EISENHOWER 1952-60 – REPUBLICAN
TOPIC THE PRESIDENCY
-Policies = shaped by boyhood; grew up in small midwestern town, most of Abilene’s 4000 pop voted Rep.
-1930s – General MacArthur, Ike = “best officer in the army” – became Supreme Comm of Allied Forces in 1943
-Bipartisan appeal – moderate
HOW AND WHY DID IKE WIN 1952 ELECTION:
-MEDIA: by 1950 50% = TV favourite pastime, ownership = 90% - discontent cultivating towards stalemated
Korean war + Truman = promoted “K1C2” slogan with aid of Ted Bates agency, showed Democrats = ‘too soft
on communism’, promised if elected to go to Korea– criticised Adlai Stevenson (Democrat candidate), “hole in
his shoe” – criticised for “selling candidacy like cereal” but ultimately = foundations of integrity; contrast to
scandals Democrats were embroiled in
IKE’S -NIXON: Ike needed to defeat Robert Taft (leader of Rep cons), favoured by OG to receive nom– Nixon = con
CHARACTER values + internationalism + moderately liberal approach to domestic policy– geographically balanced ticket,
from Cali – young, forthright, could take active anti-comm approach whilst Ike remained dignified – SCANDAL:
SEPT 18 1952 = NYT publish “Secret Nixon fund”, used campaign funds for personal use – contradicted Ike
being “as clean as a hounds tooth”
-BACKGROUND: led troops at D-Day landings + served as Supreme Commander of Allied forces during WW2 –
election = early years of CW = adv, people wanted political/dom security – humble origins = embodiment of AD
-IKE = 33.9 MILLION VOTES – won pop vote by 6million + REPUBLICANS RETOOK CONGRESS
“CONSERVATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY, LIBERAL WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE”
-Horrified that defence spending rocketed by 300% in Truman’s final 30 months – wanted balanced budget,
money could be redirected to social improvements, no national security without strong economy
Spring 1953 :“THE COST OF ONE HEAVY BOMBER IS THIS: A MODERN BRICK SCHOOL IN MORE THAN 30 CITIES”
EDUCATION: Ike said as important as defence or mor e
-acute shortage of school buildings and teachers in 50s – from 1955 proposed leg to finance construction in
poorer states, Congress reject on grounds it would help segregated South
SPUTNIK (57) = scared – 1958 NAT DEF EDU ACT = low-cost loans to college students to improve STEM + MFL,
imp to CW struggle = revolutionary, introduced principle of direct fed aid to edu, continued free lunch prog of T
POLICIES OF EMPLOYMENT:
DYNAMIC -Ike refused to overspend = little inflation/unemployment BUT recessions.
CONSERVTM -SoD Charles Wilson = epitome of con rep; unemployed car workers in Detroit = look for work not handouts
-IKE: promoted largest peacetime public works project in US history = construct interstate highway, employed
millions = 41k miles of road– REVOLUTIONISED US ROADS: imp for nat def, econ in trouble after KW = growth
DEPT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, WELFARE:
-Ike est new gov dept HEW headed by Texan Dem Oveta Hobby (second woman to hold a cabinet post)
-1955: oversaw dist. of polio vaccine – over 52,000 had died in 1952 epidemic
-1956: 50,000 acres added to nat park system
EVIDENCE FOR SUCCESS: as above
-1955 - increased min wage by 25% - challenged Rep ideal of ‘free market’ where businesses could choose
-Social security expanded to 10 million – concerned with those at bottom
EVIDENCE FOR FAILURE: openly accused of leaving USA defensively vulnerable
-Domestic spending rose from 31% of budget to 49% (military-industrial complex – defence spending
overriding dem values ) yet 25% of pop lived in poverty
-African + native lived in poverty – 1956 Indian relocation act = unsuccessful
-Fostered unity in divided Rep Party – Old Guard (RT) vs more liberal (Thomas Dewey) – as above
:SEPT 18 1952 – NYT “Secret Nixon Fund!” = est “millionaire’s club” to pay political exp = Dems called for resign
-SEPT 23 – Tom Dewey calls to say IKE’s “top advisors” decided best to end speech with resignation
-N saves candidacy with speech to nation – gave detailed support of fin hist but intended to keep one political
gift = dog “Checkers” for daughter – 60 million watched = 160,000 telegrams to Rep HQ urging N to stay on tick
IKE’S TEAM:
-Nixon elevated VP to unprecedented position of importance – believed Truman’s lack of awareness e.g. on A-
bomb = dangerous, took keen interest + political skills (worked in Senate + HoR) lacking in key advisors
, EISENHOWER 1952-60 – REPUBLICAN
PARTY LIASON:
