Tag: harry truman
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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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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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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?
Estes Kefauver for President 