Rise Of The Democrats
1932 to 1952
Beginning with the election in 1932 of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Republicans were the minority party for almost twenty years with the exception only of the 80th Congress in 1947 and 1948.
Throughout this period, there were only two Presidents -- Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman who assumed the Presidency at Roosevelt’s death shortly after the beginning of his fourth term in office.
This was a period of two wars, World War II and the Korean War, and the recovery of the Nation from depression. Under Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” there was an increased involvement of the federal government in all aspects of life and many feared the Nation had grown toward socialism.
Republican involvement at this time was best described by Senator Kenneth S. Wherry, the Minority Leader in 1951:
“The Republican Party has no control over legislation, government policies and operations. Its role in Congress is narrowly limited. No Republican can be chairman of a congressional committee. Republicans are in a minority on all committees. They cannot carry through legislation on their own. They cannot take administrative steps to solve national problems or to correct abuses in the government of the country. They have no control over the conduct of foreign relations.
“But in a two-party system such as ours, the opposition party has a clear and responsible public duty to perform. In the role of the opposition, Republicans can appraise critically the promises and performances of the Democrat administration to account for its failures in discharging the public trust. They can expose mistakes, corruption, and other actions harmful to the public interest. They can press for high standards and principles in the solution of public problems and other constructive suggestions concerning them.
“Finally, by public debate, Republicans can take their opposition to the people, who have the power to compel the administration to safeguard the national welfare or to remove it from office.”
In the New Deal’s pre-war period, through Roosevelt’s first two terms, the Democrats held heavy majorities in both houses of Congress and there was little Republican action. They did lead the successful opposition to Roosevelt’s court-packing attempts in 1937 and were joined by many Democrats who opposed the President’s attempts to reorganize the Supreme Court and pack it with justices of his own beliefs.
The 1936 Republican platform condemned the New Deal and stated, “America is in peril . . . we invite all Americans, irrespective of party, to join us in the defense of American institutions.” Running on this platform were Kansas Governor Alfred M. Landon and Chicago newspaper publisher Fred Knox. The Democrats met in Philadelphia and re-nominated Roosevelt and Garner, but there was some dissension in the party.
A third party movement began, called the Union Party, which nominated Republican North Dakota Congressman William Lemke. Other disaffected Democrats, including Al Smith, went to Landon. Unfortunately, the campaign made Landon appear less liberal and humane than he was and Roosevelt, effectively campaigning on the recovery from the depression and with the slogan “We planned it that way,” was easily reelected. Landon won only eight electoral votes and carried only two states, Maine and Vermont. Lemke carried none.
During the pre-war period, before the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, Republicans expressed skepticism over Roosevelt’s policies to abandon neutrality believing the measures would be ineffective for their announced purpose -- to keep the country out of war.
The 1940 election brought to a head the debate between isolationist and interventionist viewpoints and also saw the Democrats breaking the two-term tradition by re-nominating Roosevelt.
Within Republican ranks, support was divided among four contenders -- isolationist Senators Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan and Robert A. Taft of Ohio, the District Attorney of New York Thomas E. Dewey, a political newcomer and former Democrat, and Wendell L. Wilkie, of New York, who led the fight of private power interests against the T.V.A., won on the sixth ballot and campaigned on a foreign platform similar to Roosevelt’s. His stand on the war in Europe was like that of the Democrats which may have been a detriment. Although it was a popular viewpoint, it deprived him of an important and leading issue on which to differ with his opponent. Wilkie lost but did receive 82 electoral votes, a considerable improvement over Landon’s eight.
When war was declared in 1941, Republicans and Democrats joined in wholehearted support of defense measures. However, the Congressional elections in 1942 indicated public sympathy approved of earlier Republican skepticism and disapproved of military defeats in the war effort. Republicans received slightly more than half of the votes cast and gained 50 seats in the House, leaving the Democrats with a nominal majority.
