For Peace and Prosperity - A Different 1944 Election and Beyond

1944 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
CHICAGO

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Before the Democratic National Convention, it was a foregone conclusion that Franklin D. Roosevelt, the incumbent 3-term president, beloved by many, would be re-nominated by his party and more than likely win the general election in November.

That all changed five days before the convention started. The President had a major heart attack, with 90% blockage in his arteries. This event shook the Democrats to the core, wondering if he would live a fourth term. For the Republicans, it was a sign that November would be theirs.

On the first day of the convention, the President's wife, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, took the stage at Chicago Stadium to tell the news that would change the course of this election.

"Franklin is doing good, and he is recovering well. After a long and thought-out conversation, he decided that he would not run for a fourth term this year and that he would leave office on January 20, 1945. He trusts all of you gentlemen to find someone capable of filling his shoes and continuing his legacy."

Chicago Stadium was thrown into disarray. They knew that the President's health was failing. But they didn't know that it was failing this fast.

There were a few early front runners:

Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa
Senator Harry Truman of Missouri
Federal Security Administrator Paul V. McNutt of Indiana
Governor Robert Kerr of Oklahoma


Many high-ranking Democrats wanted Wallace to run for President and fill the shoes of FDR. The more conservative faction of the party opposed the nomination of Wallace, stating that he was too "progressive". Many of the lower-ranking Democrats were in favor of Harry Truman, saying that he was more "grass-roots". McNutt and Kerr both gained some traction, but not enough to catch Wallace and Truman.
 
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Chapter 2: 1944 DNC Nomination
NOMINATION

In the first ballot, the votes were very scattered, with the top vote-getter being Henry Wallace, then Truman, then Kerr, McNutt, Scott Lucas, and Alben W. Barkley. Many maneuvers were being made to try to get Truman to the top of the ballot. At the same time, maneuvers were also being made for Scott Lucas to attract votes away from Truman and Wallace supporters. At the end of the second ballot, Lucas had jumped into the top 3, with Truman now becoming the top vote-getter. After that ballot, Barkley and McNutt both withdrew. Now it was just Wallace, Truman, Kerr, and Lucas. On the next ballot, Wallace jumped back into the lead, with Truman falling down into third as Lucas gained amazing momentum. Kerr then bowed out. On the 4th ballot, Wallace's lead was getting wider. After the 5th, Lucas had slashed the delegate advantage. After Truman regained 2nd after the 6th ballot, Lucas bowed out. Then after the 9th ballot, Henry A. Wallace had become the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

The vice presidential nomination was also hotly contested. The names that were put into the first ballot were
Senator Harry Truman of Missouri
Federal Security Administrator Paul V. McNutt of Indiana
Governor Robert Kerr of Oklahoma
Former Postmaster General James Farley of New York
Senator John Bankhead II of Alabama
Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn of Texas
Senator Robert Wagner of New York

After 5 ballots, the decision was made. Robert Kerr was named as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Democratic Party.

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Check out H.A.W. in the Venona Transcripts (decription of wartime Soviet coded messages; little known but covered in wiki). The good judgement of the American people was shown in Wallace's rejection from the 1944 democrat ticket and subsequent less than 3% of popular vote in 1948. Truman might have been a narrow escape.

Dynasoar
 
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