Tag: adlai stevenson
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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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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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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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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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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.
Estes Kefauver for President 