The Chicago Daily Tribune, which had once referred to Democratic candidate Truman as a "nincompoop", was a famously Republican-leaning paper.[2] In a retrospective article some 60 years later about the newspaper's most famous and embarrassing headline, the Tribune wrote that Truman "had as low an opinion of the Tribune as it did of him".[3]
For about a year prior to the 1948 election, the printers who operated the linotype machines at the Chicago Tribune and other Chicago papers had been on strike, in protest of the Taft–Hartley Act. Around the same time, the Tribune had switched to a method by which copy for the paper was composed on typewriters, photographed, and then engraved onto the printing plates. This process required the paper to go to press several hours earlier than usual.[1]
On election night, this earlier press deadline required the first post-election issue of the Tribune to go to press before states had reported most of the results from the polling places.
The paper relied on its veteran Washington correspondent and political analyst, Arthur Sears Henning, who had predicted the winner in four of the five presidential contests since 1928. As conventional wisdom, supported by various polls, was almost unanimous that Dewey would win the election by a landslide, the first (one-star) edition of the Tribune therefore went to press with the banner headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN".[1]
The story by Henning[4] also reported Republicans had retained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which would work with President-elect Dewey. Henning wrote that "Dewey and Warren won a sweeping victory in the presidential election yesterday. The early returns showed the Republican ticket leading Truman and Barkley pretty consistently in the western and southern states" and added that "indications were that the complete returns would disclose that Dewey won the presidency by an overwhelming majority of the electoral vote".[5]
As returns began to indicate a close race later in the evening, Henning brushed them off and stuck to his prediction. Thousands of papers continued to roll off the presses with the banner headline predicting a Dewey victory.
Even after the paper's lead story was rewritten to emphasize local elections and to indicate the narrowness of Dewey's lead in the presidential contest, the same banner headline was left on the front page. Only late in the evening, after press dispatches cast doubt upon the certainty of Dewey's victory, did the Tribune change the headline to "DEMOCRATS MAKE SWEEP OF STATE OFFICES" for the later two-star edition. Some 150,000 copies of the paper had already been printed with the erroneous headline before it was corrected.[3]
Truman, as it turned out, won the electoral vote with a 303–189–39 majority over Dewey and Dixiecrat candidate Strom Thurmond, though swings of less than one percent of the popular vote in Ohio, Illinois, and California would have produced a Dewey victory; the same swing in any two of these states would have forced a contingent election in the House of Representatives.[6]
Two days later, when Truman was passing through St. Louis on the way to Washington, he stepped to the rear platform of his train car, the Ferdinand Magellan, and was handed a copy of the Tribune early edition. Happy to exult in the paper's error, he held it up for the photographers gathered at the station, and the famous picture (in several versions) was taken.[3] Truman reportedly smiled and said, "That ain't the way I heard it!"[9]
Tribune publishers could laugh about the blunder years later and had planned to give Truman a plaque with a replica of the erroneous banner headline on the 25th anniversary of the 1948 election. However, Truman died on December 26, 1972, before the gift could be bestowed.[1][10]
The Tribune was not the only paper to make the mistake. The Journal of Commerce had eight articles in its edition of November 3 about what could be expected of President Dewey. The paper's five-column headline read, "Dewey Victory Seen as Mandate to Open New Era of Government-Business Harmony, Public Confidence".[11]
In popular cultureedit
In the 1992 alternate historyanthologyAlternate Presidents, the story "The More Things Change..." by Glen E. Cox tells the story of the 1948 election in reverse, with Thomas E. Dewey as the underdog who eventually defeats the early overwhelming favorite, the incumbent Harry S. Truman, by playing to anti-communist fears. Accordingly, the Tribune's headline now inaccurately reads "Truman Defeats Dewey". The front cover of the anthology depicts a grinning Dewey proudly holding up the relevant edition of the Tribune in the same manner as Truman did in real life.[12]
Referencesedit
^ abcdWendt, Lloyd (1979). Chicago Tribune: The rise of a great American newspaper. Chicago: Rand McNally. pp. 680–684. ISBN978-0528818264.
^"Matthew V. Santos for president". Chicago Tribune. December 16, 2005. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
^ abcJones, Tim. "Dewey defeats Truman". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
^"Chicago Tribune's headline draws laugh from Barkley". Zanesville Signal. November 3, 1948. p. 1.
^"Dewey Defeats Truman". Chicago Tribune. November 3, 1948. p. 1.
^Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
^"Election of 1948: Dewey Does (not) Defeat Truman". Retrieved October 7, 2015.
^"Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1948. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
^Phelan, Catherine (November 3, 2017). "On This Day: Infamous "Dewey Defeats Truman" Newspaper Hits Newsstands". The Archive.
^"Years Mellowed Breach Between Paper, Truman". San Antonio Light. December 27, 1972. p. 11.
