The Reelection Campaign

And we’re back!

Like with most politicians, one term is simply not enough. So here I am with the continuation of The Great Presidential Debate!

For those of you new to this blog, let me introduce you to the main concept and structure. I find interesting campaign slogans and discuss them in chronological order. Some election years have rather toned down campaigns while others have no true competition and as a result have no catchy slogans to discuss. Each post will provide the general context of the election and then discuss the message being conveyed by the slogan and why it is effective.

Without further ado, here is the post!

Image courtesy of The New York Times

In 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was struggling with health issues and World War II. His deteriorating health resulted in his death in office. Vice President Harry Truman was left with the responsibility of piloting America out of the war. From the peace conference in Potsdam, Germany to the decision to drop bombs on Japan, Truman was heavily involved in the decisions made. He saw the formation of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He brought about the continuation of several New Deal programs, the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.

But despite all this, Truman was predicted to lose the election of 1948. And it wasn’t really his fault either; Truman had been ushered into office following the death of one of the nation’s most beloved and trusted leader. His term was stuck in the shadow of Roosevelt’s achievements.

However, Truman wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

                                                              

The election of 1948 featured Republican Thomas Dewey against Democrat Harry Truman. With the popular statement that Truman would lose the election, the Republicans took a low risk approach to the election trying to avoid any touchy issues that would decrease popularity. Truman, on the other hand, went all in on his campaign.

His campaign was characterized by high energy and willingness to confront issues head on. The campaign’s original slogan was “I’m just wild about Harry” taken from the song of the same name in the Broadway show Shuffle Along. The most well-known Truman slogan and the one that became widely popular with supporters was “Give ‘em hell, Harry!” The party actually did not come up with this slogan; it was shouted out by a supporter during Truman’s “whistle-stop” campaigns.

“Give ‘em hell, Harry!” captured the vibe that Truman was going for. He wanted to be known for his active involvement in solving the nation’s problems. During his campaign, he depicted himself as competing with a “do nothing” Congress. The slogan suggests that Truman would make progress no matter who stood in opposition.

And it was this attitude that won Truman the election. The Republican’s lackluster campaign and failure to address pertinent topics lost the support of the people. Truman’s energy and dedication to honesty swayed the public to accept him for a second term. In fact, his comeback in the election was so last minute that one newspaper had erroneously printed false results. This newspaper misprint led to one of Truman's most famous pictures; him holding up the paper with an ecstatic look on his face.

Image courtesy of the Chicago Tribune