-DEFEATED BRICKER AMENDMENT – introduced in 1951 by Rep senator J. Bricker, drastically cut ability of
president to obtain treaties with other nations, would make country “helpless in world affairs” – sent Nixon,
convinced proposal of much less stringent substitute which received vote 60-31
-MCCARTHY – “Dick has experience in communist field, and therefore would not be subject to criticism” –
succeeded in convincing McCarthy not to pursue CIA
-Used Nixon to attack Democrats
GOODWILL AMBASSADOR:
role as int. goodwill ambassador that brought him most praise
RICHARD 1953: trip to Asia, took note from IKE for SK leader Syngman Rhee – not support invasion of North, IKE wanted
NIXON: VP promise this would not take place – travelled 38,000 miles across Asia, openness = popular, met with students
1958: Venezuela, hostile crowds, mob surrounded car, protected by 12 secret service agents – returned to DC
next day, 15,000 met him at airport = hero, courageous
1959: USSR – Khrush, “Kitchen debate”, defended US progress, “peaceful competition” betwn E/W on USSR TV
RELATIONSHIP WITH IKE:
Ambiguous – heart attack in 1955 made VP choice = important -1956 “Dump Nixon” movement, IKE wanted
Nixon off ticket in re-election campaign, believed he had not developed into true leader, wanted someone to
represent nat interest above all, thought in terms of politicking not governing – did not see this in Nixon: left
choice to stay on ticket to Nixon, remained – supported by 180/203 House Reps
-unwillingness to come to support in 1952 fund crisis or 1960 election
Deeply divided: mod left vs OG (led by Robert Taft until death July 1953 + Senator William Knowland after)
-relationship with congressional republicans = tense: IKE = “Republican senators are having a hard time getting
through their heads that they now belong to a team that includes rather than opposes the White House”– OG
never believed IKE was one of them
THE -Dulles (SoS) complained 10 investigations from Rep congressional committees into his State dept. made it
REPUBLICAN hard to do meaningful work– IKE = always more popular than his party, although he won presidency in 1956,
PARTY Rep party did badly - lost congress in 1954 – in spite of IKE’s victory, congress remained dem - shows his win
was much due to his personal popularity, his victory = victory for modern republicanism
-1958: WORST REP DEFEAT = econ recession, candidates = unimpressive
-got 73 of the 83 bills he sent to Congress – good
DISAGREEMENTS: IKE = Taft “playing politics”
-FOREIGN AID: Ike = good CW investment, OG = opposed
-KOREA: Ike = considered peace greatest achievement, OG = opposed + Dulles + Nixon
USSR: Ike= improve relations, OG = felt attendance at 1955 Geneva summit = recognition of USSR empire +
furious when he invited Khrushchev to USA in 1959
DOMESTIC POLICY: IKE gained more support from congressional Dems, disagreed with Reps over investigating
Comms in gov (soft on comm), tax cuts – IKE rejected proposal since = damage prospects of balanced budget
- “no bolder seditionist moved among us” – Rovere ( US journalist)– soon after IKE took office, MC began
holding up high profile foreign appointments, e.g. Moscow ambassador Charles Bohlen
1953: Taft praised attack on Voice of America (US gov broadcast to foreign nation, opposing Soviet
propaganda) – Dulles sacked 830 employees - 10 SENATE REPS BACKED HIM
FEB 1954: announced major speaking tour, backed by Rep. Nat. Committee – party = as much his as Ike’s
-MC had 2nd constituency: MEDIA – “cheap sensationalism” , IKE: journalism = first, not final, draft of history,
susceptible to mistakes even by most scrupulous reporters BUT MC = political prob, not journalistic one
-MC fed anti-gov passions of emerging con movement – war within rep party + battle = as much as cultural as
ideological – what finished MC = rash decision to resume attack on exec branch with pop Rep in office
Had been allowed to continue since: has support – AUG 1954 POLL = 50% Americans liked him + Ike did not
want to destroy party, believed MC would ultimately destroy himself
THE END OF -A. Stevenson = rep party “divided against itself, half MC and half IKE”
McCRTHYSM -APRIL-JUNE 1954 MC-ARMY HEARINGS: final straw – led investigation into supposed subversives on NJ army
bases, denied subpoena power by IKE = NO concrete evidence – hearings = meaningless, seemed drunk,
TOPIC THE PRESIDENCY
-Policies = shaped by boyhood; grew up in small midwestern town, most of Abilene’s 4000 pop voted Rep.
