Estes Kefauver and Lyndon Johnson had very different approaches to politics. Johnson played the insider’s game, scrupulously following the unwritten rules of the Senate “club,” befriending powerful older members, and amassing power by impressing the right people. Kefauver worked the outsider’s game, maintaining his stubborn independence, standing on principle even when it isolated him from his colleagues, and seeking power through the support of the voters.
Given these major differences in approach – and their very different personalities – it’s no surprise that Kefauver and Johnson were never close. As powerful and ambitious men serving side by side in the Senate, they always regarded each other warily, like two jungle cats circling one another, looking for a chance to strike.
Given the uneasy distance between them, you might figure that Kefauver was never invited to the LBJ ranch in Texas, a privilege that generally reserved for those inside Johnson’s circle.
In fact, Kefauver did make a pilgrimage to the ranch in November 1955, a couple days before Thanksgiving. The visit produced some famous photos of LBJ and Kefauver hunting together, photos that made them appear chummier than is commonly supposed.
The chumminess was a mirage, however. Both Kefauver and Johnson had an agenda for the visit. And as often happened, LBJ got what he wanted, while Kefauver did not.
A Recuperating LBJ Clings to Power
In July 1955, Lyndon Johnson suffered what he later called “the worst heart attack a man could have and still live.” It couldn’t have come at a worse time. Six months earlier, he’d been chosen Senate Majority Leader. Years of hard work and stress – along with chain-smoking, drinking, and overeating – had taken their toll.
Johnson spent over a month in the hospital before going back down to the ranch to continue his recovery. He spent six months recuperating in Texas before resuming his duties as Majority Leader.
The time away from Washington was good for his health, but it posed a threat to his ambitions. What if his fellow Senators decided that he was no longer able to perform the Majority Leader job? What if some ambitious Democrat tried to sneak in and snatch away the power he’d worked so hard to achieve? For LBJ, that would be a fate worse than death.
So once his health was sturdy enough to manage it, Johnson resumed political activities from the ranch. He called his lieutenants from his poolside hammock, dispensing advice and instructions. He invited prominent political reporters for visits, so he could demonstrate his fitness.
In October, he gave a major speech, unveiling a thirteen-point policy platform that he called a “Program with A Heart,” which included tax cuts for lower-income workers, expanded Social Security coverage, increased farm price supports, and a Constitutional amendment outlawing the poll tax.
Johnson also hosted a steady stream of political leaders –Democratic and Republican – at the ranch. This was a stroke of brilliance on his part. It demonstrated that he was still very much in control of his caucus and still a major player in DC politics – perhaps even more so than before. Anyone who tried to usurp his throne would do so at their peril.
Among the vistors were the Democrats who hoped to run for President in 1956. LBJ was one of the most powerful figures in the party, holding particular sway with Southerners, and his endorsement would be a coveted prize for any aspiring candidate.
Naturally, Adlai Stevenson made a pilgrimage to Texas, as did potential candidates Stuart Symington, Hubert Humphrey – and Kefauver.
I Love the Smell of Deer Guts in the Morning
Johnson decided to take Kefauver on a deer hunt, a plan which included a 4:30 AM wake-up call. Kefauver was not much of a morning person, and he wasn’t exactly ready to roll out of bed at that hour. Johnson being Johnson, he hollered up the stairs, “I was about to come out for someone else for President if you don’t get down here in ten minutes.” That did the trick.
Johnson’s wife Lady Bird served the men coffee (before wisely heading back to bed). It was a chilly morning, so Johnson lent Kefauver an argyle sweater vest to keep warm. He also offered the Tennessean the use of his hunting rifle, a Magnum with a telescopic sight that was renowned for its kickback, strong enough to whack the shooter in the eye if he wasn’t careful.
As it turned out, Kefauver could handle the Magnum’s kickback, and he also proved an excellent shot, dropping a 10-point buck from over 300 paces.
They strapped the deer to the hood of Johnson’s ranch car, a ’49 Cadillac convertible that the family called “The Tank.” Kefauver and Johnson proudly displayed their kill to the assembled reporters and photographers back at the ranch house. Johnson proclaimed Kefauver’s buck “the best deer killed in this part of the country this season!” In return, Kefauver praised LBJ’s gun, saying, “If I get down and start seeking [the presidential nomination], I hope I have that same sort of telescopic lens.”
The two also engaged in a little clowning around. They posed with a donkey, and Kefauver put his hat on top of the donkey’s head.
After the photo op, Johnson and Kefauver retired to the cabana for a press conference. Naturally, most of the questions revolved around whether Kefauver would run for President in 1956.
Kefauver admitted that “I feel very much inclined to make the race,” and suggested that he was “in a better position to secure finances for a campaign now than I was the last time because I know more people and more people possibly know me.” Still, he did not absolutely commit to a run, noting: “It is a long time until the August convention.”
Asked if he’d come to Texas to secure LBJ’s support for his Presidential bid, Kefauver didn’t deny it, saying, “Anyone running for national office would like to have Senator Johnson’s support.” He also “wholeheartedly” endorsed Johnson’s “Program with A Heart.”
Kefauver Bags A Buck, But Not the Real Prize
Kefauver came away from the ranch with a great photo op and demonstrated proof of his skill as a marksman. And Johnson once again successfully demonstrated his control of the Democratic Party. But if Kefauver thought he could get LBJ on board with his Presidential bid, he was sorely mistaken.
Part of the reason is that Johnson, despite recently suffering a nearly fatal heart attack, coveted the Presidency for himself. And he believed that he had a real shot at it.
When Adlai Stevenson visited the ranch the month before, Johnson advised him that he’d need to run in the primaries if he wanted to secure the nomination. On one level, this was good political advice: it was highly unlikely the party would just hand Stevenson the nomination at the convention again.
But there was a kernel of self-interest at the heart of it. Johnson hoped that Stevenson and Kefauver would battle each other to a draw in the primaries, rendering them both incapable of winning the nomination. If that happened and the convention deadlocked, Johnson believed he could emerge as a compromise choice, especially if the other options were diehard liberals like Averell Harriman or Hubert Humphrey.
Obviously, the plan didn’t work out quite as LBJ hoped. But it could have. If Kefauver and Stevenson had split the Florida and California primaries, it might have opened the door for an LBJ nomination.
Of course, that would have just meant Johnson – rather than Stevenson – would have had the honor of getting clobbered by Eisenhower in the fall. As with JFK’s failed Vice Presidential bid, LBJ was likely fortunate that he didn’t get what he wanted this time around.
Fortunately, the Johnsons captured home movies of their time at the ranch, and we have color footage of Kefauver’s visit, narrated by Lady Bird herself. Here it is:
You may detect from this video that Lady Bird had a greater fondness for Kefauver than her husband did. We’ll dive into that in a future post.
Estes Kefauver for President 
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