We
are deep in the thickets of election season and it is sometimes helpful
to gain some perspective by reviewing other political contests from the
American past. Since David Brooks the other day in the New York Times labeled Obama an “underdog,” I have ever since been rolling over in my
mind the comparisons between our sitting Commander in Chief and perhaps
that most famous underdog of all in U.S. political history: Harry
Truman.
Harry
came to power in 1945 upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt who had kept
him on the sidelines during his presidency. The next three years were
not uneventful. Truman learned of the atomic bomb and used it twice on
the Japanese. Communism was ascendant and the President deftly
resupplied Berlin via airlift without taking us into war with Soviet
Union. He also stayed true to his frugal mid western roots and
began a massive demobilization of all branches of the military.
Despite,
or perhaps because of, these events, Truman entered the 1948 political
season with approval ratings in the mid 30’s. He faced the Governor of
New York Thomas Dewey, a capable man but also not without his own image
problems (he was once called the ‘small man on the wedding cake’).
Undaunted by his underdog status, Truman pressed ahead with a whistle
stop tour (the last of its kind) of the country and fought his way
to victory in November.
Much
like Truman, Obama faces similar headwinds. Perhaps the most obvious
is the presence of a Republican “do nothing congress.” During Truman’s
Presidency, the Republicans, who had been out of power for 12 years,
smelled blood. They stalled legislature and began to try out the issue
of Red baiting. McCarthyism was nascent at this point but Republicans
were quick to point out those who were viewed as “soft on Communism.”
Obama has also dealt with a great deal of obstructionism on the part of
his Conservative counterparts as they have voted ‘no’ to almost every
initiative by his administration. While Obama has not been labeled a
Communist, his Republican critics have often described his policies as
Socialism
Both
Presidents also faced increasing questions about China. During
Truman’s tenure, China’s civil war compelled the U.S. to resupply Chiang
Kai-Shek’s forces against Mao’s Communist army. The efforts were in
vain as Chiang eventually had to retreat to Formosa. This tension with
China would break out into war not 2 years later with the introduction
of CPA troops into North Korean territory against UN forces. Obama faces
a China that has economically matured to a global power. He wrestles
with how to exact agreements on fair trade policies and human rights
while attempting to curb their regional military build up.
What
truly binds these two Presidents is that both have governed through a
difficult period in American history. Truman faced the beginnings of
the Cold War and the proliferation of atomic weapons. Obama inherited
an economy in free fall and two wars in the Middle East. It remains to
be seen if Obama can imitate Truman’s reelection magic.
*(to the best of my knowledge, the above image of Obama was lifted from Jim Mone/The Associated Press and all credit and copyright should go to them. The Truman picture is also from The Associated Press. All image splicing and text are mine.)
