② Dewey as a candidate

The G.O.P. convention gathered in Philadelphia in June 1948. At first, much consideration had been given to the candidacy of Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, the son of the former president. However, as time goes by, many Republican leaders feared that Taft's abrasive personality might actually cause uniting the splintering Democratic Party.

Based on that concern, the Republicans elected Thomas E. Dewey, their candidate in 1944 and an overwhelming victor in his reelection as governor of New York in 1946. Dewey was in many ways an appealing choice at that time for the Republican Party.

After Republican Party convention, New York Times declared that “Thomas E. Dewey’s Election as President is a Foregone Conclusion.” Top pollsters predicted a Dewey win at the 1948 presidential election, as did leading national political writers. In fact, with the exception of Truman, everyone else was certain Dewey would be elected. Months before the election, the ‘LIFE’ magazine ran a cover of a picture of Dewey with a caption that read, “The Next President of the United States.” Headline after headline screamed Dewey as President.