Figure 1.--Most parties wanted General Eisenhower as a candidate for 1952. He clearly showed that he was interested. Here he appears with Boys Scouts at the Second National Jamboree at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1950, just what you would expect from a presidebtial candidate. With his war record and a winning smile, he was the ideal candidate. The cwire service caption read, "Scouts and Eisenhower at Jamboree: Gen. Dwight 'Ike' Eisenhower (center) shakes hands with Boy Scoutswho crowd arounf him as he came to the National Boy Scout Jamboree tonight to address the 47,000 boys abd open a huge fireworks display with the same words,'Let 'er rip' he used to signal the Allied invasion of Europein World War II."

President Truman unexpectedly won the 1948 election, but in part because of the stalemate in Korea, his popularity had declined sharply. He realized that he could not win another election. Historians would later elevate him to one of the more successful presidents, but at the time he was very unpopular. He tried to convince war hero General Dwight Eisenhower to run for president as a Democrat. He was not uninterested. Apperances as early as 1950 show that he was preparing to run. Republican emissaries to his headquarters near Paris persuaded him to run for President as a Republican. With his war record and a winning smile, he was the ideal candidate. He easily won the Republican nomination, sweeping aside luminaries in the party like Senator Robert Taft of Ohio. Eisenhower's conduct during this period lends little credit to him, his behavior toward President Truman and especially Secretary of State Marshall was less than honrable--a rare such event in his career. Especially his failure to come to Marshall's defense when anti-Comminist zealots made scandalous charges. The Democrats turned to Govenor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. Stevenson was a leading liberal figure in the party. He was nominated on the third ballot--the last convention that a nominating contest went beyond the first ballot. The campaign was dominated by the protracted Korean war and charges that the Democrats were "soft on communism". Eisenhower's strategy was the K1C2 formula-"Korea, Communism, and Corruption." He vowed to go to Korea to end the war. Eisenhower's running mate--California senator Richard Nixon--became an issue when it was discovered he used a fund created by California millionaires to pay for personal expenses. Nixon appeared on national television, delivering his "Checkers" speech. Checkers was adog and his references to his daughters and his wife's Republican cloth coat resulted in a wave of public sympathy. Eisenhower proved enormously popular and an instant success with American voters. The slogan "I like Ike" and that irresistible smile appealed to voters. Eisenhower won a sweeping election victory in 1952.

Economy

American elections since the 20th century were often determined by the economy. All things being equal, if times are prosperous, the incumbent or incumbent party generall win the election. If there is an economic decline, voters commonly turn to the other party to sort things out. Economic conditions in 1952 wre prosperous. Voters were, however, concerned about the war in Korea and continuing casualty reports.

Korean War (1950-53)

The North Koreans Army crossed the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950 to forcibly unify Korea. The Soviets had provided modern weapons in great quantity to the North Koreans. Embolded by the Communist victory in China during 1948-49, Kim-il-Jong obtained Stalin's approval for the attack. President Truman immediately ordered war material be provided the South Koreans and then air support for the South Korean Army. Seoul fell within days. Truman went to the United Nations which, because the Soviets were boycotting the Security Council, approved a military opperation to repell the North Korean attack. Truman than ordered American military intervention. The Soviets had helped the North Koreans build a powerful military force. The United states after World War II had significantly scaled back its conventional military force. As a result, the North Koreans pushed the South Koreans back to a small perimiter around the southern port of Pusan. Generl MacArthir from Japan organized an amphibious invasion at Inchon which caught the North Koreans between two forces. North Korem resistance collapsed and MacArthur rushed north accross th 38th parallel to completely defeat and occupy North Korea. Tuman was skeptical, but MacArthur assured him that Chinese warnings to intervene were bluff. They were not an America norces approaching the Yalu River were mauled by a massive Chinese attack. For a while it looked like the Chiese would tota;lly defeat the U.N. forces, but the front was finally stabilized north of Seoul. What followed was 2 years of stalemate which became a major political issue. Peace talks with the Communists were frustrating. Th major issue became the Communist demand that all POWs be returned, even the ones who did not want to be repatriated. Finally a ceasefire was reached. Stalin died in 1953. Eisenhower became president in 1953 and fulfilling a campaign promise, went to Korea. The armistice went into force (July 27, 1953). More than 3 million Koreans were killed as a result of the War. Millions more were made homeless refugees. About 1 million Chinese soldiers are believe to have been killed. American casualties totaled nearly 55,000.

