Truman surprises in 1948

On election day 1948, everybody thought that Mr. Dewey, the GOP nominee, would be the next president of the US.  

However, the country woke up the next morning hearing that Mr Truman had been returned to office.

No one knows for sure but I think that Mr. Dewey got a little bit too confident.  On the other hand, Mr. Truman worked hard for every vote.  And Truman won.

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1948: Truman beat Dewey

This is a good time to remember another anniversary of Truman vs Dewey, the biggest upset in presidential election history.   Or should I say, the biggest upset until Trump in 2016.  

On election day 1948, most experts picked Governor Thomas Dewey of New York over President Harry Truman.  It turned out to be different.   Let’s see if this sounds familiar:  

He traveled to America’s cities and towns, fighting to win over undecided voters by portraying himself as an outsider contending with a “do-nothing” Congress. 

It was a shock, an upset!  I’ve heard stories that people went to bed thinking that it was over and woke up to the shocker.

The Chicago Tribune was so certain that they went to print with the headline: “Dewey beats Truman.”  It produced one of the greatest photos of the 20th century.

What is the lesson of 1948?  I see a few:

First, wait until all of the votes are counted.  It sounds silly but it’s true;

Second, there is something about a man who works hard and goes from rally to rally asking people for their votes.  I admire that.  

Will it happen?  Yes.  I do believe that the American voters will deliver the biggest surprise in this year of surprises.

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