Figure 1.--

The 1956 presidential election was a rematch of 1952. The Republicans renominated President Eisenhower. The Democrats renominated Govenor Stevenson. Sentator John F. Kennedy helped build his national reputation with a book--Profiles in Courage. Actually it was his second book. The first was Wild England Slept which repudiated the isolationist views of his father, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. Kennedy was more of an editor of , but it won him a Pulitzer prise and helped burish his reputation, almost winning him the Democratic vice-presidential nomination in 1956. The 1952 and 56 elections marked the beginning of a shift in American politics. The Semocrats beginning with Franklin Roosevelt's 1932 electioin in the middle of the Depression began an era of Democratic control. The Republican victories began a more competive period. Even so, the Democrats mosrly controlled the Congress and Eisenhower was more of a war hero than a Republican Party stalwart. Major Republicans like Robert Taft wanted to roll back both the New Deal and America's expansive international involvement after World war II. Eisenhower both in the campaign and during his administration made no move to do either. The election was a landslide for Eisenhower, but not for Republicans.

Heat Attack

President Eisenhower suffered a heart before the 1956 election. It was a serious one leading some to question the President's physical ability for another term.

Economy

The President's great popularity was boosted by a strong American economy. Jobs were readily availavle and wages backed by stroing labor unions were high.

Republican Convention

The Republicans renominated President Eisenhower. There was no real opposition. The major question was whether he would ask Vice-President Nixon to run with him in 1956. Nixon had been chosen by the Conventuiin in 1952 abd not by Eisenhower personally. Eisenhower has never revealed his decision making process. He hisitated, but in the end asked Nixon to run with him again.

Democratic Convention

The Democrats renominated Govenor Stevenson. Sentator John F. Kennedy helped build his national reputation with a book--Profiles in Courage. Actually it was his second book. The first was Wild England Slept which repudiated the isolationist views of his father, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. Kennedy was more of an editor of , but it won him a Pulitzer prise and helped burish his reputation, almost winning him the Democratic vice-presidential nomination in 1956.

Shifting Political Tides

The 1952 and 56 elections marked the beginning of a shift in American politics. The Semocrats beginning with Franklin Roosevelt's 1932 election in the middle of the Depression began an era of Democratic control. The Republican victories began a more competive period. Even so, the Democrats mosrly controlled the Congress and Eisenhower was more of a war hero than a Republican Party stalwart. Major Republicans like Robert Taft wanted to roll back both the New Deal and America's expansive international involvement after World war II. Eisenhower both in the campaign and during his administration made no move to do either.

Campaign

Election Results

The election was a landslide for Eisenhower, but not for Republicans. Eisenhower ganered 57 percent of the popular vote abd 86 percent of the electoral vote. Eisenhower swept the North, Midwest, West, and even some southern states. Stevenson carried Missouri and several southern states. Never since the Civil War had a Reupublican done so well in the South. He would not have done as well if the election was held in 1957 when he ordered paratroopers into Little Rock, Arkansas to inforce a court order to desegregate Central High School. Stevenson's success in the South was ironic because he was a noted liberal and the South was the most conservative part of the country. It shows the strength of traditionl party affiliations.

Sources

Created: 1:42 PM 6/30/2007
Last updated: 1:43 PM 6/30/2007