1944 Workers' Party Convention

[PPT Spiral]

Despite a vocal segment of Unionists opposing President Taft primarily for not getting involved in WWII, they would turn out to only be a vocal minority. At the American Union National Convention, Taft won the nomination on the first ballot, having the support of more than two-thirds of the delegates. In his acceptance speech, Taft urged his party to be united for the general election, stressing his accomplishments in office so far and stating that “if we are fractured, the country will head down the path towards socialism.” There was some buzz on replacing the low-key, aging John Nance Garner with another candidate for Taft’s running mate, with Arthur Vandenberg gaining the most traction. However, Vice President Garner, who helped to bring several Southern states to Taft’s column last election and who was well respected by both parties in Congress, was still seen as a great asset by Taft and by most party leaders, and was kept on the ticket after a vote was held.

The Workers’ Party, hoping to soon unite behind one candidate, would find themselves in the very opposite scenario with a wide open field still going into their convention. No one was considered a true frontrunner, and each candidate represented a different faction of the party. After more than sixty ballots, only three candidates were left standing. Daniel Hoan, who recently reclaimed the Speakership, is favored by most party bosses as the candidate who can best mend the party’s rifts. Closely aligned with organized labor, Hoan has pushed socialist reforms throughout his political career and is seen as an honest leader who has pushed for transparency. He favors entering WWII, but is hesitant to extensively focus on the war effort, instead preferring to concentrate on economic issues as President. Alben Barkley, who had been Senate Majority Leader during the La Guardia years, was instrumental in making major reforms such as Social Security and the nationalization of the oil industry a reality. A good-natured and respected figure with a knack for storytelling, Barkley argues that he would be the most effective at passing progressive reforms even with a divided Congress, pointing to his experience in the Senate. Of the three, Barkley is the most outspoken on joining the war effort in Europe, urging the nation’s leaders to “act now, or soon face the consequences.” Upton Sinclair, who was elected Governor of California a decade ago, has long been in the public eye urging reforms. Sinclair believes the federal government to be a great force of good when it is taking an activist role, and he has campaigned on nationalizing and regulating many sectors of American industry. He, like the other two candidates, is supportive of becoming involved in WWII, horrified by the massacres taking place.