“Every one of our sons serving in this war has officers from whom he takes his orders. Such officers have superior officers. The President is the Commander in Chief, and he, too, has his superior officer -- the people of the United States. ... If the people command me to continue in this office and in this war, I have as little right to withdraw as the soldier has to leave his post in the line."

Delivering his acceptance speech by radio from San Diego Naval Station, Broder quotes FDR saying:

"The war waits for no elections. Decisions must be made, plans must be laid, strategy must be carried out.”

So Broder’s points are well taken.

Our own view is that unlike the situation in WWII, where the US was fighting in Europe and Asia against three clearly identifiable tyrannies (Germany, Italy, Japan), the American people at present do not really believe the US is at war, in part because international terrorism is not so easy to characterize and its leaders are no match for Hitler, Mussolini, or Emperor Tojo. So the media, following the public view, has chosen to criticize President Bush for reminding the people about our situation, how it evolved from 9-11, and where it stands at this time.

We’ll set all that aside, for the moment, and use Broder’s article to highlight the nation’s position in 1944 as that election approached. It's an interesting election year study, 1944.

The Republican competitor was Governor Thomas Dewey of New York.

Dewey did not make criticism of FDR’s handling of WWII a major issue in his campaign. He did, however, question the capacity of FDR to lead the nation given his age and his deteriorating health. Dewey called FDR a “tired old man.” In fairness to FDR, he had every right to be tired. During his previous three administrations, he led the country out of the Great Depression, the American people reconstructed their torn economy, and he led the country into wars against the tyrannies of Japan and Germany, both countries engaged in empire building at the cost of many others throughout Asia and Europe.

There was no doubt that FDR was ill and frail. He knew he was deteriorating physically. He had started to decline in 1943, toward the end of his third term. He had always worked closely with friendly press to disguise his illness, which was thought to be polio contracted in 1921.

His doctors in 1943 and 1944 remain the source of considerable controversy. But clearly they misled the American people and suppressed and disguised the facts about the president’s health. They might have even misled the president himself.

Campaign poster for the 1944 election, courtesy of HealthMediaLab.com

FDR’s response to the “tired old man” allegation was that you do not change horses in the middle of the stream and WWII was still not finished. He argued he had to finish the war and win the peace. He is reported to have told his sons that he had “to maintain a continuity in command in a time of continuing crisis.”

The election of 1944, of course, occurred in November. The war on both fronts by no means was over in that year. Indeed, the wars in Europe and Asia were raging all out on multiple fronts. It's worth revisiting those times to get a sense for what this campaign year was like for all involved.

In Europe, the battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, a position where the Germans had built their strongest defenses south of Rome, raged from January to May 1944. Allied losses were heavy, with over 4,000 killed. As an aside, Polish forces, currently allied with the Americans in Iraq and commanding a major section of Iraq, were the ones to climb the impregnable Cassino and hoist the Polish flag. The destroyed buildings of Cassino are shown in this photo, courtesy of euronet.nl

Also in January, the German Luftwaffe sent over 200 aircraft against London and southern England. American and British forces landed at Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. Russian troops, following a 2.5 year German siege of Leningrad, finally relieved the city.

In February, American B-24s dropped 2,000 tons of bombs on Berlin (raid by the 392nd Bomb Group over Berlin shown in this photo, courtesy of the University of North Carolina, "Combat Diary of Clyde Gregory Whitt, 577th Squadron / 392nd BG, 2nd Air Division / 8th Air Force). The Soviets began to move into Romania in April and the Americans supported the Soviet advance by bombing Romanian oil fields from bases in southern Italy. On June 4, the American 88th Division marched into Rome.

On June 6, the Allies launched their invasion of Normandy (shown in this photo of landing craft nearing its beachhead, courtesy of the USArmy's "The Normandy Invasion: The story in pictures") and the Soviets moved into Finland. In August, the Warsaw Resistance Army began fiercely battling the Germans in Poland, hoping the Soviets would come in to support them. The Soviets did not, and the Poles were forced to surrender in October, after two months of heavy fighting. General Eisenhower, “Ike,” moved his headquarters from England to Normandy, France in August. The Germans abandoned Florence.

The Allies liberated Paris in August. American troops are shown here marching in front of the Arc de Triomphe during the liberation (Image courtesy of the Truman Presidential Museum and Library and the University of Missouri at Kansas City) In September, the Soviets entered Bucharest, Romania and the British captured Brussels, Belgium. But the Germans were by no means finished.

They began their V-2 unguided rocket attacks against England in September (V-2 firing shown in this photo courtesy of the Science Museum of the United Kingdom). The Americans captured Luxembourg and moved into Germany near Trier. British patrols entered The Netherlands. Shortly thereafter, American paratroopers landed in The Netherlands in one of the biggest airdrops in history. Aachen fell in October, the first German city to fall. British and Greek forces retook Athens in October as well. The Soviets entered East Prussia and invaded Norway that same month. All of Greece was liberated in November.

The war was still in the Pacific too, and the blazing anger of the American people is most evident in this poster of the time.

