>> Cathy: IT'S SUMMERTIME.

THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS IN FULL SWING.

AND FOR MUCH OF THE PAST CENTURY, THAT'S MEANT THAT MINNESOTANS WERE IN THE THICK OF THE ACTION.

WHICH LEADS US TO THIS GROOVY GRAPHIC.

[ ♪♪ ] >> Cathy: PART 2 OF HY BERMAN'S SUMMER SERIES OF MINNESOTANS WHO ALMOST GOT TO THE PRESIDENCY.

I LOVE THAT GRAPHIC.

HY IS A PROFESS EMERITUS OF HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, MY FRIEND.

>> GOOD TO BE HERE.

>> Cathy: FLOYD B. OLSON.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: WHAT KIND OF GUY WAS FLOYD B.?

>> FLOYD B. OLSON WAS PROBABLY ONE OF OUR MOST CREATIVE GOVERNORS, ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING CHARACTERS AS GOVERNOR IN THE '30s.

IN THE '30s.

HE WAS ELECTED IN 1930.

AND RE-ELECTED IN '32.

RE-ELECTED IN '34.

THEN RAN FOR THE SENATE IN '36.

BUT WHY DO WE SAY HE'S ALMOST TO THE PRESIDENCY?

>> Eric: I WAS GOING TO SAY, ARE YOU BUILDING A CASE HERE?

>> I'M DOING SOMETHING THAT I TELL MY STUDENTS NEVER TO DO.

I'M DOING WHAT WE CALL COUNTERFACTUAL HISTORY.

>> Eric: OKAY.

>> THIS COUNTERFACTUAL HISTORY COMES TO ME NOT THROUGH THE AIR OR THE ETHER BUT IT COMES TO ME FROM THOSE WHO LIVED AT THE TIME OF FLOYD B. OLSON WHO SPECULATED AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH AND AFTERWARDS.

AND THE COUNTERFACTUAL BASIS UPON WHICH I AM NOW CREATING A SCENARIO THAT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T HAPPEN.

>> Eric: OKAY.

WELL, LET'S GO -- BACK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.

HE AND FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT, THE PRESIDENT STARTING IN '33, THEY KNEW EACH OTHER AS GOVERNORS.

>> YES.

OLSON AND ROOSEVELT WERE FELLOW GOVERNORS TOGETHER.

WORKED TOGETHER AT THE GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCES AND WERE, OF COURSE, VERY ACTIVIST GOVERNORS IN TRYING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE DEPRESSION.

THEY BOTH WERE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN BOTH RELIEF ACTIVITIES AND MAINLY AGRICULTURAL POLICY.

SO, THEY KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT BECAME PRESIDENT.

>> Cathy: NOW YOU MENTIONED AGRICULTURAL POLICY.

AND FLOYD B. OLSON WAS A REALLY GOOD SPEAKER.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF NEWS REEL FOOTAN OF HIM TALKING ABOUT AGRICULTURE POLICY.

FOOTAGE.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: LET'S ROLL THAT.

>> SO AS TO GIVE THE FARMER A FAIR PRICE FOR HIS COMMODITY.

AND IF GOVERNMENT DOES THAT AS IT HAS DONE IN THE CASE OF OIL, IN THE CASE OF LUMBER, IN THE CASE OF A GREAT MANY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS, WE, THE MIDDLE WEST AND THE FAR WEST, WILL BE ABLE TO BUY A GREAT MANY OF THE PRODUCTS THAT ARE MADE BY INDUSTRY AND CANNOT NOW BE SOLD BECAUSE AGRICULTURE HAS NO BUYING POWER.

>> Eric: NOW, 1934 COMES.

AND OLSON AND ROOSEVELT MEET TO DISCUSS A TRUCKERS STRIKE.

>> ACTUALLY, THEY COME TO MEET FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

THE TRUCKERS STRIKE IS CERTAINLY AT THE HEART OF IT.

THE TRUCKERS STRIKE IS SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN SOLVED, THAT'S BECOMING A REAL BIG ISSUE, AND HAVING REPERCUSSIONS.

THEY MEET IN ROCHESTER.

ROOSEVELT IS THERE TO GIVE SOME KIND OF AN AWARD TO CHARLIE MAYO.

AND ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME, TO GET SOME CHECKUPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT FOR EIGHT HOURS, FLOYD OLSON AND FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT MET TOGETHER.

WITHOUT AIDES.

WITHOUT ANYBODY IN THE ROOM.

WHAT DID THEY TALK ABOUT?

WE DON'T KNOW.

BUT WE CAN GUESS.

>> Cathy: SEE, HERE'S SOME OF THESE -- HE HAS SOME BACKGROUND WITH NATIONAL LEADERS.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: SO, WHEN HE DECIDED TO START MAKING A RUN FOR SENATE -- >> ALL RIGHT.

