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One Last Campaign
What happened when an ailing FDR ran for president?
Once upon a time, there was an aging president whose health was poor. It was worse, in fact, than his administration was willing to tell the public. The president’s staff conserved his energy by shortening his workday and limiting his responsibilities.
He might have stepped aside for a younger and more able politician, but he felt he had to finish the job he had started. Plus, he didn’t really trust his vice president to take over. The stakes were very high — he was, after all, in a battle with incredibly high stakes, a battle between democracy and fascism. The election was projected to be close. He didn’t think his party should put someone untested on the ticket.
So he ran, concealing his health problems as best he could. In his public appearances, he tried to project enough vigor to keep the critics at bay.
Franklin Roosevelt’s 1944 presidential campaign was not the same as Joe Biden’s campaign 80 years later (fun fact: Roosevelt was re-elected about two weeks before little Joe Biden’s second birthday). But there are a lot of striking parallels. As the Democratic Party struggles to figure out what to do with Joe Biden, it’s worth looking back at FDR’s final run to see what it looks like when an aging, weakened candidate tries to hold on for one more…
