| Wendell Willkie | |
| |
| Historical Figure | |
| Nationality: | United States |
| Year of Birth: | 1892 |
| Year of Death: | 1944 |
| Cause of Death: | Heart attack |
| Religion: | Episcopalianism |
| Occupation: | Lawyer, Politician |
| Spouse: | Edith Wilk |
| Children: | Philip |
| Political Party: | Democratic Party (until 1939), Republican Party (1939-1944) |
| Fictional Appearances: | |
Wendell Lewis Willkie (February 18, 1892 – October 8, 1944) was an American corporate lawyer who was the Republican Party nominee for the 1940 presidential election, despite having never held a prior elected political office. A member of the GOP's liberal wing, Willkie campaigned against aspects of the New Deal he thought were wasteful or inefficient. He was also a firm internationalist, but in his pursuit of the isolationist vote, he waffled badly on the issue of World War II.
Although Willkie in 1940 received more votes than any previous GOP candidate (22.3 million votes), he lost to incumbent Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt in an Electoral College landslide: 449 to 82, carrying ten states. Ironically, President Roosevelt employed Willkie as an ambassador-at-large after the election. Willkie attempted to gain the nomination again in 1944, but ultimately he dropped out. He died of a heart attack shortly after.
Willkie is remembered in popular culture for his alliterative campaign slogans "Win With Wendell" and "We Want Willkie."
Wendell Willkie in The War That Came Early[]
Wendell Willkie was the Republican Party's main candidate in the 1940 Presidential Election, seeking to defeat the Democratic incumbent, Franklin D. Roosevelt.[1]
| The War That Came Early POD: July 20, 1936; Relevant POD: September 29, 1938 | |
| Appearance(s): | The Big Switch |
| Type of Appearance: | Contemporary reference |
Willkie did little to distinguish himself from Roosevelt. He had no intention of dismantling the New Deal, for example.[2] On matters of foreign policy, Willkie attacked Roosevelt for sending too few armaments to Britain and France in their war against Germany.[3] Adding to Willkie's problems, the isolationist wing of the Republican Party concluded that Willkie was too interventionist, and nominated Alf Landon.[4] While Landon didn't campaign much, he did syphon votes from Willkie. In the end, Roosevelt won a third term with at least a plurality, if not a majority, in nearly every state.[5]
Wendell Willkie in Joe Steele[]
| Joe Steele POD: 1878; Relevant POD: July, 1932 | |
| Novel or Story?: | Both |
| Type of Appearance: | Contemporary reference |
Wendell Willkie was the Republican presidential candidate in the 1940 election. He accepted the nomination with a speech in which he announced that he used to be a Democrat, until incumbent President Joe Steele drove him from the party. He further alleged that Steele had driven everyone who cared about freedom from the party, and that it was time to drive Steele from the White House. He further lambasted Steele for his pursuit of a third term, saying that no one had ever had a third term before, and that Steele certainly didn't deserve one.[6]
Willkie campaigned with vigor, charging around the country giving speeches. Steele, on the other hand, left his machine to do most of his campaigning for him. He also consulted with GBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in the last six weeks before the election almost every day.[7]
In the end, Willkie lost by a wider margin than Alf Landon had in 1936. Willkie conceded on election night. He claimed there were irregularities, but not enough to change the result.[8]
Literary comment[]
In the short story, Wendell Willkie is the Republican candidate in 1940 as in the novel. He also has the dubious distinction of being the last GOP candidate; Joe Steele runs unopposed in 1944, 1948, and 1952.
Wendell Willkie in Southern Victory[]
| Southern Victory POD: September 10, 1862 | |
| Appearance(s): | The Victorious Opposition |
| Type of Appearance: | Contemporary reference |
| Political Party: | Republican Party |
Wendell Willkie was the Republican Party's candidate in the 1940 presidential election. Like every Republican presidential candidate since 1884, he was soundly defeated, taking only his home state of Indiana and finishing a distant third to Socialist incumbent Al Smith and Democrat Robert Taft.[9] Ironically, Willkie's slogan was "Win With Wendell".
References[]
- ↑ The Big Switch, pg. 264
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 335
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 346.
- ↑ Joe Steele, pg. 225.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 226-228.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 227-228.
- ↑ The Victorious Opposition, pg. 475
| Party political offices (OTL) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alf Landon |
Republican Party Presidential Candidate 1940 (lost) |
Succeeded by Thomas Dewey |
| Party political offices (Joe Steele) | ||
| Preceded by Alf Landon |
Republican Party presidential candidate 1940 (lost) |
Succeeded by Thomas Dewey1 |
| Party political offices (Southern Victory) | ||
| Preceded by Unknown; Last known is James G. Blaine |
Republican Party presidential candidate 1940 (lost) |
Succeeded by Harold Stassen |
| Party political offices (The War That Came Early) | ||
| Preceded by Alf Landon |
Republican Party presidential candidate2 1940 (lost) |
Succeeded by Most Recent |
| Notes and references | ||
| 1. Dewey was nominated in the novel only. In the short story, there were no GOP candidates after 1940.
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