At the outset of the campaign , Douglas ' chances looked slim . As a delegate to the 1948 Democratic National Convention , he had tried to draft General Dwight D. Eisenhower for president , calling President Harry S. Truman " incompetent . " Douglas , however , proved to be a tenacious campaigner . He stumped across the state in a Jeep station wagon for the Marshall Plan , civil rights , repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act , more public housing , and more social security programs . During six months of non-stop campaigning , he traveled more than around the state and delivered more than 1,100 speeches . When Senator Brooks refused to debate him , Douglas debated an empty chair , switching from seat to seat as he provided both his and Brooks ' answers
1948 Democratic National Convention
1948 Democratic National Convention
Paul Douglas