 This was the third time that the Democratic National Convention had been held in a year without the Summer Olympic Games since the competition began in 1896, as the games themselves had been canceled due to World War II; such a situation would not happen again until 2020.Unlike the previous convention, President Roosevelt faced no serious opposition for a fourth term, with the country's active involvement in World War II and the consequent need for stable leadership considered a more pressing issue than any concerns about his remaining in office.Several Southern delegates who were opposed to Roosevelt's racial policies tried to draft Virginia senator Harry F. Byrd to run for the presidential nomination, but Byrd decided against actively campaigning against the President.