Rockwell Video Minute: Arguing Politics Over Breakfast

For the 1948 presidential race between Dewey and Truman, Norman Rockwell captured the political division across the nation, running straight through one couple’s kitchen.

Married couple fighting over their political choices at the breakfast table
Norman Rockwell / SEPS

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Comments

  1. ‘I was born into a military family, my father served our country for twenty years. Six children born in military hospitals. Two were in Key West Florida, two were born in Jacksonville Florida, one at Quonset Point Rhode Island, and one was born in San Francisco. Both of our parents were born and raised in Kentucky. I attended public schools in 4 different states. I love our country and truly believe we are a melting pot of all religions and beliefs that exist in our world. Growing up I met and became friends with kids that had different skin colors, different religions and who were not prejudice in their own personnel beliefs. We were military and proud patriots. I served 4 years active duty during the Vietnam War. I had friends who I grew up with who sacrificed their lives (2 were brothers). I lost fiends who were members of the squadron I was stationed with. My heart aches knowing that the man who is our current Commander in Chief is a dishonest coward and has no right to have any influence on our lives. He’s a criminal, he’s done horrible things to women and members of his family. Historians will hopefully make sure that the truth about him will be in our history books.

  2. Thank you for your insider’s look into this famous Rockwell cover. Bob, I read your comments on the election cartoon page and agree completely. There and here you nailed it. I’m a furloughed employee too, and am so disgusted our money is being withheld from us at a time like this over power plays. Talk about showing your true colors. Mitch McConnell has absolute power he should never have and might as well be Adolph Hitler’s son. He laughs when asked about the stimulus. The only thing missing at this point is the Nazi arm band. I should have become an Independent too long ago, as far as parties go. Neither represent me or most Americans at all anymore. Only money for them.

  3. An interesting look at how this 1948 (and later 2016) Post cover came to be in addition to the heated politics of 1948. I wasn’t around then, but can only imagine the frustrations members one party had with the other after 16 years (soon to be 20) of dominating the White House.

    It spanned the lowest point of the Depression, World War II, to the first post-war years. I can only try and put myself in their shoes and feel the public then really felt they had a say in what would/wouldn’t happen if their party or the other did/didn’t win.

    I’ve never had an argument with a family member or friend over politics, ever. Being an Independent has liberated me from that. This isn’t to say I haven’t voted traditionally in the past or will again in the future. Not to repeat in full what I stated in the current election cartoon page last night, I’ve realized the futility of it all for a long time.

    Both parties are owned and completely controlled by Wall Street and the corporations, whose only interest is making them, their stock and share holders richer and richer at the expense of everyone otherwise. Outrageous amounts for military defense contracts far beyond what’s necessary to fuel never-ending, unnecessary wars. Our government members who are supposed to be working for us, off of our money, living like kings and queens, when governments of most civilized nations actually put their people over profit. They’ve seen to it their citizens have been well cared for during this unprecedented pandemic.

    Our “leaders” are ONLY out for themselves and love teasing, torturing and laughing at suffering Americans. I’m surprised they did do the right thing (up to a point) between late March to late July, but then stopped the money playing a sadistic cat & mouse game with the public the past 3 months. This is just scratching the surface as to why the U.S. is the most stressed out nation in the world. As if we don’t have enough problems here, our own government is actively working against us in a passive-aggressive, wicked, patronizing manner.

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