Thomas Dewey

[MaC]

Tell me about this guy, I know he ran in 1944 against Roosevelt and in 1948 against Truman.  Unlike Stevenson, I can understand this guy running twice for this guy to run twice.  The Republicans thought FDR was unbeatable and waited until he wouldn't be president any more.  It makes sense.  Anyways, what were his veiws, how was the campaign, ect, ect, the more info, the better...

[Emsworth]

Anyways, what were his veiws, how was the campaign, ect, ect, the more info, the better...

I know little about the 1944 campaign, but I think I have more information on 1948. Since Truman's popularity ratings were rapidly sinking, Dewey tried to merely not do anything controversial. A newspaper summed up his campaign: "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."

He was a moderate compared to figures like Robert Taft, and was not an isolationist.

[J. J.]

He actually was not an agressive campaigner but ran on his record.

[Rob]

He was a moderate. He was popular among black voters (he passed the first state law against housing discrimination in American history). He supported the New Deal, as mainstream Republicans of the time did.

In the 1944 campaign. Dewey hit FDR hard on his health and leadership. He called Roosevelt's advisors "tired old men" and even implied that FDR had been aware of Pearl Harbor and had done nothing to stop it. He also attacked FDR for allegedly having a Navy destroyer fetch his pet dog from the Aleutians at taxpayer expense. This led FDR to give his famous "Fala" speech.

He was criticized for being too negative and aggressive in that campaign, which led him to adopt the bland campaign style of 1948. He made no controversial remarks (except for a notorious incident in which he said his train engineer should "probably be shot at sunrise"). He didn't comment much on issues, preferring platitudes such as "Our future lies ahead of us".

The irony, of course, is that this "safe" campaign style was his downfall, as the aggressive Truman hit him relentlessly and set the tone of the election. Dewey's restrained attitude led to Truman's stunning victory.

[PBrunsel]

His '48 Campaign stunk.

Once while speaking in Cleveland, Ohio, he saw a bunch of kids running in the crowd and he said, "It's great to see all you kids got out of school to see me today." "It's Saturday you idiot!" a kid yelled to the helpless candidate.

His campaign ran off the platitudes of "unity, love, concern for our neighbors, help for our fellow man. All these things wrapped in our faith in God is our platform." Yes, it was that pathetic. Truman said the GOP stood for "Grand Old Platitudes."

Dewey's running mate, Earl Warren, complained about his low key campaign, "Can't I at least call one man an SOB?"