Even though it was 76 years ago, there are remarkable parallels between the current election campaign and the election of 1940. It is, of course, a different era. However, the similarity of candidates and themes is striking. It is surprising how little some things have changed.
In 1940 the Democratic candidate was Franklin Roosevelt, running for his third term. This year Hillary Clinton is said to be running for Barack Obama’s third term.
In 1940 the Republican candidate was Wendell Willkie, who had only recently changed his party registration from Democratic to Republican. Willkie was a political neophyte who had never previously been elected to any office. Willkie’s most salient characteristics were his image as a self-made millionaire and his preference for speaking extemporaneously and avoiding prepared texts. Willkie also bragged of his supposed advantage in having a small amateur campaign staff in contrast to Roosevelt’s large experienced staff.
A prominent Republican theme in both campaigns was (and is) America First. Indeed, the America First Committee was established in September 1940 to oppose lend-lease aid being provided to Great Britain during the first year of WWII. Charter members included two future presidents: Gerald Ford and John Kennedy, future Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, and future Peace Corps head Sargent Shriver.
Viewed from a post-war perspective where WWII enjoys quasi-sacred status as “The Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation” is is surprising how widespread and virulent was domestic opposition to American involvement. Early in the war, public opinion polls showed 80% to 90% opposition to providing aid to great Britain. Opinion did start to move in the other direction during 1940 as stories of Nazi atrocities and the heavy bombing of London were publicized. But, even so, the America First Committee started in September of 1940 expressly to oppose aid.
Isolationism is still a major theme in this year’s election, although it is couched in different language. For all of the talk about destroying the Islamic State it would be a political poison pill for a candidate to advocate sending American ground forces to fight such a battle. Candidates instead mumble generalities that imply this task can be accomplished by remote control at zero cost. Similarly, in 1940 America Firsters seemed to think Hitler could be dissuaded from attacking us by diplomacy.
In both 1940 and today immigration is a source of ongoing angst. In 1940 the outcry was against accepting European Jewish refugees. The same dire warnings and predictions today made about Mexicans and Syrians were then thrown at Jews.
In both 1940 and 2016 the United States faced a volatile world situation where the next president would be confronted with difficult challenges. In both elections a new comer with zero previous political experience faced off against a candidate with many years of experience. In both 1940 and 2016 polls taken in late September would show both races as being near dead heats.
