Roosevelt and a Third Term

“We Want Roosevelt…The World Wants Roosevelt.” The exuberant cries from a hysterical Chicago crowd during the 1940 Democratic Convention revealed the desire for Roosevelt’s re-election. However, Roosevelt’s personal future political aspirations appeared vague before the seen of a crowded convention hall chanting his name ever happened. A seemingly divided Roosevelt provided little answer to whether he would run for re-election. With two terms under his belt, it seemed unlikely to many that Roosevelt would seek an unprecedented third term for office. For many such as Harold Ickes, it seemed Roosevelt might have been avoiding renomination. Seeking rather the serene escape of his Hyde Park mansion. Others however, presented a starker picture into Roosevelt’s objectives, believing that Roosevelt hungry for power had planned to run again and in t...