The Idea That Blossomed Into A Plan

In his book, Ascent to Power, David L. Roll wrote that “During May 1948, the idea of putting [Harry] Truman on the rear end of a train so that the people could see and hear him in person blossomed into a concrete plan that had two objectives: first, to allow the president to practice and hone an off-the-cuff, extemporaneous speaking style that would play to his strengths; and second, to dispel the gloom and pessimism about Truman’s electability that was being spread by the polls and the press and picked up by Democratic Party leaders. 

“Following the Rowe-Clifford ‘Politics of 1948’ memo, the plan called for a train trip that would take the president through the West, the region described in the script as the ‘Land of Electoral Votes’ and the ‘Number One Priority for the Democrats,’ where he would take his case directly to the people.

“Truman’s ‘shakedown cruise,’ as Clifford called it, was not only aimed at improving his speaking style and electability; it was also designed to head off a looming threat to his nomination at the forthcoming Democratic convention.”

Source: David L. Roll, Ascent to Power: How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt’s Shadow and Remade the World (New York, Dutton, 2024)