What Happened during the 1948 Election

Newspapers and Media Companies are known to take an intentional jibe at politicians but was the 1948 presidential election called wrong due to a misprint or was it to pull the leg of the only American party to be elected four times consecutively? Here is what happened in the 1948 election.

According to a Famous Incorrect Headline, Who Defeated Truman

The Chicago Daily Tribune’s Dewey defeats Truman headline was one of the most incorrect first-page titles to be printed by a daily newspaper ever.

Let’s brush up a little bit of history first, President Roosevelt ran for president and won thrice before his death in 1945 leaving his running mate, Harry S. Truman untrained for his apparent presidential responsibilities. 

America joined the United Nations, Japan surrendered after the deploitation of atomic weapons and concluded war against Germany with Truman’s leadership but this also affected the popularity of him and the democrats. Resulting in a win in the next election, near to impossible and Dewey beats Truman headline. 

Dewey Wins Newspaper

The electoral win of the Republicans and Democrats’ declining popularity had led everyone except Truman to believe the fate of the 1948 election. Truman had confidently said “I will tell you who is going to be the next president of the United States. You are looking at him right now!” and he did it. 

Dewey Defeats Truman Newspaper

Truman was sportive about the news and held the wrongly titled newspaper with a smile to pose after his unexpected victory that gave the Democrats a fifth consecutive win in 1948.

Truman secured 49.5% of the votes which was 4% more than the votes secured by Dewey, a New York governor who stood for the Republican party. 

The election result surprised both parties and the nation. History would have repeated itself if only Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden.