So leaders had a much Better Direct sense of what the people actually thought. You can see a lot of polling data in this and in flushing out exactly what it was americans thought. I will focus a lot on Public Opinion and then we will talk about policy as a reflection of Public Opinion. At the start of the war in europe, my argument is there were two basic positions held almost unanimously by the American People. They wanted britain and france to win the war, to defeat germany, and they did not want the United States to have to fight in that war to make it happen. Over the course of the two plus years of this debate, nothing that happened really change fundamentally, those two points of view. There will be changes in American Opinion, but those two fundamental views remain the same. Even on the eve of pearl harbor, most Americans Still wanted to avoid direct american involvement as a belligerent in world war ii. The great debate moved the American Public in the direction of risking war,
Welcome to the Commonwealth Club, im george hammond, chair of the forum which organized todays events. Im happy to welcome back a. J. Baime who was here a year and half or so ago and his last book in this time we have him here virtually from his home and we will talk about his new book the 1948 election so we are going back 72 years for another Election Year and youll be amazed at exactly how similar it sounds in some ways and in other ways very different and one of the difference is the politicians were younger then so that is one big difference but a. J. , take it away and tell us about the overview of the book, a very good read by the way. Thank you. I want to say a couple of things first. Thank you so much for having me and the Commonwealth Club is a wonderful place to be and here we are going through painandsuffering and i know for myself im just reminding why i fell in love with reading when i was six years old because books can transform or transport you to another time and plac
Media. Wofford College Professor teaches about the rise of radio and its impact on whether to enter world war ii. The class uses sound clips showing the role radio played shaping views and policy. All right. So, last week we talked about coming of the war in europe and asia. I want to talk about the great debate over american involvement in world war ii. This is arguably the most important debate on Foreign Policy in all of American History. And Public Opinion probably more than any previous debate mattered here in part for the first time there was a way of gauging Public Opinion. The gallop poll organization had started polling American People. So leaders had a much more direct sense of what the people actually thought. Youre going to see a lot of polling data in this, in fleshing out exactly what it was that americans thought. So im going to focus quite a bit on Public Opinion and well talk about policy as a reflection of that Public Opinion. At the start of the war in europe. My arg
So i knew of course that taft succeeded teddy and they would run against each other 1912, but then you always go back and i know scott does too, you want the primary sources, the letters and diaries and private journals for historians so when i found the 400 letters between the two, i realized they become friends when they were in their early 30s and an odd couple, teddy who is marching around everywhere doing wrestling and boxing and taft wayne between 250 and 350 is not doing much wrestling and boxing at that point, but they liked each other and the opposites almost attracted and teddy brings them into his cabinet, he becomes the most important person in his cabinet even though all his life he wanted to be a judge, never a politician, from from that he decides hes the man i want to succeed me, he runs the taft campaign, gives him advice at every moment, the only thing he did not give him a vice was the Campaign Song which i dont think teddy wouldve approved of it was get on a raft wi
It appears he has at least one ardent supporter. Those are some of the regions finest salmon specimens. We will know soon. November is just around the corner. President truman continues his swing around the circuit. Meeting former Vice President gardner in texas. The chief executive gets a present. He rides to the home of old friend cactus jack and gets a warm welcome en route. He visits the alamo, the historic shrine of texas independence. In austin, a big crowd greets the president as he continues his campaign for the lone star states 23 electoral votes. The president struck of the republicans saying they dont want unity. On his tour, the president spoke and visited with sam rayburn, former speaker of the house. At fort worth, thousands turned out as he worked to bring the southern vote back into line. Dewey defeats truman, the famous photo of that Chicago Tribune headline from the 1948 president ial campaign. Of course, we know harry s. Truman won the election. His rival, thomas e.