For more Dewey-Truman lore:
Thomas Dewey was one of the forerunners of the RINOs. He was the governor of New York and the leader of the liberal side of the Republican Party, opposed to Ohio Senator Bob Taft's conservatives. Him losing gave the conservatives more traction and probably secured their place long enough to run Goldwater 16 years later. If Dewey had won, Taft's faction may have been suppressed by the Rockefeller Republicans permanently.
Generally, the factions leaders followed this pattern:
Conservatives/Populists: Bob Taft>Goldwater>Reagan>(nobody, H.W. rode Reagan's coattails and basically subdued the conservatives until 2010)>Tea Party hodgepodge>Trump
For more Dewey-Truman lore: Thomas Dewey was one of the forerunners of the RINOs. He was the governor of New York and the leader of the liberal side of the Republican Party, opposed to Ohio Senator Bob Taft's conservatives. Him losing gave the conservatives more traction and probably secured their place long enough to run Goldwater 16 years later. If Dewey had won, Taft's faction may have been suppressed by the Rockefeller Republicans permanently.
Generally, the factions leaders followed this pattern:
Rockefeller Repubs/RINOs: Dewey>Nelson Rockefeller>H.W. Bush>Bush Jr.>McCain>Romney
Conservatives/Populists: Bob Taft>Goldwater>Reagan>(nobody, H.W. rode Reagan's coattails and basically subdued the conservatives until 2010)>Tea Party hodgepodge>Trump