John W. Jefries. A Third Term for FDR: The Election of 1940. American Presidential Elections Series. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2017. Illustrations. 264 pp. $34.95, cloth, ISBN 978-0-7006-2402-7.

Reviewed by Joe Faykosh

Published on H-FedHist (May, 2018)

Commissioned by Caryn E. Neumann (Miami University of Ohio Regionals)

In 1940, opponents of Franklin Roosevelt’s polling, congressional and state races, and other third-term bid circulated buttons that read: data to give nuance to the numeric result. “Washington Wouldn’t, Grant Couldn’t, Roosevelt Jefries divides his book into fve logical sec‐ Shouldn’t.” Roosevelt’s precedent-busting bid for a tions, giving equal coverage to Roosevelt’s maturi‐ third term can too often appear today through the ty as Democratic Party leader, the Democratic Par‐ prism of inevitability: the subsequent administra‐ ty’s search for an adequate successor to the Roo‐ tion and the war efort are so well known that the sevelt machine, the Republican Party’s similar but election has often been overlooked. In A Third more desperate search to fnd someone to carry Term for FDR: The Election of 1940, John W. Jef‐ their altered banner in a post-New Deal climate, fries expertly details the events and people who the brief but tumultuous campaigns of Roosevelt contributed to this unique electoral cycle: from and Wendell Wilkie, and an in-depth considera‐ Roosevelt’s hedging and the behind-the-scenes tion of the 1940 electorate demographics. Far wrangling of fellow Democrats unsure of FDR’s from showing that Roosevelt’s third election was machinations to the eforts of well-known and ob‐ predetermined or inevitable, Jefries gives a thor‐ scure Republicans alike to reclaim their political ough account of Wilkie’s Republican competitors power after eight years out of power. and the New Deal backlash that provided an Jefries’s A Third Term for FDR provides a opening for his well-funded and organized cam‐ comprehensive, compelling, and concise narrative paign. Roosevelt similarly faced partisan opposi‐ of the tumultuous 1940 presidential election cycle, tion as his expansions of the New Deal, attempted mixing ideological clashes, personality conficts, purge of Democratic critics, and efort to pack the and voluminous electoral data. While other books Supreme Court met with strong reaction and have focused on the foreign policy implications of mixed motivations from some of his closest allies Roosevelt’s third-term gambit, Jefries’s book fo‐ and harshest critics. cuses attention on the domestic successes and in‐ Roosevelt’s third term exemplifes, perhaps tra-party corralling that enabled his unprecedent‐ more than anything else, the power he had over ed candidacy. Jefries also makes the important his administration, his party, and all of those contribution of providing an exhaustive review of around him. Jefries vividly depicts the abortive the demographics of the 1940 presidential elec‐ attempts of intra-party rivals John Nance Garner, tion, examining the general election tallies against Cordell Hull, and James Farley, among others, to H-Net Reviews take the mantle from the incumbent. Roosevelt is membership divided among conservative, liberal, largely inscrutable, with his available correspon‐ and moderate constituencies was confusing and dence demonstrating a preference toward people- largely self-applied. Jefries completes the difcult pleasing over direct and precise views on the task of separating these intra-party factions and events around him; as Jefries states, “the presi‐ describes how these schisms informed opposition dent remained silent, enigmatic, and playful...— to potential candidates and policies, giving an as‐ and seemed in conversations both to advance and tute and clear understanding of this fractious dismiss other possible candidacies” (p. 93). Roo‐ time in party politics. This is also the story of Roo‐ sevelt weaponized his ambivalence to step down sevelt fnding his ideological voice as a party lead‐ or continue by torpedoing the chances for his par‐ er, who charged himself with “carrying out the ty to imagine future success without him at the defnitely liberal declaration of principles” and helm. Jefries illuminates the danger of this lack pitted himself against “outspoken reactionaries” of imagination for Democrats, as the party’s for‐ and conservatives with their “concerted cam‐ tunes fuctuated with Roosevelt’s personal charm paign of defeatism” (p. 31). While the book rightly and appeal to voters. Viewing this election as a deserves credit for its focus on domestic debates referendum on the Republican and/or Democratic during the election and incomparable demo‐ Party is impossible: the candidate consuming all graphic analysis of the results, this explanation of of the oxygen in 1940 was Roosevelt. ideologies is superior. As detailed in A Third Term for FDR, Wilkie Roosevelt’s remarkable political career tried, in vain, to draw a dichotomy between him‐ reached an important fork in the road in 1940, self and Roosevelt, particularly on criticism of the and he cast his political future (and life) with a New Deal and Roosevelt’s apparent dictatorial re‐ commitment to stay in the ofce longer than any‐ luctance to leave the White House. Yet Roosevelt one else, breaking all precedents and criticisms of could change the game as quickly as Wilkie decorum. Jefries provides an excellent narrative learned the rules, focusing on domestic issues of the decision making and challenges that made where opportune, and then on the growing for‐ this election truly dynamic and historical, forever eign tension when necessary to rally the party cementing Roosevelt’s legacy as a singular politi‐ and public around the fag. It was an unwinnable cian. The 1940 election was a crossroads: Roo‐ gambit, but Wilkie was game, traveling around sevelt was faced with retirement or the further the country and developing a consistent if inefec‐ stress of his job; Wilkie was faced with criticizing tive message. Far from a co-signor to the New his opponent or being a dutiful, people-pleasing Deal, and a lame opponent to the victorious Roo‐ citizen at a tumultuous time; and the American sevelt, Wilkie was a strong and incisive critic (and people were faced with a choice between a known former Democrat) who ofered “one spot of color” politician, whose legacy grew outsized with each and “appears to say anything he really thinks,” ac‐ passing day, and a staunch critic ofering an alter‐ cording to Arthur Krock (p. 66). Wilkie was also a native path. Jefries, too, faced a crossroads in candidate who ran an exhaustive, nationwide writing this book: ofering the same narrative campaign and ofered voters a true choice for about Roosevelt’s inevitable victory or a truly in‐ president. sightful work that explores all sides and possibili‐ Another key contribution of A Third Term for ties, and adds nuance to the campaign and results. FDR is Jefries’s focused dissection of the various Let us be glad he chose the latter. ideologies used at the time by both Democrats and Republicans. For the Democratic Party, having

2 H-Net Reviews

If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at https://networks.h-net.org/h-fedhist

Citation: Joe Faykosh. Review of Jefries, John W. A Third Term for FDR: The Election of 1940. H-FedHist, H-Net Reviews. May, 2018.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=51595

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

3