American forces captured Rio, Namur and Kwajalein and the Marshall Islands in February 1944. Two American divisions landed on the island of Eniwetok that same month. In March, the Japanese invaded India. In response, in April, American B-29s made the flight to India and began operations against the Japanese there. In April, the Japanese launched an offensive against Honan Province in China. In May, the Americans landed in New Guinea.

In June, US B-29s began bombing Japan from air bases in China (Bombing run shown in this photo, courtesy of "World War II," by Martin Giroux). The Americans also landed in Saipan. The Americans defeated the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Allies launched an offensive in Burma. In July, the entire Japanese government resigned and a general took control. Tinian was liberated and Guam captured in August. In September, American forces invaded Morotai and the Palau Islands following a 10-week fight.

US forces landed at Leyte Island in the Philippines in October. The Japanese endured heavy losses in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles (3 days) in WWII. In this photo, you see the Japanese battleship Musashi under intense attack by Task Force 38 aircraft in the Sibuyan Sea, a US Navy photo courtesy of the Naval Historical Center. A destroyer is also receiving attacks beyond the battleship.

Stalin dissolved his neutrality pact with Japan in November.

On November 7, 1944, with both wars still raging, FDR was re-elected to his fourth term. He died in April 1945, less than six months later, and his vice president, Harry Truman became president. The Germans surrendered in May 1945.

The hypocenter of Hiroshima seen from they sky, following the first A-bomb attack by the Enola Gay, US Army Photo courtesy of NVCCom, Japan

The first US atomic bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy,” was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. The second atomic bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. The Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.

American efforts to rebuild Germany and Japan began shortly thereafter.

In June 1945, the Allied Big Four, the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union and the United States, officially took over supreme authority in Germany. The country was divided into four zones of military occupation, with each power occupying a zone. Berlin, located deep in the Soviet zone, was also divided into four sectors. On September 21, 1949, the Western zones were officially combined as the Federal Republic of Germany (also called West Germany). The military occupation ended, and the Allied High Commission, a civilian agency, replaced the military governors. On May 5, 1955, the Allied High Commission was dissolved, and West Germany became completely independent. Military occupation continued in West Berlin because treaties uniting Germany had not been signed.

As a result of the war, Japan lost all its territory on the mainland of Asia. It also lost all the islands it had governed in the Pacific. The nation kept only its four main islands and the small islands nearby. In this photo, you see the Rice ration in a suburban neighborhood of Tokyo. Rice rationing persisted for several years after the surrender, since production of the staple food had been disturbed as a result of wartime activities (Photo courtesy of Ohio State University Library, photos taken by John W. Bennett while he was a member of the occupation force in Japan in the late 1940s). In the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's the United States returned to Japan the Bonin Islands, Iwo Jima, and the Ryukyu Islands. Japan's defeat also brought foreign occupiers to its shores for the first time in its long history, under the direction of U.S. General Douglas Macarthur and American military forces. In 1951, Japan signed a peace treaty with 48 nations that went into effect on August 28, 1952. The Allied occupation officially ended on that day.

The US lost over 405,000 troops in WWII, with over 671,000 wounded.

The US war against Japan lasted just under four years, from December 8, 1941 through formal surrender on September 2, 1945. The occupation lasted just under seven years.

The US war against Germany began after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, when on December 11, 1941, Germany declared war against the US. The US war against Germany lasted about 3.5 years. The occupation of Germany lasted 10 years.

1944 Presidential Election Map, courtesy of Teaching Politics

Given all this history, no one was surprised that the presidential election of 1944 was really a drab affair, never in doubt. FDR won 53.5% of the popular vote, not really a knockout, but he won and 81.5% of the electoral vote, clearly a knockout. The turnout was around 56% of the eligible voters. This map, a little to tough to read here, says green for FDR, red for Dewey in the electoral vote count.

No one was in the mood to oust a popular president at a time the country was at war. The media loved FDR, who had learned how to treat the media kindly. Governor Dewey was never able to dispel the charge that he lacked the experience to run a nation at war. That said, had the public better understood FDR’s real health condition, the vote could have been different or the Democrats might have had to come up with a new candidate, which they did not really have.

FDR was never afraid to play the “war card” when speaking to the American people during the 1944 election year campaign. Here are a few excerpts we found just in the month prior to the election:

“I told the American people a long time ago, I follow the principle of first things first; and this war comes first. That is why I have to be right here in Washington … In the Pacific Theater, even while we are fighting a major war in Europe, our advance towards Japan is many months ahead of our own optimistic schedule … Our success has been the result of planning and organization and building; it has been the result of the hardest work and the hardest fighting of which our people are capable…In Europe, the Allied forces under General Eisenhower are pounding the Germans with relentless force. We do not expect to have a winter lull in Europe. We expect to keep striking—to keep the enemy on the move—to hit him again and again- to give him no rest—and to drive through to the final objective, Berlin itself.” November 2, 1944 radio speech from the White House (Virtually this entire speech was about the war effort.)

