Existing comment:
Harry S. Truman, 1884-1972
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1882-1945
In 1944 it was assumed that Franklin Roosevelt would run for a fourth term. Democratic Party leaders, aware of Roosevelt's poor health and fearing he would not survive another term, sought to replace Vice President Henry Wallace, whom they considered to be too left-wing. As a Senate leader, Harry Truman had positioned himself for the job even though he was unsure if he wanted it. As usual, FDR kept everyone guessing until the last minute, when he named Truman as his vice-presidential choice. At a meeting on the White House lawn, Truman was shocked by the president's appearance, not realizing his "feeble condition. In pouring cream in his tea, he got more cream in the saucer than he did in the cup." He gave no hint of a problem to reporters afterward, calling the president "fine. . . . Don't let anybody kid you about it."
George Tames, 1944 |