In 1948, the Republican Party had as its Presidential candidate a man from Michigan, who had become Governor of New York, had been the nominee against Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, and was able to defeat more conservative choices within the GOP.
Dewey was a stiff, awkward, uninspiring candidate for President, who came across as distant, and not caring about the average American. He ran a relaxed campaign for President, due to the fact that polls showed him far ahead of incumbent Democratic President Harry Truman, who had been lambasted as ineffective and a poor successor to FDR.
Dewey, with his aloofness and refusal to be specific on any policies in domestic and foreign affairs, ended up the loser, as Truman came across as genuine and caring about the average American.
Now we have a Republican nominee from Michigan, who was a one term Governor of Massachusetts, lost his first attempt at the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008, but was able to overcome more conservative rivals in 2012, but had many doubting his credentials as a true conservative. He had the advantage in the fact that the economy, while improved from what it was four years ago, still was in recovery mode, a situation that should have favored him.
But instead his aloofness, his stiffness, his awkwardness, his inability to inspire, his image of being far less than genuine, his lack of specifics on domestic and foreign policy, and his image of seeming lack of concern for ordinary people, put him in a defensive position.
And in the midst of all these disadvantages, the candidate spent weeks with very few public events and rallies, what could be called a relaxed campaign, instead out raising money, trying to use the fact of more money to win the election, but at this point, seems ready to lose, and possibly in a landslide.
Harry Truman won in 1948 without being particularly popular, while Barack Obama is well liked, but his policies have made him vulnerable. In both cases, however, they came across as genuine and caring, and Thomas Dewey and Mitt Romney did not!
These comparisons are fascinating, as they promote the reality that showing real concern for others, and being genuine in your personality, are key factors in both the election of Truman, despite great odds in 1948, and will do the same for Barack Obama in 2012!