On election day 1948, everybody thought that Thomas Dewey, the GOP nominee, would be the next president of the US. However, the country woke up the next morning hearing Mr Truman had been returned to office. It was a shock, an upset! I’ve heard stories that people went to bed thinking that it was over and woke up to the shocker
The Chicago Tribune was so certain that they went to print with the headline: “Dewey beats Truman.” It produced one of the greatest photos of the 20th century.
What is the lesson of 1948? I see a big one: Wait until all the votes are counted. It sounds silly, but it’s true;
No one knows for sure, but I think that Mr. Dewey got a little bit too confident. On the other hand, Mr. Truman worked hard for every vote. And Truman won.