established the candidate as a firm, but friendly ally to the working man and the labor

unions.

 When Dewey spoke on civil rights, housing, and education, he did so only in

the most unspecific of terms. As the Governor who oversaw the passage for the first

state FEPC law, Dewey had a strong civil rights record. However, he rarely chose to

address the subject and instead called for equality for all without listing specific

proposals. According to one historian, Dewey's silence allowed Truman to avoid the

issue and win the African-American vote based on the record of the President's

Commission on Civil Rights and his messages to Congress in favor of anti-

discrimination legislation, rather than by making calls for stronger civil rights

programs. Dewey's fared no better with his pronouncements on government spending.

At one point, he called for federally funded construction of a Tennessee Valley

Authority steam plant and government construction of high-power transmission lines

to spread electricity to additional rural areas. Congressman George Dondero, a

conservative Republican from Michigan, pointed out that 187 Republicans voted

against the same measure in Congress and now found themselves running contrary to

their party's nominee. Dondero asked Dewey for the proper public stance to take in

order to help the GOP. A handwritten note on the letter from Brownell simply read

"HB agrees that non-committal response should be made."72 Dewey's hands-off

approach and reluctance to address many issues left him in a position between the

Democrats and the Congressional delegation of his own party.

 Dewey's moderate and non-confrontational stance left him susceptible to

challenges from all sides. Truman, unwilling to let Dewey escape without a fight,

went on the offensive early and often. Although his most forceful attacks came in the

72 George Dondero, Letter to Thomas E. Dewey, 1 October 1948. Copy in Folder 1 (Michigan), Box
25, Series II, Dewey Papers.