Category: Campaign 1952
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Stevenson Toons In for ’56?
Eisenhower’s 1952 relied on the sales of Madison Avenue -and Disney – to roll to victory. After resisting those techniques the first time around, the Stevenson/Kefauver campaign gave them a try in ’56. How did it turn out? Judge for yourself.
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Kefauver: Tabbed for “Bigger Things” from the Beginning?
Think Kefauver’s rise from freshman Senator in ’48 to Presidential candidate in ’52 was really quick? Turns out he was being talked up for national office even earlier… as in immediately.
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If You Go Chasing Rabbits: Solving a Photographic Mystery
Follow me as I track down the story behind a magazine photograph. I try to figure out not only where Kefauver was… but when and why
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“The Gag Stuff Is Out”
Some things never change – including the ridiculous stories that get written during political “silly season.” In this case, the dead time between conventions led to a silly story about a bizarre “ban.”
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Sing Along With Keef, Part 2: “Senator From Tennessee”
Estes Kefauver’s probe of organized crime turned him into a national hero, and inspired movies, TV shows… and even songs. Here’s a song that speaks to Kefauver’s crime-busting reputation.
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Kefauver and LBJ: Two Paths to Power
Estes Kefauver and Lyndon Johnson had a number of things in common: two liberal-leaning, ambitious Southern Democrats who joined the Senate in the same year. But their approach to politics – and the pursuit of power – couldn’t have been more different.
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Sing Along with Keef: “Estes Is Bestes”
The song most associated with Kefauver was “The Tennessee Waltz,” for better or for worse (and definitely for worse after a long campaign). But there’s a long-forgotten campaign song that captures his folk-hero appeal.
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The Speech Kefauver Never Gave
Kefauver’s advisors wrote an acceptance speech in case he won the Presidential nomination in ’52. It’s not as pretty as the one Adlai Stevenson gave… but it might have been more effective.
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Draft Estes Kefauver Acceptance Speech, 1952
The complete draft text of the acceptance speech Estes Kefauver might have given if he had won the Presidential nomination in 1952.
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Joseph McCarthy’s Opening Act: The Malmedy Hearings
Before he started slinging irresponsible accusations about Communism, Joseph McCarthy was slinging irresponsible accusations about the Army… and sticking up for the Nazis. No, seriously.
Estes Kefauver for President 