By 1944, the military situation had reversed itself, the Nation was winning the war, and Roosevelt, again the Democrat nominee, was enjoying continued popularity. Running with Roosevelt was Missouri Senator Harry S. Truman. Republicans nominated Thomas E. Dewey, who was now the Governor of New York. Dewey received 99 electoral votes a gain of 17 from the last Presidential election.
In 1945, Roosevelt died; Harry S. Truman became President; the first atomic bomb was dropped; and the war officially ended. With peace came domestic strife as the Nation once again adjusted to a peacetime economy and in the transition had to account with inflation, labor strikes and general unrest.
The postwar inflation and labor conflicts seriously hurt the Democrats and in 1946, for the first time since 1931, the Republicans controlled both the Senate and the House.
Under the 80th Congress, the federal budget was balanced for the first time in 17 years. Republicans sponsored important legislation including the Taft-Hartley Act, aimed at curbing the strong dominance of unions. They also unified the armed services under the Department of Defense and established the National Security Council and the National Security Resources Board. The Nation concerned itself with promoting the recovery of Western Europe and with fighting Communism in Western Europe, Greece, Turkey, and China.
Experts predicted Republicans would win the 1948 Presidential election. Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of Commerce under Truman until 1946, upset by the Administration’s firm handling of Communism, resigned his office and formed the Progressive Party. The regular Democrats nominated Truman again and included in the platform a strong civil rights plank that offended some Southern members. These Southerners formed the States’ Rights Democratic Party, called the Dixiecrats, and nominated then Governor of South Carolina, J. Strom Thurmond.
Truman barnstormed the Country speaking in his characteristically frank manner and labeled the 80th Congress “the no good, good-for-nothing Eightieth Congress.” Republicans again nominated New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey and thoroughly expected to win; newspaper editors and public opinion pollsters also predicted a Republican victory. However, Truman pulled an upset and the Republicans were again the minority party. Dewey nevertheless, received 189 electoral votes, the greatest number scored by a Republican nominee since 1928.
Truman’s first full term in office was marred by the Korean War which began in June of 1950. Republicans continued their fight against Communism and were influential in the establishment of the Subversive Activities Control Board. Republican Members of Congress were quick to point out that they had little to do with the Administration’s Far Eastern policy, publicly disclaiming any association with the circumstances leading to the advance of Communism in China.
Communism, both home and abroad, was the dominant theme of the Congressional elections in 1950. The Alger Hiss revelation as well as the investigations begun by the flamboyant Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, kept the threat of Communism uppermost in the minds of the public.
In these elections, Republicans made strong gains in both houses. By 1952, the Democrat Party was vulnerable and ready to be defeated. The Korean War, McCarthyism, inflation, and the steel strike which President Truman failed to arbitrate and which resulted in both higher wages and higher steel prices were all against the Democrats. In addition, beginning in 1951, certain petty scandals involving some of Truman’s personal advisors became public knowledge. Despite the fact the Democrats did reveal them, the Administration was branded as corrupt by many voters.
Truman announced he would not run again and the Democrats chose Governor Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois. Republicans met in Chicago at the first political convention with coast to coast television coverage. There was a struggle at first between conservative supporters of Robert A. Taft and moderates who were behind General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the former Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers in Europe. Favorite son candidates included Harold E. Stassen, former Governor of Minnesota, and Governor Earl Warren of California. “Ike” received the nomination unanimously. By acclamation, 39 year old Senator Richard M. Nixon of California was nominated for the Vice-Presidency.
The campaigns of both candidates were vigorous and the two men kept a fast pace. Stevenson was especially noted for his eloquence and Eisenhower for his vast personal appeal. Eisenhower campaigned in 44 states and made more than 200 speeches and appearances; he promised to fly to Korea and end the stalemate there.
Ike won with 442 electoral votes and broke the Democratic “solid south” for the first time since 1928. His election ended almost 20 years of continual Democrat dominance.
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