HE RAN FOR THE SENATE IN 1936.

AND THEN HE WAS ALREADY NOMINATED FOR THE SENATE.

WHEN IN THE SUMMER OF 1936, BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN GOT UNDERWAY, HE WAS IN ROCHESTER AGAIN.

THIS TIME AS A PATIENT IN THE MAYO CLINIC.

THEY OPENED UP HIS STOMACH.

HE HAD STOMACH PROBLEMS.

FOUND INOPERABLE CANCER.

AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS DYING.

HE WAS GOING TO DIE ALMOST WITHIN A MONTH.

>> Eric: NOW, THE "WHAT IF" PART OF THIS IS, HAD HE LIVED AND PRESUMABLY BEEN ELECTED TO THE SENATE, AND OTHERS THINK, THAT IN 1940 HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE NATIONAL STAGE?

>> EXACTLY.

THE SPECULATION GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IN 1936, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ELECTED, OVERWHELMINGLY ELECTED, NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

GO ON TO THE SENATE.

SURE, HE'S A FARMER, NOT A DEMOCRAT, KEEP THAT IN MIND.

ROOSEVELT IN 1940 DECIDES TO RUN FOR A THIRD TERM.

JAN GARNER, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, -- JAMES -- SAYS, NO, I'M NOT GOING WITH YOU, I'M TOO TRADITIONAL, TWO TERMS AND OUT.

AND BESIDES, THEY HAVE SOME ISSUES.

SO, ROOSEVELT CHOSE HENRY WALLACE, SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.

A SIMILAR -- >> Eric: SIMILAR ILK OF OLSON.

>> RIGHT.

SIMILAR ILK OF OLSON.

ALSO NONDEMOCRAT.

HENRY WALLACE WAS A REPUBLICAN.

>> Eric: SO, IF OLSON GETS ON THE TICKET WITH ROOSEVELT, ROOSEVELT'S RE-ELECTED, THERE IS OLSON AS THE VICE PRESIDENT.

>> YOU'VE GOT IT.

>> Cathy: ONE STEP AWAY.

>> YOU'VE GOT IT.

NOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN 1944?

IN 1944, -- WELL, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE MERGER OF THE DEMOCRATIC AND FARMER LABOR PARTY HERE IN MINNESOTA, BUT IN 1944, HENRY WALLACE IS BEING ATTACKED BY THE POLITICAL BOSSES IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE URBAN BOSSES.

TOO COOKE CAN I, TOO CRAZY, IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WANT TO DUMP HIM.

KOOKY, THE ONLY DELEGATION THAT STICKS WITH HIM TO THE BITTER END IS THE MINNESOTA DELEGATION AT THE CONVENTION.

WELL, THE SPECULATION GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IF IN 1940, ROOSEVELT CHOSE OLSON, FLOYD B.OIS OLSON, IN 1944, THE POLITICAL BOSSES WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO FLOYD OLSON.

OLSON WAS ONE OF THE CLEVEREST POLITICIANS IN MINNESOTA HISTORY.

HE KNEW WHEN AND HOW TO ALIENATE PEOPLE AND WHEN AND HOW TO BUTTER THEM UP.

CONSEQUENTLY, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE TICKET IN '44.

ROOSEVELT, OLSON TICKET WOULD HAVE BEEN ELECTED FOR A FOURTH TERM.

ROOSEVELT DIED.

TWO MONTHS AFTER INAUGURATION.

INSTEAD OF HARRY TRUMAN BEING SWORN IN, WE'D HAVE OUR FIRST MINNESOTA PRESIDENT, FLOYD BURNON OLSON.

>> Eric: ALMOST.

>> ALMOST TO THE PRESIDENCY.

>> Eric: THANKS.

YOU'RE COMING BACK.

>> OH, YES, YES, YES.

[ ♪♪ ] >> DID YOU KNOW... >> Mary: DID YOU KNOW A STATUE HONORING THE STATE'S FIRST THIRD PARTY GOVERNOR MAY BE GETTING A LITTLE LONELY SINCE THE TASTE OF MINNESOTA MOVED OFF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS AND ONTO A NEW LOCATION.

>> EVERY TIME WE HAD THE TASTE OF MINNESOTA, FLOYD'S FINGERS WOULD ALWAYS END UP HOLDING THE CORN ON THE COB, THE CORN COB, THE FIRST DAY AND IT WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.

[AUDIO UNINTELLIGIBLE] >> NO.

IT WAS GREASE, HE WAS PROTECTED, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST CHECK THE WAX OFF THE THING IS DONE.

[ ♪♪ ]