The improbable Wendell Willkie : the businessman who saved the Republican Party and his country, and conceived a new world order

From the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner comes this surprising portrait of Wendell Willkie, the businessman–turned–presidential candidate who (almost) saved America's dysfunctional political system. In the wake of one of the most tumultuous conventions in Republican history, the party of Lincoln nominated in 1940 a prominent businessman and Wall Street attorney for president. Though Wendell Willkie would lose to FDR, David Levering Lewis reveals in this news-making reclamation that the story of this Hoosier-born corporate chairman's life is the story of an America that could have been. Popular for his down-home Midwestern charm and unaffected candor, Willkie possessed a supple intellect and a concealed disdain for political opportunism that, had he not died prematurely, would have revolutionized American politics with its advocacy of bipartisanship and social responsibility. Not only was he the first presidential candidate to speak before the NAACP, advocating a... "In the wake of one of the most tumultuous Republican conventions ever, the party of Lincoln nominated in 1940 a prominent businessman and former Democrat who could have saved America's sclerotic political system. Although Wendell Lewis Willkie would lose to FDR, acclaimed biographer David Levering Lewis demonstrates that the corporate chairman-turned-presidential candidate must be regarded as one of the most exciting, intellectually able, and authentically transformational figures to stride the twentieth-century American political landscape. Born in Elwood, Indiana, in 1892, Willkie was certainly one of the most unexpected, if not unlikely candidates for the presidency, only somewhat less unlikely than Barack Hussein Obama. Although previously marginalized by journalists like Theodore H. White and David Halberstam as a political invention of rich newspaper publishers, the Willkie who emerges here is a man governed by principles who seldom allowed rigid categories to stand in his wa y. Even as a young man, he quickly distinguished himself as a reform-minded lawyer, whose farm-boy haircut, hayseed manners, and sartorial indifference bespoke common-man straightforwardness but concealed an ambition that propelled him at forty to chairman of Commonwealth & Southern, the country's third largest private utility holding company. It was Willkie's vehement opposition to government regulation of the free-market economy and his success in wrenching a fabulous monetary settlement from the Tennessee Valley Authority that attracted the attention of Republican leaders, who, like Willkie, felt that FDR was turning the office into an imperial presidency. Successful at outwitting the isolationist wing of his own party, Willkie took on Roosevelt during one of the nation's darkest periods, creating an unlikely alliance of supporters, including anti-big-government business leaders and black voters, who rightly felt excluded from New Deal benefits. Despite receiving the largest percent age of Republican votes in a generation, Willkie lost but, in the process, proposed sweeping civil rights reform a full generation before the civil rights era and a progressive "new conception of the world" that remains inspirational at a time when our own national belief system has become alarmingly immoral and rudderless. Rather than continue a political battle that could have weakened the nation during its darkest hour, a defeated Willkie reconciled with the president and embraced the war effort, while writing One World, a visionary credo that hoped to instigate an international movement for the betterment of the world's people. In rejecting America's penchant for exceptionalism, Willkie championed this internationalism more passionately than any American politician before him, creating a sovereign philosophy of liberalism that balanced free enterprise with social responsibility. His untimely death at fifty-two in 1944 left this prophetic vision tragically stillborn. Painstakingly r esearched and vibrantly recounted, [this book] reclaims the legacy of an American icon. "--Dust jacket In the wake of one of the most tumultuous Republican conventions ever, the party of Lincoln nominated in 1940 a prominentbusinessman and former Democratwhocould have saved Americas scleroticpolitical system. Although Wendell LewisWillkiewould lose to FDR,acclaimed biographer David Levering Lewis demonstratesthat the corporate chairmanturnedpresidential candidatemust be regarded asone of the most exciting, intellectually able, and authentically transformational figures to stride the twentieth-century American political landscape. Born in Elwood, Indiana, in 1892, Willkie was certainly one ofthe mostunexpected, if not