On the other hand, his Republican opponent Thomas E. Dewey is depicted as an old creaky steam locomotive, the "Defeatist Limited" (numbered 1929 as a nod to the 1929 stock market crash) pulling cars variously representing hot air, high prices, taxes, business as usual (a sleeper car), poor housing for war workers, a hearse for labor legislation, a small two-wheel cart with just a few apples inside for unemployment insurance, and finally a caboose with iron bars for windows named the "Jim Crow Car".

After a notable nightmare sequence, in which Joe fights his way through sales taxes (tacks), 'frozen' wages, and rising prices (depicted by a boxcar always increasing in height so that he is never able to climb on to the roof), he pulls the switch to sideline the Defeatist Limited.

Nevertheless, its strong symbolism, non-literal design styles, and unusual camera angles made the short stand out among its peers.

The film was sponsored by United Auto Workers, and features a song, "We're Going to Win the War", written by Earl Robinson and E.Y.

Hell-Bent for Election was UPA's first major success, and paved the way for its later achievements, including nine nominations and three wins for the Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film.

[9] On the road to Washington, which characterizes the hope for a peaceful post-WW2 world, a billboard depicting Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and a caricature of Hideki Tojo is featured.