Category: Campaign 1956
-
Shaking Up Politics, One Hand at a Time
Estes Kefauver’s campaigning failed to win the Presidency. But even as he lost, he pioneered a new form of Presidential campaigning… and he started the momentum to let the voters decide the nominee.
-
Luce Likes Ike, No Time for Kefauver
Henry Luce, the publisher of Time and Life magazines, was a huge supporter of Dwight Eisenhower. No wonder his magazine was so snotty about Kefauver!
-
Frank Church and Estes Kefauver: Lone Wolves, Honest Men
Church and Kefauver were both ambitious Senators who led high-profile investigations that caught public attention. They were both Senate outsiders with independent streaks. Were their differences a matter of personality… or the times?
-
Porcine Populism: The Presidential Campaigns of Henry Krajewski
Kefauver wasn’t the only 1950s presidential hopeful who came up short. There was also Krajewski, the New Jersey pig farmer and bar owner, whose views were a little… different.
-
Busting Myths About the Juvenile Delinquency Hearings
I’ve been reluctant to write about these hearings, since they’re so often misunderstood and frequently caricatured. So today, I’m tackling some of the biggest myths about these hearings. Comic book fans, take note.
-
Estes Kefauver: Not an Organization Man
Kefauver was a principled politician, which cause stumbling blocks for his ambitions. In particular, his refusal to build a political organization made his campaigns harder than they had to be… and may have been hazardous to his health.
-
Who Is Joe Smith? A Campaign Mystery
How a publicity stunt from a crabby delegate turned a fictional person into a real campaign meme… for the other side.
-
Adlai Stevenson, Fake Farmer
In 1956, the Stevenson campaign put out an ad to show that he understood the problems of family farmers. He failed miserably.
-
Just Plane Crazy: Estes’ Wyoming Adventure
Estes Kefauver was a popular campaigner who could never say no to a friend. In 1956, to help a fellow Senator, Kefauver had his campaign plane diverted to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, which forced a surprising exit.
-
“A Serious and Difficult Situation”: The Integration of Clinton High
After Brown v. Board of Education, the first Southern school to integrate was in Estes Kefauver’s native Tennessee. In a difficult situation, Kefauver had the courage to stand up against segregationist violence and for rebuilding and the rule of law.
Estes Kefauver for President 