-1930s – General MacArthur, Ike = “best officer in the army” – became Supreme Comm of Allied Forces in 1943
-Bipartisan appeal – moderate
HOW AND WHY DID IKE WIN 1952 ELECTION:
-MEDIA: by 1950 50% = TV favourite pastime, ownership = 90% - discontent cultivating towards stalemated
Korean war + Truman = promoted “K1C2” slogan with aid of Ted Bates agency, showed Democrats = ‘too soft
on communism’, promised if elected to go to Korea– criticised Adlai Stevenson (Democrat candidate), “hole in
his shoe” – criticised for “selling candidacy like cereal” but ultimately = foundations of integrity; contrast to
scandals Democrats were embroiled in
IKE’S -NIXON: Ike needed to defeat Robert Taft (leader of Rep cons), favoured by OG to receive nom– Nixon = con
CHARACTER values + internationalism + moderately liberal approach to domestic policy– geographically balanced ticket,
from Cali – young, forthright, could take active anti-comm approach whilst Ike remained dignified – SCANDAL:
SEPT 18 1952 = NYT publish “Secret Nixon fund”, used campaign funds for personal use – contradicted Ike
being “as clean as a hounds tooth”
-BACKGROUND: led troops at D-Day landings + served as Supreme Commander of Allied forces during WW2 –
election = early years of CW = adv, people wanted political/dom security – humble origins = embodiment of AD
-IKE = 33.9 MILLION VOTES – won pop vote by 6million + REPUBLICANS RETOOK CONGRESS
“CONSERVATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY, LIBERAL WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE”
-Horrified that defence spending rocketed by 300% in Truman’s final 30 months – wanted balanced budget,
money could be redirected to social improvements, no national security without strong economy
Spring 1953 :“THE COST OF ONE HEAVY BOMBER IS THIS: A MODERN BRICK SCHOOL IN MORE THAN 30 CITIES”
EDUCATION: Ike said as important as defence or mor e
-acute shortage of school buildings and teachers in 50s – from 1955 proposed leg to finance construction in
poorer states, Congress reject on grounds it would help segregated South
SPUTNIK (57) = scared – 1958 NAT DEF EDU ACT = low-cost loans to college students to improve STEM + MFL,
imp to CW struggle = revolutionary, introduced principle of direct fed aid to edu, continued free lunch prog of T
POLICIES OF EMPLOYMENT:
DYNAMIC -Ike refused to overspend = little inflation/unemployment BUT recessions.
CONSERVTM -SoD Charles Wilson = epitome of con rep; unemployed car workers in Detroit = look for work not handouts
-IKE: promoted largest peacetime public works project in US history = construct interstate highway, employed
millions = 41k miles of road– REVOLUTIONISED US ROADS: imp for nat def, econ in trouble after KW = growth
DEPT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, WELFARE:
-Ike est new gov dept HEW headed by Texan Dem Oveta Hobby (second woman to hold a cabinet post)
-1955: oversaw dist. of polio vaccine – over 52,000 had died in 1952 epidemic
-1956: 50,000 acres added to nat park system
EVIDENCE FOR SUCCESS: as above
-1955 - increased min wage by 25% - challenged Rep ideal of ‘free market’ where businesses could choose
-Social security expanded to 10 million – concerned with those at bottom
EVIDENCE FOR FAILURE: openly accused of leaving USA defensively vulnerable
-Domestic spending rose from 31% of budget to 49% (military-industrial complex – defence spending
overriding dem values ) yet 25% of pop lived in poverty
-African + native lived in poverty – 1956 Indian relocation act = unsuccessful
-Fostered unity in divided Rep Party – Old Guard (RT) vs more liberal (Thomas Dewey) – as above
:SEPT 18 1952 – NYT “Secret Nixon Fund!” = est “millionaire’s club” to pay political exp = Dems called for resign
-SEPT 23 – Tom Dewey calls to say IKE’s “top advisors” decided best to end speech with resignation
-N saves candidacy with speech to nation – gave detailed support of fin hist but intended to keep one political
gift = dog “Checkers” for daughter – 60 million watched = 160,000 telegrams to Rep HQ urging N to stay on tick
IKE’S TEAM:
-Nixon elevated VP to unprecedented position of importance – believed Truman’s lack of awareness e.g. on A-
bomb = dangerous, took keen interest + political skills (worked in Senate + HoR) lacking in key advisors
, EISENHOWER 1952-60 – REPUBLICAN
PARTY LIASON:
