OPINION:
As we approach the coming presidential election, it might be illuminating to review David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Truman.” It is quite remarkable how similar the presidential campaigns of Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey are to the ones we are witnessing today.
On the campaign trail, Dewey was extraordinarily cautious and cold in manner. He spoke in platitudes, avoiding controversial issues, and was vague on what he planned to do as president. Speech after speech was filled with unrealistic assertions and empty, obvious statements.
Truman, in stark contrast, toured much of the nation with fiery rhetoric, playing to large, enthusiastic crowds. He had just one strategy: Attack and carry the fight to the enemy’s camp.
“Give ’em hell, Harry!” became a popular slogan shouted out at stop after stop. Truman’s response was, “I never gave anybody hell. I just told them the truth and they thought it was hell.”
On what was to become famous as the Whistle-Stop Tour, he would travel 21,928 miles, nearly as far as the distance around the world.
Throughout the entire campaign, Truman was widely considered to be the underdog in the race, and virtually every prediction (with or without public opinion polls) indicated Dewey would win the election. Even Truman’s own staff considered the campaign the last hurrah.
However, as we now know, the country witnessed one of the greatest upsets in American history: Truman won the election with 303 electoral votes to Dewey’s 189. Truman also won 49.6% of the popular vote compared with Dewey’s 45.1%.
Let’s pray that history will repeat itself on Nov. 5.
RON PHIPPS
Annapolis, Maryland
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