'Dewey Defeats Truman' incident in California State Senate election
"Behind the picture:'Dewey Defeats Truman'", life.com
"Tru History: November 2, 2015", trumanlibraryinstitute.org
November 03, 2023
dewey, defeats, truman, this, article, about, erroneous, headline, published, chicago, daily, tribune, 1948, rock, band, band, incorrect, banner, headline, front, page, chicago, daily, tribune, later, chicago, tribune, november, 1948, after, incumbent, united,. This article is about the erroneous headline published in Chicago Daily Tribune in 1948 For the rock band see Dewey Defeats Truman band Dewey Defeats Truman was an incorrect banner headline on the front page of the Chicago Daily Tribune later Chicago Tribune on November 3 1948 the day after incumbent United States president Harry S Truman won an upset victory over his opponent Governor Thomas E Dewey of New York in the 1948 presidential election It was famously held up by Truman at a stop at St Louis Union Station following his successful election smiling triumphantly at the error 1 President Truman holding an early edition of the November 4 1948 Chicago Daily Tribune showing an erroneous presidential election headline Contents 1 Background 2 Election of 1948 3 Aftermath 4 In popular culture 5 References 6 External linksBackground editThe Chicago Daily Tribune which had once referred to Democratic candidate Truman as a nincompoop was a famously Republican leaning paper 2 In a retrospective article some 60 years later about the newspaper s most famous and embarrassing headline the Tribune wrote that Truman had as low an opinion of the Tribune as it did of him 3 For about a year prior to the 1948 election the printers who operated the linotype machines at the Chicago Tribune and other Chicago papers had been on strike in protest of the Taft Hartley Act Around the same time the Tribune had switched to a method by which copy for the paper was composed on typewriters photographed and then engraved onto the printing plates This process required the paper to go to press several hours earlier than usual 1 Election of 1948 editMain article 1948 United States presidential election On election night this earlier press deadline required the first post election issue of the Tribune to go to press before states had reported most of the results from the polling places The paper relied on its veteran Washington correspondent and political analyst Arthur Sears Henning who had predicted the winner in four of the five presidential contests since 1928 As conventional wisdom supported by various polls was almost unanimous that Dewey would win the election by a landslide the first one star edition of the Tribune therefore went to press with the banner headline DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN 1 The story by Henning 4 also reported Republicans had retained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate which would work with President elect Dewey Henning wrote that Dewey and Warren won a sweeping victory in the presidential election yesterday The early returns showed the Republican ticket leading Truman and Barkley pretty consistently in the western and southern states and added that indications were that the complete returns would disclose that Dewey won the presidency by an overwhelming majority of the electoral vote 5 As returns began to indicate a close race later in the evening Henning brushed them off and stuck to his prediction Thousands of papers continued to roll off the presses with the banner headline predicting a Dewey victory Even after the paper s lead story was rewritten to emphasize local elections and to indicate the narrowness of Dewey s lead in the presidential contest the same banner headline was left on the front page Only late in the evening after press dispatches cast doubt upon the certainty of Dewey s victory did the Tribune change the headline to DEMOCRATS MAKE SWEEP OF STATE OFFICES for the later two star edition Some 150 000 copies of the paper had already been printed with the erroneous headline before it was corrected 3 Truman as it turned out won the electoral vote with a 303 189 39 majority over Dewey and Dixiecrat candidate Strom Thurmond though swings of less than one percent of the popular vote in Ohio Illinois and California would have produced a Dewey victory the same swing in any two of these states would have forced a contingent election in the House of Representatives 6 Instead of a Republican sweep of the White House and retention of both houses of Congress the Democrats retained the White House and took control of the Senate and the House of Representatives 7 8 Aftermath editTwo days later when Truman was passing through St Louis on the way to Washington he stepped to the rear platform of his train car the Ferdinand Magellan and was handed a copy of the Tribune early edition Happy to exult in the paper s error he held it up for the photographers gathered at the station and the famous picture in several versions was taken 3 Truman reportedly smiled and said That ain t the way I heard it 9 Tribune publishers could laugh about the blunder years later and had planned to give Truman a plaque with a replica of the erroneous banner headline on the 25th anniversary of the 1948 election However Truman died on December 26 1972 before the gift could be bestowed 1 10 The Tribune was not the only paper to make the mistake The Journal of Commerce had eight articles in its edition of November 3 about what could be expected of President Dewey The paper s five column headline read Dewey Victory Seen as Mandate to Open New Era of Government Business Harmony Public Confidence 11 In popular culture editIn the 1992 alternate history anthology Alternate Presidents the story The More Things Change by Glen E Cox tells the story of the 1948 election in reverse with Thomas E Dewey as the underdog who eventually defeats the early overwhelming favorite the incumbent Harry S Truman by playing to anti communist fears Accordingly the Tribune s headline now inaccurately reads Truman Defeats Dewey The front cover of the anthology depicts a grinning Dewey proudly holding up the relevant edition of the Tribune in the same manner as Truman did in real life 12 References edit a b c d Wendt Lloyd 1979 Chicago Tribune The rise of a great American newspaper Chicago Rand McNally pp 680 684 ISBN 978 0528818264 Matthew V Santos for president Chicago Tribune December 16 2005 Retrieved May 11 2022 a b c Jones Tim Dewey defeats Truman Chicago Tribune Retrieved November 9 2008 Chicago Tribune s headline draws laugh from Barkley Zanesville Signal November 3 1948 p 1 Dewey Defeats Truman Chicago Tribune November 3 1948 p 1 Leip David Dave Leip s Atlas of U S Presidential Elections uselectionatlas org Retrieved October 7 2015 Election of 1948 Dewey Does not Defeat Truman Retrieved October 7 2015 Office of the Clerk of the U S House of Representatives PDF Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2 1948 Retrieved October 6 2015 Phelan Catherine November 3 2017 On This Day Infamous Dewey Defeats Truman Newspaper Hits Newsstands The Archive Years Mellowed Breach Between Paper Truman San Antonio Light December 27 1972 p 11 The JoC 175 Years of Change The Journal of Commerce Archived from the original on July 6 2007 Alternate Presidents Anthology Cover External links edit nbsp Wikinews has related news Dewey Defeats Truman incident in California State Senate election Behind the picture Dewey Defeats Truman life com Tru History November 2 2015 trumanlibraryinstitute org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dewey Defeats Truman amp oldid 1183238199, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
