Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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In 1948, there were four candidates for president — Harry Truman (Democrat and incumbent), Thomas Dewey (Republican), Henry Wallace (Progressive) and Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat). Most people believed Dewey would win.
Up to election night, polls had Dewey ahead handily. But Truman knew he could win by speaking directly to the American voter in plain and simple terms why Democrats were for them and why Republicans were for a limited few. He took a train ride around America and spoke in hundreds of towns and cities, and was reelected.
President Joe Biden and all Democratic candidates must repeat the actions taken by Truman for the benefit of all Americans.
Two very small quotes from Truman’s talks (he did not talk to the American people, he talked with them):
• “Some things are worth fighting for. ... We must fight isolationists and reactionaries, the profiteers and the privileged class. ... Our primary concern is for the little people. We think the big boys have always done very well taking care of themselves. ... It is the business of government to see that the little fellow gets a square deal.”
• “Our government is made up of the people. You are the government. I am only your hired servant. I am the chief executive of the greatest nation in the world, the highest honor that can ever come to a man on earth.”
Compare those statements with ones made by former President Donald Trump and other Republican elected officials.