“It is a great comfort to come on a Sunday in a campaign year, because on Sundays my life is made much more comfortable by not having to think about politics. Unfortunately, I do have to think about the war, because every day, including Sundays, dispatches come to me, on the train even, to tell me of the progress of our boys in Europe and in the Pacific and in the Philippines. I cannot get rid of that.” Remarks at Clarksburg, West Virginia, October 29, 1944

“The American people are now engaged in the greatest war of all history—and we are also engaged in a political campaign. We are fighting this war and we are holding this election both for the same essential reason: because we have faith in democracy … As you know, I have had some experience in war—and I have also had a certain amount of previous experience in political campaigning … Today, everything we do is devoted to the most important job before us—winning the war and bringing our men and women home as quickly as possible. We have astonished the whole world and confounded our enemies with our stupendous war production, with the overwhelming courage and skill of our fighting men—with the bridge of ships carrying our munitions and men through the seven seas -with our gigantic fleet which has pounded the enemy all over the Pacific and has just driven through for another touchdown. Yes, the American people are prepared to meet the problems of peace in the same bold way that they have met the problems of war.” Address at Soldiers' Field, Chicago, Illinois, October 28, 1944

“I wish that I could campaign in the usual sense- but you know, as I said last night, in some circles it's not the thing to do. I am in the middle of a war. And so are you. We are all in it. We are going to win it, if we keep on with the same splendid cooperation that we have had in the past. It is quite a job, but I am perfectly able to take it, and you are too, until we win.” Remarks at Fort Wayne, Indiana, October 28, 1944

“Now of course, I realize that in this political campaign it is considered by some to be very impolite to mention the fact that there is a war on. But, the war is still on and eleven million American fighting men know it- and so do their families. And in that war I bear a responsibility that I can never shirk and never, for one instant, forget. For the Constitution of the United States says—and I hope you will pardon me if I quote it correctly- ‘The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.’ And I am not supposed to mention that, either. But somehow or other, it seems to me that this is a matter of considerable importance to the people of the United States.” Address at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 27, 1944

“Somebody tells me that we are holding a national election, but remember that we are holding a national election while the Nation is at war—and this is the first time that an election has been held under these conditions since 1864—eighty years ago.” Remarks at Wilmington, Delaware, October 27, 1944

“It may sound to you repetitious on my part, but it is my plain duty to reiterate to you that this war for the preservation of our civilization is not won yet. In the war, our forces and those of our allies are steadily, relentlessly carrying the attack to the enemy. The Allied Armies under General Eisenhower have waged during the past four months one of the most brilliant campaigns in military history- a campaign that has carried us from the beaches of Normandy and of southern France into the frontiers of Germany itself. In the Pacific, our naval task forces and our Army forces have advanced to attack the Japanese, more than five thousand miles west of Pearl Harbor. But German and Japanese resistance remains as determined and as fanatical as ever.” Radio Address from the White House, October 5, 1944

Concluding his inaugural speech on January 20, 1945, which was a very short presentation, FDR said this:

“We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding, the confidence, and the courage which flow from conviction. The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for freedom and truth. He has given to our country a faith which has become the hope of all peoples in an anguished world. So we pray to Him now for the vision to see our way clearly--to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellow men--to the achievement of His will to peace on earth.”

It is absurd to criticize President Bush for talking about 9-11 and the war against terrorism during this campaign year. FDR had it right. “The war is still on … and in that war I bear a responsibility I can never shirk and never, for one instant, forget … It seems to me that this is a matter of considerable importance to the people of the United States.”

Those who want to criticize President Bush, have a field day if you wish. Just remember this. The United States, its people, and its sons and daughters are at war against international terrorism around the world and at home. Is it like World War II? No, of course not. Is it warfare? Yes. Is it lethal? Yes, very. Is it hard? You betcha. Do we the people owe our troopers our full, unrelenting support? Absolutely. Should we try to build up their confidence and our own, so we can see this through, even when the going gets tough? Should we get down to work and get out of all this bellyaching? If we don't, we're dead.

People will simply have to recognize that Mr. Bush too bears the responsibility of this war and he too cannot shirk his responsibilities and can never forget. This war against international terrorism is a matter of considerable importance to us all. Like FDR said, "We are fighting this war and we are holding this election both for the same essential reason: because we have faith in democracy ... We can gain (lasting peace) only if we proceed with the understanding, the confidence, and the courage which flow from conviction."

Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941. View of Pearl Harbor looking southwesterly from the hills to the northward. Taken during the Japanese raid, with anti-aircraft shell bursts overhead. Large column of smoke in lower center is from USS Arizona. Smaller smoke columns further to the left are from the destroyers Shaw (DD-373), Cassin (DD-372) and Downes (DD-375), in drydocks at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. US Navy Photo, courtesy of the Naval Historical Center.

The attack against Pearl Harbor was said by FDR to be a “Day of Infamy.”

September 11, 2001, was said by President Bush to be a day when “Our nation saw evil.” He also said:

“None of us will ever forget this day … We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”

He has been true to his word and he is right to keep talking about it, in any forum he chooses. There are far too many Americans who have forgotten and are confusing their priorities with those that simply do not matter. Do not allow yourselves to become confused.