unlikely, candidates for the presidency,only somewhat less unlikely than Barack Hussein Obama. Although previously marginalized by journalistslike Theodore H. White andDavid Halberstam as a political invention ofrich newspaperpublishers, theWillkie who emerges hereisaman governed by principles who seldom allowed rigidcategories to stand in his way. Even as a young man, hequickly distinguished himself asa reform-minded lawyer, whose farm-boy haircut, hayseed manners, and sartorial indifference bespoke common-man straightforwardness but concealedanambition that propelled him atfortyto chairman of Commonwealth and Southern, thecountrysthird-largest private utility holding company. It was Willkies vehement opposition to government regulation of the free-market economy and his success in wrenching a fabulous monetary settlement from the Tennessee Valley Authority thatattracted the attention of Republican leaders, who, likeWillkie, felt that FDRwas turning the office into an imperial presidency. Successful at outwitting the isolationistwing of his own party, Willkie took onRoosevelt during one of the nations darkest periods, creating an unlikelyalliance of supporters, including anti-big-governmentbusiness leaders and black voters, who rightly feltexcluded from New Deal benefits. Despite receiving the largest percentage of Republican votes in a generation, Willkie lost but, in the process, proposedsweeping civil rights reform a full generation before the civil rights eraandaprogressive newconception of the world thatremainsinspirational at a time whenour own national belief systemhas become alarminglyimmoral andrudderless. Rather than continue a political battle that could have weakened the nation during its darkest hour,adefeatedWillkiereconciled with thepresident and embraced the war effort, while writingOne World,a visionary credo thathoped to instigate an international movement for the betterment of the worlds people. In rejectingAmericas penchant forexceptionalism, Willkie championed thisinternationalism morepassionatelythan any American politician before him, creatinga sovereign philosophyofliberalism that balanced free enterprise with social responsibility. Hisuntimely death at fifty-two in1944left this prophetic vision tragically stillborn. From a two-time Pulitzer-winning historian comes an “insightful, compelling portrait” (New York Times Book Review) of Wendell Willkie, the businessman-turned-presidential candidate. Hailed as “the definitive biography of Wendell Willkie” (Irwin F. Gellman), The Improbable Wendell Willkie offers an “engrossing and enlightening appraisal” (Ira Katznelson) of a prominent businessman and Wall Street attorney presidential candidate who could have saved America’s sclerotic political system. Although Willkie lost to FDR in 1940, acclaimed historian David Levering Lewis demonstrates that the story of this Hoosier- born corporate chairman’s life is “a powerful reminder of practical bipartisanship, visionary internationalism, and committed civil liberties and civil rights” (Katrina vanden Heuvel). Popular for his downhome mid-western charm and unaffected candor, Willkie possessed a supple intellect and a concealed disdain for political opportunism that, had he not died prematurely, would have revolutionized American politics with its advocacy of bipartisanship and social responsibility. “Meticulously researched and brilliantly written” (Douglas Brinkley), The Improbable Wendell Willkie “brings the now largely unknown Willkie to a new generation” (The New Yorker), reclaiming the legacy of an American icon. Presents The Story Of The 1940s Wall Street Attorney And Presidential Candidate To Explore His Advocacy Of Civil Rights, Promotion Of America's Involvement In International Politics, And Enduring Legacy. Elwood, August 17, 1940 -- Grass-roots Stuff -- Puerto Rico To Commonwealth & Southern -- Willkie V. Fdr: The Politics Of Business, The Business Of Politics -- 1940: Political Science And Serendipity -- The Philadelphia Story -- Saving The Gop To Save Freedom -- Pas De Deux: Willkie And Roosevelt -- Exceptionalism At Work -- One World Or Nothing -- 1944 -- Not This Time. David Levering Lewis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 1940. In the wake of one of the most tumultuous Republican conventions ever, Willkie was an unexpected candidate for the presidency. Though he would go on to lose the election to FDR, Willkie was a man governed by principles and seldom allowed rigid categories to stand in his way. He created an unlikely alliance of supporters, including anti-big-government business leaders and black voters, who rightly felt excluded from New Deal benefits. Lewis shows that Willkie's progressive 'new conception of the world' furthered a philosophy of liberalism that balanced free enterprise with social responsibility. -- adapted from jacket