Through December 1945 and January 1946, the open split over the tone and content of the Statement of Policy settled into a stalemate. Then, in late February, Republican headquarters reported that Brownell would step down by April. Ostensibly, Brownell needed to return to his full-time law practice for financial reasons, as his Chairmanship was a non-salaried position. The New York Times also reported that, with Dewey up for re-election in 1946, the Albany group needed him to manage the GOP's New York campaign. Dewey issued a statement thanking Brownell for his service and noted that the RNC had grown in stature since his appointment in 1944.1 The press hailed Brownell as a competent Chairman, and papers sympathetic to the Republican cause lamented his rumored departure.2 Taft supporters disagreed. They believed that the 1944 campaign and platform had not presented a stark enough contrast between the two parties and, since the election, had called for increased attacks on their Democratic opponents. Taft and his followers believed that Brownell's ineffective rhetoric had caused Dewey's defeat. The Ohioan believed that "our weak point is publicity. We ought to have a continuous conservative propaganda going on, but although there are many plans for it, none has really been successfully worked out."3 In Taft's view, the Republicans had failed to position themselves as an alternative to the New Deal and their campaign lacked vigor. Brownell's pending resignation energized right-leaning Republicans and gave them ample time to agree on a successor and convince moderates to support Taft and his bid for the nomination in 1948. 1 New York Times, 26 February 1946. This is likely the reason Brownell resigned, as he did serve as Dewey's campaign manager during the fall election cycle. 2 Newspaper Clipping, undated, Copy in Folder (RNC Miscellaneous 1945-1946 (2)), Box 122, Brownell Papers. 3 Robert A. Taft, Letter to Kellogg Patterson, 21 February 1946. Copy in Folder (Political Republican - 1946), Box 878, Taft Papers.