Motion Picture MP2002-300
Administrative Information
Merle Miler interviews former president Harry S. Truman. They discuss the 1948 campaign, Margaret and Bess's involvement in it, the whistle stop tour, inaccurate press coverage of it, watching the 1948 RNC, and the inaccurate polling. He also reviews the campaigns of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, and Andrew Jackson. Sound and picture.
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Shot List
| 0:00 | Unidentified voice says “scene 80, take 1, sound 64.” | |
| Merle Miller begins asking questions of Harry S. Truman about the 1948 campaign. Mr. Truman responds to the questions. | ||
| 0:28 | Mr. Truman states he never had an audience "under 5 or 10 thousand people." | |
| 1:30 | Mr. Truman discusses Thomas Jefferson's campaign. He states that Jefferson was an advocate of the people who convinced the people the government was theirs. His campaign was carried on by correspondents over the 13 colonies. He didn’t do much traveling. | |
| 2:20 | Mr. Truman states that Lincoln campaigned by train, that the country was divided, and that he won by minority vote. If the Democrat party had not been split three ways, he wouldn’t have been elected. | |
| 3:20 | Mr. Truman discusses Mrs. Truman’s and Margaret’s involvement in the 1948 campaign. He says "Margaret is my only child, and she knew very well in 1948 that she and her mother would have to go with the old man on the campaign trail, and she was ready." At this point, Mr. Truman’s voice breaks up, as if he is holding back tears. | |
| 4:03 | Mr. Truman is asked about Mrs. Truman’s reaction to campaigning. "Oh, she had a good time, and she wanted to see the old man," he again replies emotionally. | |
| 4:51 | Mr. Truman extols President Washington for establishing a government. He notes that Washington campaigned by stage coach and horseback. | |
| 6:04 | Mr. Truman states he watched the 1948 Republican convention in Philadelphia, observed all their mistakes and took advantage of them and "it worked." | |
| 7:45 | He discusses the press coverage of the 1948 campaign, how they are always for special privilege, and how only about 190 were for him. This made no difference because he was out seeing the people. | |
| 8:34 | Mr. Truman states that the press were always against Grover Cleveland, but he was elected anyway. The press was also against Andrew Jackson "but he took the country anyway, and told them (the press) where to get off." | |
| 9:00 | Mr. Truman discusses political polls, how they make a lot of mistakes. They missed predicting the 1948 campaign because they polled themselves instead of the people. |