The Okie Legacy: 1948 GOP Smashes 90-Year Tradition In Dewey Choice

Soaring eagle logo. Okie Legacy Banner. Click here for homepage.

Moderated by NW Okie!

Volume 18 , Issue 10

2016

Weekly eZine: (364 subscribers)
Subscribe | Unsubscribe
Using Desktop...

Sections
Alva Mystery
Opera House Mystery

Albums...
1920 Alva PowWow
1917 Ranger
1926 Ranger
1937 Ranger
Castle On the Hill

Stories Containing...

Blogs / WebCams / Photos
NW Okie's FB
OkieJournal FB
OkieLegacy Blog
Ancestry (paristimes)
NW Okie Instagram
Flickr Gallery
1960 Politcal Legacy
1933 WIRangeManuel
Volume 18
1999  Vol 1
2000  Vol 2
2001  Vol 3
2002  Vol 4
2003  Vol 5
2004  Vol 6
2005  Vol 7
2006  Vol 8
2007  Vol 9
2008  Vol 10
2009  Vol 11
2010  Vol 12
2011  Vol 13
2012  Vol 14
2013  Vol 15
2014  Vol 16
2015  Vol 17
2016  Vol 18
2017  Vol 19
2018  Vol 20
2021  Vol 21
Issues 10
Iss 1  1-4 
Iss 2  1-11 
Iss 3  1-18 
Iss 4  1-25 
Iss 5  2-1 
Iss 6  2-8 
Iss 7  2-15 
Iss 8  2-22 
Iss 9  2-29 
Iss 10  3-7 
Iss 11  3-14 
Iss 12  3-21 
Iss 13  3-28 
Iss 14  4-5 
Iss 15  4-11 
Iss 16  4-19 
Iss 17  4-26 
Iss 18  5-2 
Iss 19  5-9 
Iss 20  5-16 
Iss 21  5-30 
Iss 22  6-6 
Iss 23  6-13 
Iss 24  6-19 
Iss 25  6-27 
Iss 26  7-4 
Iss 27  7-18 
Iss 28  7-28 
Iss 29  8-4 
Iss 30  8-12 
Iss 31  8-22 
Iss 32  8-29 
Iss 33  9-5 
Iss 34  9-13 
Iss 35  9-21 
Iss 36  10-4 
Iss 37  10-13 
Iss 38  10-20 
Iss 39  10-28 
Iss 40  11-5 
Iss 41  11-12 
Iss 42  11-21 
Iss 43  11-28 
Iss 44  12-8 
Iss 45  12-18 
Other Resources
NWOkie JukeBox

1948 GOP Smashes 90-Year Tradition In Dewey Choice

1948 was one the "Brokered conventions" by the Republican party. The Kingsport Times, Kingsport, Tennessee, dated 25 June 1948, Friday, page 1, mentioned these headlines: "GOP Smashes 90-Year Tradition In Dewey Choice; Nominates Gov. Warren As Vice President," "Reece Fails In Attempt To Swing State Delegation Behind Taft,"Convention Ends On Victory Note," and "Inside Story Of Dewey Blitz Told."

Found on Newspapers.com

Philadelphia -- AP - The Tom Dewey blitz left the hopes of half a dozen would be presidents in tatters on this date and gave his beaten rivals a time worn motto to paste in their trampled hats: It is more fun to ride on a bandwagon than to get run over by a steamroller.

The Monday morning quarterbacks - the key men of the Republican National Convention - sized it up this way in telling the inside story of the week's high pressure events:

Dewey's rivals couldn't all win. If they had got together on some man to oppose Dewey, they probably could have stopped the New York Governor just short of the victory line.

But they didn't. Senator Robert A Taft wouldn't drop out. Neither would Harold E, Stassen or Gov. Earl Warren. They formed a "stop-Dewey" alliance but it had no focus - nothing but an "anti" force behind it. All it did was commit each of them to stay in the race until something turned up. And Dewey's campaign had a focus - Dewey.

That convinced a lot of people that the other candidates were licked unless they pooled their strength behind just one of their number. But they didn't do that ever. They keep hoping until the last night.

Warren put it very frankly:
"We expected that Connecticut would make the first break in our direction ... but it didn't happen that way. We thought that sEnator Vandenberg would make a better showing that he did and that the (Dewey) opposition would start to crack if we could get half of Michigan's vote and half of Connecticut's."

Well, Michigan's "dark horse" Vandenberg made hardly any showing at all. An awful lot of people took him at his word that he didn't want to be president.

On page 10, of that 1948 newspaper, we found these headlines: "Convention Movie Rushed To Theater."

Scenes from the Republican National Convention had been rushed to Kingsport, and would be shown on the screen of the sTrand Theater that night (25 June 1948, Friday) through Wednesday, it was announced Friday by the theater management.

Included in a five minute newsreel of the opening session in Philadelphia were shots of various headquarters set up by the candidates, activities in Convention Hall, arrival of delegates and many other typical scenes from he "greatest show on earth."
  |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe


© . Linda Mcgill Wagner - began © 1999 Contact Me