Tag: dwight eisenhower
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Duck and Cover: America’s Troubled History with Civil Defense
After World War II, America tried to develop a plan for civil defense in case of a nuclear attack. Why didn’t it work out, and who’s to blame for its failure?
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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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Don’t Touch That Dial: Kefauver and Television
Estes Kefauver was the first politician to use TV as a springboard to national fame. Why has his pioneering role been forgotten?
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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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Courage and Cunning vs. Conservative Crackpottery: The Battle Over the Bricker Amendment
In the mid-1950s, conservative isolationists – whipped up by fears of one-world government – tried to amend the Constitution to take away the President’s authority to negotiate treaties. Kefauver stood up to stop it.
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Never Get Involved in a Land War in Asia: Kefauver and the Formosa Crisis
Estes Kefauver died before America got heavily involved in the Vietnam War. But we can envision how he would have reacted based on his reaction to another Asian conflict: the Formosa crisis of 1955.
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Nothing Succeeds Like Succession: Kefauver and the 25th Amendment
For 180 years after the Constitution, we had no idea what happened when the President was too sick to do the job. Kefauver tried to fix the problem… but it took a tragedy to get his colleagues to listen.
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Anybody But Estes: Truman’s Biggest Mistake?
Harry Truman was looking for a successor… as long as it was anyone but Estes Kefauver. Did Truman let a personal grudge cost the Democrats their best shot at beating Ike and extending Truman’s legacy?
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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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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.
Estes Kefauver for President 