He literally ran a vague campaign where one of the main slogans was "You know the future is still ahead of you"
I am sure there is plenty of information available on the topic of
The 1948 United States Presidential Election.
This is not really about Michigan only.
In 1944, a fourth and final term for Democratic incumbent Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S. president won the U.S. Popular Vote by +7.50 percentage points; carried 36 of 48 states; and won 75 percent of the nation’s states. Of the Top 10 populous states, FDR carried 9.
In 1948, a Democratic hold for a full first-term election for incumbent Harry Truman, the 33rd U.S. president won the U.S. Popular Vote by +4.48 percentage points (just 0.03 above 2020 Democratic pickup winner Joe Biden); carried 28 of 48 states; and won 58.33 percent of the nation’s states. Of the Top 10 populous states, Truman carried 6.
After a party wins a second consecutive cycle, whether or not it wins a third, it more often than not sees an underperformance. Exceptions include: 1904 Teddy Roosevelt, following two terms won in 1896 and 1900 by William McKinley; and the three cycles of the 1920s, by separate winners, with 1928 Herbert Hoover having scored the highest with 40 of 48 states for 83.33 percent of the nation’s states.
The below images are the Top 10 populous states carried by 1944 Franklin Roosevelt and 1948 Harry Truman. The one Top 10 state FDR did not carry: Ohio. 1948 Truman flipped it. 1948 Thomas Dewey counter-flipped Top 10s New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey.
I will also note that 1948 losing Republican Thomas Dewey and 1988 losing Democrat Michael Dukakis have this in common: While they both flipped numerous states, each one carried zero of the eleven Old Confederacy states.
