Who was mistakenly declared the winner of the 1948 presidential election by the Chicago Daily Tribune?

In 1948, the Chicago Tribune jumped the gun and mistakenly declared New York Governor Thomas Dewey the winner of his presidential race with incumbent Harry S. Truman in a front-page headline: “Dewey Defeats Truman". In a now famous photograph snapped in the early morning hours after the election, a beaming and bemused Truman is shown holding aloft the Chicago Daily Tribune issue that had wrongly predicted his political downfall. President Truman in fact defeated Dewey by 114 electoral votes.

Overall, considering all the facts, the election is considered to be the greatest election upset in American history. Virtually every prediction (with or without public opinion polls) indicated that Truman would be defeated by Dewey. The Democratic Party had a severe three-way ideological split, with both the far left and far right of the Democratic Party running third party campaigns. Truman's surprise victory was the fifth consecutive presidential win for the Democratic Party, the longest winning streak in the history of the party. It was believed that Truman's election confirmed the Democratic Party's status as the nation's majority party.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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37 Comments

MRogers

If ever there was an example of just a "regular Joe" rising above his pay grade to become a true hero in the annals of history, it's most definitely Harry Truman. The "buck stopped " at his desk.

Chris Lee

You know what, all of you Tesla Alset detractors, for all you know, it's a person who has severe memory problems and comes here just because it's a place where you can play a little game to test your memory. Maybe it's someone for whom the game is that necessary and helpful, just to be able to function. If you are someone who is so annoyed by a line of text on a computer monitor, then perhaps you are the one who needs to get a life. Just to remind you of what it really means to try to get a life: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/25/americas/mexico-photo-of-father-and-daughter-dead-in-rio-grande/index.html

George Oliver Prince

Very famous front page

Carroll Price

One of the few presidents to leave office as modestly poor as he entered it.

Jim Adams

the greatest election upset in American history? Really, no I think that belongs to President Trump now. Just goes to prove opinion polls don’t mean squat in Presidential elections.

Annie

I love the picture of Truman holding up the newspaper declaring Dewey the winner!!!

patrhea

ahfirefly, well said. Thank you for posting that.

Lynne Zeman

Agreed, ahfirefly. The continual carping about Tesla's posts are tiresome and indications of a small, mean spirited person. Let him be. It does not affect anyone else.

illonabird

WHO ON EARTH IS TESLA ALSET? Please thumbs up so I get an answer. Thank you.

Mary Linduska

Besides, Jim, Hillary Clinton received almost 3 million more popular votes than Trump. Jim Adams,

Mary Linduska

Stop already! Enough! Jim Adams,

maharajah

I remember it well.

Katherine Lake

FYI: there is no period after the S in Harry S Truman. The S is all there is to his middle name. It's not an initial so does not call for a period.

Char

ron shields, I'm a progressive and you just took the words out of my mouth. Nastiness breeds nastiness you reap what you sow. Sad thing as he says you make other innocent reap what they didn't sow

Char

Chris Lee, I'm so with you all I'm checking on him every game making sure I click like to just keep them from making him disappear. Some very small minded dictator types really show how uncontrolled they are by trying to control the rest of us. I can play happily with almost anyone exception these types of mean spirited people

Char

Never heard of him

ron shields

Darrell Crawford , now, now, name calling is done by bad, very bad children. Bullies like to name call. Is there way of dealing with an inferiority complex. Just because someone has differing opinions than you, does not make them evil. My mother has some sage advise. If you can’t say anything nice, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. Only she used other language not appropriate here. Please Darrell know this, neither one of us is the smartest guy in the room. I am a conservative and your antics demean the party. We are above name calling. Please show some respect, that’s how adults are supposed to behave. Just because our President does it, doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t sound good coming from him either. Yeah I am that guy who stands up to bullies. My momma taught me that. Taught me a lot of other things too, like respect, empathy, and compassion. Usually, with the back of her hand.