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This chapter discusses Wendell Willkie, who was one of the most ardent and outspoken champions of civil rights and civil liberties during his time. Many considered him to be a passionate exponent of freedom, justice, and democracy. It discusses Willkie's childhood in Elwood, Indiana, until his efforts against the discrimination and bigotry of African Americans.

As the US entered the war, former presidential candidate and dedicated internationalist, Wendell Willkie worried that Americans were not looking ahead to when the war would be won. Having seen the opportunity squandered after the First World War, he set out to convince the public of the necessity of a strong international order to underwrite postwar security and prosperity. Through his book One World and his media appearances, Willkie campaigned against US isolationism and helped popularise liberal internationalism, both inside the US and elsewhere. His successes helped pave the way for the creation of the United Nations, World Bank, IMF and GATT, making Willkie an important pioneer in the history of globalisation.

This chapter argues that foreign policy debates in the election of 1940 have been underestimated. Franklin Roosevelt remained cautious regarding foreign policy issues, in part because he had an election to win, and also because his opponent, Wendell Willkie, did not wholly reflect the Republican Party on foreign policy matters. In addition, congressional isolationism was extremely strong. This chapter also argues that Willkie was more critical of Roosevelt on foreign policy issues than has generally been accepted. This was largely a result of straightforward party politics, and the selection of Willkie as the Republican candidate did not mean that foreign policy issues were off the table. In fact, they remained critical for both candidates throughout the campaign.

Young Stassen had many of the qualifications that aspiring politicians find so valuable in America’s presidential tradition. Prominent among them was a “log cabin” origin, which William Henry Harrison had used successfully in the 1840 presidential campaign. At the University of Minnesota Law School, the gregarious Stassen made friends who became loyal supporters in his campaigns for the presidency. But first, Stassen would pursue the governorship of his home state. Success came quickly, enhanced by the political environment of 1938. Republican victories at the polls reflected the seeming failures of the New Deal and, in particular, the negative public reaction to President Roosevelt’s attack against the Supreme Court. In this context, the ambitious young Minnesota governor was hailed as the face of a rejuvenated Republican Party, and he made the most of the acclaim.

After the 1940 presidential election, Wendell Willkie advised his fellow Republicans. Willkie's attitude reflected the prevailing sentiment in the party and the country at the time. Politics, argued leaders such as Senator Arthur Vandenberg (R-MI), had no place in making US foreign policy. This chapter examines Kennedy's preoccupation with domestic political considerations and the evolution of GOP criticism of his foreign policies. The new president would find himself trapped between the Scylla of the 1964 election and the Charybdis of Republican attacks, a position that strongly influenced the decisions he made as he maneuvered toward his reelection campaign.