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Early in the week, Lloyd prepared a draft for St. Louis, which gathered dust as all hands were busily rushing here and there to keep up with the President's appearances in the East. Clifford and Murphy could not even think about the St. Louis speech until after the train left New York on Friday night. The President delivered three whistle-stop speeches on the way and it was late Saturday afternoon before Clifford and Murphy presented him with their best effort for the evening address. It was then the President reiterated what he had already remarked several days before-that he wanted to speak off-the-cuff. Accordingly, an outline was prepared in an attempt to include all the points which Ross had told the press would be covered.
Instead of standing in front of the mirror practicing the speech over and over, what did the President do? Went to sleep. Before the speech the President himself wrote out in long hand about two pages of notes. The speech was broadcast over the radio but the effect was minimal, because those present-and some of those interested enough to tune in-were already committed. Nevertheless, there was a swing to Truman among the uncommitted voters at the end of the campaign.
David Blane Markley's American History Classes
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