-DEFEATED BRICKER AMENDMENT – introduced in 1951 by Rep senator J. Bricker, drastically cut ability of
president to obtain treaties with other nations, would make country “helpless in world affairs” – sent Nixon,
convinced proposal of much less stringent substitute which received vote 60-31
-MCCARTHY – “Dick has experience in communist field, and therefore would not be subject to criticism” –
succeeded in convincing McCarthy not to pursue CIA
-Used Nixon to attack Democrats
GOODWILL AMBASSADOR:
role as int. goodwill ambassador that brought him most praise
RICHARD 1953: trip to Asia, took note from IKE for SK leader Syngman Rhee – not support invasion of North, IKE wanted
NIXON: VP promise this would not take place – travelled 38,000 miles across Asia, openness = popular, met with students
1958: Venezuela, hostile crowds, mob surrounded car, protected by 12 secret service agents – returned to DC
next day, 15,000 met him at airport = hero, courageous
1959: USSR – Khrush, “Kitchen debate”, defended US progress, “peaceful competition” betwn E/W on USSR TV
RELATIONSHIP WITH IKE:
Ambiguous – heart attack in 1955 made VP choice = important -1956 “Dump Nixon” movement, IKE wanted
Nixon off ticket in re-election campaign, believed he had not developed into true leader, wanted someone to
represent nat interest above all, thought in terms of politicking not governing – did not see this in Nixon: left
choice to stay on ticket to Nixon, remained – supported by 180/203 House Reps
-unwillingness to come to support in 1952 fund crisis or 1960 election
Deeply divided: mod left vs OG (led by Robert Taft until death July 1953 + Senator William Knowland after)
-relationship with congressional republicans = tense: IKE = “Republican senators are having a hard time getting
through their heads that they now belong to a team that includes rather than opposes the White House”– OG
never believed IKE was one of them
THE -Dulles (SoS) complained 10 investigations from Rep congressional committees into his State dept. made it
REPUBLICAN hard to do meaningful work– IKE = always more popular than his party, although he won presidency in 1956,
PARTY Rep party did badly - lost congress in 1954 – in spite of IKE’s victory, congress remained dem - shows his win
was much due to his personal popularity, his victory = victory for modern republicanism
-1958: WORST REP DEFEAT = econ recession, candidates = unimpressive
-got 73 of the 83 bills he sent to Congress – good
DISAGREEMENTS: IKE = Taft “playing politics”
-FOREIGN AID: Ike = good CW investment, OG = opposed
-KOREA: Ike = considered peace greatest achievement, OG = opposed + Dulles + Nixon
USSR: Ike= improve relations, OG = felt attendance at 1955 Geneva summit = recognition of USSR empire +
furious when he invited Khrushchev to USA in 1959
DOMESTIC POLICY: IKE gained more support from congressional Dems, disagreed with Reps over investigating
Comms in gov (soft on comm), tax cuts – IKE rejected proposal since = damage prospects of balanced budget
- “no bolder seditionist moved among us” – Rovere ( US journalist)– soon after IKE took office, MC began
holding up high profile foreign appointments, e.g. Moscow ambassador Charles Bohlen
1953: Taft praised attack on Voice of America (US gov broadcast to foreign nation, opposing Soviet
propaganda) – Dulles sacked 830 employees - 10 SENATE REPS BACKED HIM
FEB 1954: announced major speaking tour, backed by Rep. Nat. Committee – party = as much his as Ike’s
-MC had 2nd constituency: MEDIA – “cheap sensationalism” , IKE: journalism = first, not final, draft of history,
susceptible to mistakes even by most scrupulous reporters BUT MC = political prob, not journalistic one
-MC fed anti-gov passions of emerging con movement – war within rep party + battle = as much as cultural as
ideological – what finished MC = rash decision to resume attack on exec branch with pop Rep in office
Had been allowed to continue since: has support – AUG 1954 POLL = 50% Americans liked him + Ike did not
want to destroy party, believed MC would ultimately destroy himself
THE END OF -A. Stevenson = rep party “divided against itself, half MC and half IKE”
McCRTHYSM -APRIL-JUNE 1954 MC-ARMY HEARINGS: final straw – led investigation into supposed subversives on NJ army
bases, denied subpoena power by IKE = NO concrete evidence – hearings = meaningless, seemed drunk,
