free county after all.

It was in that moment that he decided that he wanted to run for office in 1950. The House of Representatives needed more progressives like himself Jepsen thought, and he had the experience to run a campaign now after all. While Jepsen considered running in MN-7 where he was born, he decided that MN-5 was the better option since he lived there now. Jepsen has set his political ambitions, and all that remains is to get there.

Jepsen was not surprised at what happened on election night. He didn't believe Truman was able to win in the face of two splinter parties, the States' Rights Democratic Party from the right and the Progressive Party from the left. And it showed on election night, as Earl Warren narrowly won both the popular vote and the Electoral College. "At least it wasn't a conservative Republican" Jepsen thought, but it would still leave something to be desired compared to even Truman. And sadly Henry Wallace never stood a chance at all. In the end it was what it was.

With his position as a instructor at the University uncertain, Jepsen would give his time to other causes in the next two years. He had heard about a newly founded organization called Veteran’s for a Better America from some veteran friends of his, and wanted to make the organization known and well-organized in Minnesota to also better promote veteran's issues. He volunteered and promoted the organization to best of his ability, and he got his father who was also a veteran to do so as well, thinking that two veterans promoting the cause is better than one.

[Elcaspar]

OOC : Also, I have an infobox and iirc, that'd help you increase your points and stuff, so if I need to PM it to you, I'll send it to you Jason as it's in my Wikipedia Sandbox.

Yea just PM it to me and you'll get your points

Alright, just sent. Also, do you think you can clear up a few of the questions we had since we were essentially clueless starting out today.

Seconding this message.