President Truman

President Truman unexpectedluy won the 1948 election. The Republicans had ben sure Govenor Dewey would win. In part because of the stalemate in Korea, his popularity had declined sharply. Other issues had sapped jis popularity, such as the Comminist advances in Eastern Europe and China and charges of corruption and treason. His civil rights record hirt him in the Democratic stringhold of the Deep south. He always suffered from the fact that Franklin Roosevelt was such a hard act to follow. President Truman He could have run again had he wanted abd he almost certainly could have had tge Democratic nomination. While he had served two terms, he had only been elected to one term. He realized that he could not win another election. Truman had made many courageous decesions. He esentually launched the Civil Rights movement by dessegregating the military. He laid the foundation for the american victory in the Cold War by standing firm in Berlin with the Berlin Air Lift and resisting Soviet aggression on Korea. Neither led, however, to clear cut victories. And his popularity suffered by the seemingly endless casualties in Korea. His popularity steadily plunged. History woukd reverse the contemprary assessment, but the President decided not to run for a third term. He tried to convince war hero General Dwight Eisenhower to run for president as a Democrat, but failed. He then threw his support behind Govenor Adlai Stevenson after which he essentilly withdre from political life. Historians would later elevate him to one of the more successful presidents, but at the time he was very unpopular and efforts to help Stevenson would probably have been counter productive.

Democratic Candidates

President Truman tried to convince war hero General Dwight Eisenhower to run for president as a Democrat. He was not uninterested, but not as a Democrat. After announcing that he would not run, he indicated that he hoped that the Democrats would nominate Govenor Adlai E. Stevenson.

Rrepublican Candidates

Apperances as early as 1950 show that he was preparing to run. Republican emissaries to his headquarters near Paris persuaded him to run for President as a Republican. The Republicans were desperate to find a winning candidate after the 1948 Dewey debacle. They had not won a prsidential election since 1928. Eisenhowe was not much of a Republican. Despite his lack of Republican credentials, he looked like a winning candidate. With his war record and a winning smile, he was the ideal candidate. Party stalwarts felt that Eusenhower would be able to win the election that their established candidtes might not be able to win. He easily won Republican primaries, sweeping aside luminaries in the party like Senator Robert Taft of Ohio. Eisenhower's conduct during this period lends little credit to him, his behavior toward President Truman and especially Secretary of State Marshall was less than honrable--a rare such event in his career. Especially his failure to come to Marshall's defense when anti-Comminist zealots made scandalous charges.

Republican Convention

Democratic Convntion

The Democrats turned to Govenor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. Stevenson was a leading liberal figure in the party. He was nominated on the third ballot--the last convention that a nominating contest went beyond the first ballot.

Campaign

The campaign had some interesting nuances. Both candidates used radio and television became a factor for the first time. Both campaigned hard. General Eisenhower was a renowned war hero. Governor Stevenson thus showed some reluctance to attack him directly. You could not very well criticize the D-Day invasion or the Allied victory in Europe. And as he had not been active politically, there was no political record to critucize. Stevenson had not been part of the Truman administration so the Republicans could not go after him for all the aledged corruption in the Truman dministratiin. The campaign was dominated by the protracted Korean war and charges that the Democrats were "soft on communism". Eisenhower's strategy was the K1C2 formula-"Korea, Communism, and Corruption." The Republicans sent out speakers such as Dewey, McCarthy, and Nixon to attack the Democrats for their antiwar, anti-bribery, and anti-Communist message. Eisenhower made less contentios speeches. The public liked his friendly,accessible personna. He traveled over 33,000 miles during the campaign. The Republicans made much of tge fact that both Eisenhower and Nixon were devoted family men. Both families were active and to give visible support for this image. In stark contrast, Govenor Stevenson was divorced. Eisenhower vowed to go to Korea to end the war. Eisenhower's running mate--California Senator Richard Nixon--became an issue when it was discovered he used a fund created by California millionaires to pay for personal expenses. Nixon appeared on national television, delivering his "Checkers" speech. Checkers was adog and his references to his daughters and his wife's Republican cloth coat resulted in a wave of public sympathy. Eisenhower proved enormously popular and an instant success with American voters. The slogan "I like Ike" and that irresistible smile appealed to voters.

Election Results

Eisenhower won in a landside,gaining a sweeping election victory. He carried most of the country, except the Deep South, Kentucky and the Democratic stronhhold of West Virginia. He won 54 percent of the popular vote and an impressive 83percent of the electoral votes.

Created: 11:49 AM 1/3/2012
Last updated: 2:50 AM 6/2/2012