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60 years ago...

wild-about-harry.jpg

From Wikipedia:

snip.

"Truman toured -- and transfixed -- much of the nation with his fiery rhetoric, playing to large, enthusiastic crowds. “Give 'em hell, Harry,” was a popular slogan shouted out at stop after stop along the tour. However, the polls and the pundits all held that Dewey's lead was insurmountable, and that Truman's efforts were for naught. Indeed, Truman's own staff considered the campaign a last hurrah. The only person who appears to have considered Truman's campaign to be winnable was the President himself, who confidently predicted victory to anyone and everyone who would listen to him. However, even Truman's own wife had private doubts that her husband could win."

end snip...

Trumans victory in 1948, which was predicted by not one single poll, was in large part based on the fact that he was able to secure a 1% advantage in just three key states, all three of which he had been predicted to lose by as much as 10%. Truman, who is beloved by the American public today was actually derided and hated in that time as much as President Bush is today. President Truman was noted in a Chicago Tribune editorial given that very year as a "nincompoop".

Great Presidents are recognized by their decisions in the face of history, not by how much they are loved by the press while they are in office. Harry Truman, who ordered the destruction of two Japanese cities, lead the fight for integration the military, dealt with an unpopular war in Korea and an economic recession was not rehabilitated until the late 1960's.

I'd also like to point out that in 1948, The president worked against the advice of many of his advisors and world opinion on long shot foreign policy project that everyone at the time predicted would most certainly fail.

It was later known in history as "The Berlin Airlift". I humbly suggest Dear Reader, that the Berlin Airlift was "The Surge" of its day.

UPDATE: I'm not the only one thinking that things are askew.

Posted @ October 21, 2008 08:37 PM | Current Affairs

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Comments

Frank:

DJ Drummon's columns on Wizbang, and his own blog Stolen Thunder are a refreshing antidote to the poison being spewed from so many "It's all over!" sites.

Don't really know if he's right, but his essays seem to "Compute" much better than what I seen elsewhere.

Early voting began Monday in my neighborhood. Took advantage of it yesterday.

A LOT of people early voting here (Houston), and I've read the same is happening all over Texas; more than twice as many showing up as expected.

More hopeful than ever that the "Silent Majority" I've mentioned shows up with a vengeance this year.

Can only wait and see.

Posted by: Paul_In_Houston at October 22, 2008 08:59 AM

AJ Strata has also commented.

And the AP notes that it's a dead heat where it matters.

Posted by: Vootie at October 22, 2008 10:39 PM