In November 1948 a beaming Harry Truman had a photo taken of him hold the conservative Republican newspaper, the Chicago Tribune with that day's p. 1 headline: 'Dewey Wins!" The Republicans, who had won a smashing victory in the off-year elections of 1946, took control of the House and Senate, and everyone expected them to handily win in 1948. Dewey had run against Franklin Roosevelt in 1944 for his 4th term. Though he was older and some suspected he was ill, FDR's doctors lied and assured the public he was ok. WWII was still going on in Europe and in the Pacific, and most Americans thought it wiser not to change horses in the middles of a stream. FDR won, but Dewey came closer than any of his other opponents. And in 1948 Truman was no FDR. The Republicans came up with the dream team, the Gov. of New York, Tom Dewey and the Gov. of California, Earl Warren. Worse, the Democrats were not like the usual Democrats that year. When a civil rights plank was proposed at the convention, several Southern states' delegations withdrew and formed their own convention and party, the States' Rights Democratic Party (often called the Dixiecrats). Storm Thurmond of South Carolina would lead their efforts. While they found Truman too left-wing, the left-wing Democrats also formed their own party, the Progressive Party. FDR's Vice President prior to Truman was a man from Iowa, Henry Wallace, and and Wallace would lead this new Prog. Party. For his VP, Sen. Glenn Taylor a guitar playing Democrat from Idaho would run. Former football player All-American from Rutgers, Paul Robeson would be campaign manager. Robeson's baritone voice and muscular physique had led him to star in several British film, and sing "Old Man River" in the 1930s MGM "Show Boat." In the 1940s, playing Othello on Broadway to a white Desdemona, which set records for a Shakespearean production on Broadway.This Progressive Party had the support of many CIO unions, left wing organizations, AND it stimulated a civil rights movement in the South. For example, when Sen. Taylor went to Birmingham to address the Southern Negro Youth Congress (the first Snick, before the Students Non-Violent Co-ordinating Committee of 1960), Taylor was arrested by Bull Connor for entering the Negro entrance of the building. Wallace himself, who refused to address segregated audiences, was sometimes met with eggs or tomatoes. In addition to unions and civil rights activists, the Progressives were also endorsed by the American Communist Party (and therefore these early civil rights efforts are not discussed in the academedia complex). Meanwhile, the States Righters, prevented Truman from getting on the ballot in Alabama - if you voted Democrat in that state you voted for Thurmond. The SRP tried to kick Truman off the ballot in Louisiana too, but Earl Long, a maverick, was governor, and made it easier for Truman and Wallace to gain a place on the ballot, though Thurmond carried the state. Despite the divisions in the Democratic Party, despite the polls and the pundits, Harry Truman fooled everyone when he won.
Today, Pres. Trump proudly displayed the first page of the hostile Washington Post: "Trump Acquitted!" The liberal media emphasized the role of Sen. Mitt Romney, Republican, who voted to convict and remove Trump from office on one of the 2 counts submitted to the Senate by the Democratic House of Representatives. The vote seemed so close - on one count 53 to 47, on the other 52 to 48. BUT IT WAS NOT CLOSE AT ALL. TO CONVICT AND REMOVE TRUMP 67 SENATORS MUST VOTE IN FAVOR. So even the high mark of the impeachment group of 48 is far short of the 67 votes required to convict Trump.
Trump was acquitted by an overwhelming vote, as our great President should be.
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