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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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Kefauver’s Magical History Tour of Political Ethics
In 1952, Kefauver wrote a scholarly article surveying the history of political ethics in America. How would he feel about where we are today?
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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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India Edwards: Forgotten Political Trailblazer
India Edwards should be an icon: female DNC vice chair, H, 1952 VP candidate, convinced Truman to appoint numerous women. Why is her story so little remembered?
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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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Was Jimmy Carter Kefauver 2.0?
Southern outsiders battling the party establishment: was Carter running Kefauver’s playbook? One columnist saw the similarities, but missed the key reason why Carter succeeded where Kefauver failed.
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World Champion in the Nation’s Capital: Floyd Patterson’s Day in DC
In January of 1962, columnist Drew Pearson took the reigning heavyweight champ to meet some of DC’s highest leaders. The leaders had handshakes and well-wishes for the champ… but also tried to warn him about his next fight.
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A Senator Who Sweats the Small Stuff
During his 1960 campaign, Kefauver issued a pamphlet reminding voters of some of his smaller accomplishments. Why? They may not have made headlines, but they improved the lives of his constituents.
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Sacklers’ “Empire of Pain”: The Early Years
The Sackler family’s reckless marketing of OxyContin hooked a generation of Americans on opioids. Decades earlier, Kefauver and his subcommittee on monopolies exposed the Sacklers’ tendency for stretching the truth… and their secretive business dealings.
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Feeling Badly About Adlai
Adlai Stevenson was one of the most admired losing candidates of all time. Here’s my hot take: He was a lousy candidate, and he encouraged the Democrats’ worst tendencies.
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Estes Kefauver for President 