Category: Campaign 1956
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Thank God I’m A Country Boy: Kefauver’s Musical Connection
Throughout his career, Estes Kefauver used country music to connect with people and promote his campaigns. Like Kefauver himself, it may not have impressed the powerful, but it hit home with regular people.
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Campaign 1956: Kefauver VP Nomination Speech, A Truncated Tribute
When Adlai Stevenson let the convention pick his running mate, Mike DiSalle of Ohio nominated Kefauver. He gave a good speech – one that he had to edit while he spoke,
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Campaign 1956: John Hoving’s Convention Memories
In 1988, C-SPAN interviewed veterans of past Democratic conventions. Thanks to them, we were able to hear ex-Kefauver staffer John Hoving’s behind-the-scenes stories of the 1956 convention… and the Kefauver vs. Kennedy battle for the vide presidency.
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Just Plane Crazy, Part 2: Look Out Below!
During the 1950, jet travel was a novelty. Late in the 1956 campaign, Kefauver was able to draw a big crowd in a small town… but not for the reason he expected.
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Teddy White: Kefauver Was the “Godfather of the Presidential Primary System”
I’ve made the case that Kefauver should be credited for inventing the modern Presidential campaign. But don’t take my word for it… ask the man who invented modern Presidential campaign reporting.
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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.
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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!
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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?
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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.
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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 for President 