Why was Truman so unpopular at one point?

[SingingAnalyst]

Per Gallup, at one point in Truman's presidency, his approval rating was just 22%-- the lowest ever recorded by Gallup, slightly worse than Nixon's 24% shortly before his resignation.

Why was Truman so unpopular at this point?

[TML]

People didn’t like his handling of the Korean War - in particular, they didn’t like his firing of General MacArthur.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

People didn’t like his handling of the Korean War - in particular, they didn’t like his firing of General MacArthur.

Yep. This plus turbofatigue after two decades of Democratic rule (with a trifecta for all but two years of that).

It was only towards the very end of Truman's life and especially after his death in 1972 that reassessment set in and he began to be regarded as an above-average President.

[brucejoel99]

Korea, Communism, & Corruption.

[darklordoftech]

In 1946, labor strikes were a big reason why.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

I’m more curious why he was considered doomed to defeat in 1948 when the economy was good and we weren’t in Korea yet. Was it just Democratic fatigue and/or the fact that Truman lacked Roosevelt’s charisma?

[darklordoftech]

I’m more curious why he was considered doomed to defeat in 1948 when the economy was good and we weren’t in Korea yet. Was it just Democratic fatigue and/or the fact that Truman lacked Roosevelt’s charisma?

The 1946 midterms and Dewey and Warren being Governors of the two most Elector-heavy states.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I’m more curious why he was considered doomed to defeat in 1948 when the economy was good and we weren’t in Korea yet. Was it just Democratic fatigue and/or the fact that Truman lacked Roosevelt’s charisma?

The 1946 midterms and Dewey and Warren being Governors of the two most Elector-heavy states.

Uh, Warren was not Governor of Pennsylvania.

James Duff was.

[Use Your Illusion]

I’m more curious why he was considered doomed to defeat in 1948 when the economy was good and we weren’t in Korea yet. Was it just Democratic fatigue and/or the fact that Truman lacked Roosevelt’s charisma?

Well it had been nearly 20 years of total New Deal dominance and change was inevitable. The prairies had swung back firmly in the Republican column, Dewey was a moderate who could win the big states in the northeast and even a few rust belt states like Ohio (which he won in 1944) and it was seen as likely he'd do well there. He even traded Michigan and Wisconsin in 1944 and 1948. Add the Dixiecrat revolt and you were taking away basically any guaranteed states because the Democratic Party was so historically tied to the south. So in so many words Truman was basically screwed on every front. 25,000 votes the other way in California and Ohio and the race goes to the House of Representatives

Trump winning 2016 was a pretty big upset. There is no denying it but you will NEVER see anything like 1948 again. This would've been like asking "How does Biden win without California and New York?" and you KNOW they won't vote for him. So Biden goes and pulls Florida, Texas and Ohio out of his ass and maintains his landslide. Or you know for a FACT Trump isn't winning Texas or Florida so ol boy just says " it" and keeps his 2016 map and wins with flipping Minnesota, Virginia and Colorado.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I’m more curious why he was considered doomed to defeat in 1948 when the economy was good and we weren’t in Korea yet. Was it just Democratic fatigue and/or the fact that Truman lacked Roosevelt’s charisma?

I think there's also an element of the press buying into their own spin. Truman was not a "polished" politician or a great orator, and this plus the chaotic global and national environment in 1946-47 was interpreted to the public as an inept administration stumbling from one sticky situation to the next. Truman's personal loyalty to some less-than-honest associates from his Pendergast days contributed to this image of a little Missouri politician out of his depth in a big job —he absolutely suffered from the comparison to FDR in this regard. At various points he had alienated the South, the progressive wing, and organized labor, while traditional Republican constituencies in the West were coming home after swinging to the Democrats during the 30s. By 1948, even as opinion polls began to reflect changing minds w/re: Truman's overall job approval, most journalists were so convinced that he was a failed president they just could not imagine he would be reelected, especially against the ever-so-polished, made-for-Hollywood persona of Thomas Dewey.

It's worth noting that the last Gallup poll before the election underestimated Truman by just 4%. Most national commentators dismissed these numbers because the prevailing wisdom was that campaigns were a "ritual" that did not change voters' minds.

[SingingAnalyst]

I’m more curious why he was considered doomed to defeat in 1948 when the economy was good and we weren’t in Korea yet. Was it just Democratic fatigue and/or the fact that Truman lacked Roosevelt’s charisma?

I agree with all the above comments on your question. Keeping in mind the backdrop of minor parties having won a significant share of the PV and EV in both 1912, and 1924, and that Blacks were still considered a reliably Republican constituency (even though they had voted Democratic in 1936, 1940, and 1944), in the end I think Truman won because (1) the Henry A. Wallace vote was smaller than expected (this didn't save Truman from defeat in NY, but probably got him OH and CA); (2) the Dixiecrat vote was not as great as feared (Truman comfortably won GA, NC, TN); (3) Blacks continued to voted strongly Democratic (80-85% I've read), largely because of their concern that, were Truman to lose, no Democratic politician would ever defy the South again; the Black vote probably carried Truman to victory in IL and OH, maybe even CA.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

People didn’t like his handling of the Korean War - in particular, they didn’t like his firing of General MacArthur.

This is admittedly a cheap joke, but I wonder if Harry S Truman dumping GeneralMacArthur on the forum would be as unpopular.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

People didn’t like his handling of the Korean War - in particular, they didn’t like his firing of General MacArthur.

This is admittedly a cheap joke, but I wonder if Harry S Truman dumping GeneralMacArthur on the forum would be as unpopular.

I think it went rather well.