One of my favorite Presidents is Harry S Truman. One of the best books about him is titled simply Truman. The author is historian David McCullough. I idolize David McCullough because he puts me there. And the thing is, the more I read about Harry Truman through David McCullough's eyes, the more I like this Truman.
And so I thought about this recent mid-term election and all the commentators talking about the 2006 mid-term and the 1994 mid-term.
Blah. Blah. Blah.
And then it hit me.
A commentator said, "You know, this is a lot like the 1946 mid-term election when America was upset at Harry Truman." You see, Harry lost the Congress that year. Both houses. You might say he took a shellacking. Maybe President Obama would say that too. Harry took a shellacking.
And what was the issue. Well, one them at least. Believe on this one.
Health care reform.
President Harry Truman proposed health care reform for Americans. I was writing a review where the subject came up. The book, Deadly Spin: And Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out On How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving America by Wendell Potter, will be released on November 9th. Here is what I learned about Harry Truman while writing my review for the NY Journal of Books.
Truman proposed national health insurance and I believe it was universal coverage for all.
He asked for national compulsory health insurance to be funded by payroll deductions. Under the system, all citizens would receive medical and hospital service irrespective of their ability to page.
Truman by McCullough, page 473-474
This was 1945.
Fast forward to 1946. The Republicans made an issue out of health care reform and with the help of the AMA, launched a PR campaign against Truman and his Administration and the American people voted out the Democrats and voted in the Republicans. It was the 80th Congress.
So how did Harry Truman respond.
Certainly not by apologizing or saying that we need to come together and other lofty rhetoric. That wasn't Harry. Here's how McCullough quotes Harry and the tone of his campaign.
"The basic issue of this campaign is as simple as can be: It's the special interests against the people." "I'm here on a special mission, and because it's so serious, I propose to speak to you as plainly as I can." "In 1946, you know, two-thirds of you stayed home and didn't vote. You wanted a change. Well, you got it. You got the change. You got exactly what you deserved." "Now use your judgment. Keep the people in control of the government . . ." "I not only want you to vote for yourselves, you'll vote for the Democratic ticket . . ."
Truman by McCullough, page 663
He did this train station after train station in that historic 1948 election. And the crowd shouted back to him, "Give 'em hell Harry."
And we now know who won that election. The Chicago Tribune got it wrong because they kinda figured America was Republican and dense. America is not. They were mislead this time. But as the Who song said, "We Won't Get Fooled Again."
And so to this young President I say, "Give 'em hell Barack."
John is the author of an award-winning book published by The Elevator Group Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots: How Barack Obama, two Bookstore Owners, and 300 Volunteers did it. Also available an eBook on Amazon. John is also a member of the Society of Midland Authors and is a book reviewer of political books for the New York Journal of Books.