[rightwing2]

If not for Give ‘Em Hell Harry, we might have lost the Cold War at the outset.

Not true. Harry Truman nearly lost the Cold War for us at the outset by sabotaging our Free Chinese Christian led Kuomantang allies and thereby ensuring a takoever of mainland China by Mao's Red Army in 1949. Then, he fired General Douglas MacArthur for wanting to win the Korean war. Plus, Truman gave the Russkies Northern Korea, northern Japan and Manchuria in the first place. The short story is that there would be no Communist China or Communist North Korea today without Harry Truman or a Communist appeaser like him. Thurmond would have come into office too late to rout the initial ChiCom takeover of mainland China, but he could have helped the Nationalists retake it over and win the war in Korea using the MacArthur Plan.

[Republic of Texas]

Truman's reputation as a tough guy was sealed the day he ordered the atomic bomb dropped. Nothing will ever change that.

[driftless]

Your conjecturing is specious. No one wanted troops in China right after WWII. Thurmond would have been a disaster in more ways than one. Do you think HE would have integrated the armed forces? Truman was one of the few excellent Dem presidents.

[Theodore R.]

I have always thought HST was the most overrated of presidents. But it has been the Republicans who have helped to strengthen his reputation over the years. Goldwater cited HST as his favorite president even as HST was denouncing Goldwater and speaking out for LBJ and HHH. Reagan often quoted HST. I am unable to recall any Democrats extolling Dewey, though former Senator Paul Simon admitted that he voted for Dewey over HST. And when a Republican legislative leader extols Thurmond on his 100th birthday, all hell breaks loose. Remember, HST scolded Vice President Alben W. Barkley for waving at Thurmond as the 1949 inaugural parade passed the SC governor, standing with the spectators. HST called Thurmond an "SOB."

[Poohbah]

Not true. Harry Truman nearly lost the Cold War for us at the outset by sabotaging our Free Chinese Christian led Kuomantang allies and thereby ensuring a takoever of mainland China by Mao's Red Army in 1949.

Chiang Kai-Shek did far more to bring that unhappy state of affairs about than Truman could ever do.