Dwight D. Eisenhower: An Associated Press Biography by Relman Morin

Author:Relman Morin [Morin, Relman]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781682305584
Publisher: The Associated Press
Published: 2019-05-21T04:00:00+00:00

Of all the fascinating episodes in Eisenhower’s first campaign, three are notable for the light they cast on him—his insistence on seeking votes in the South, his refusal to panic under terrific pressure over the news of the “Nixon Fund” and his much-misrepresented confrontation with Joseph McCarthy in Wisconsin which is related here in the words of eyewitnesses.

Eisenhower came into the fray fully aware that he knew next to nothing about political campaigning. He listened to the professionals in his entourage, just as, during the war, he had listened to staff officers who were experts in technical fields. But he made the big decisions himself.

During the planning of his itinerary, he raised the question of campaigning in the South. His managers told him it would be an utter waste of time. They doubted that he could jar loose more than a handful of votes there, much less carry any state. He obstinately refused to abandon the idea that he should make some forays into Dixie. They cited the statistics on past voting patterns in the South and reminded him that it had been years since a presidential candidate of either major party had campaigned there. Eisenhower replied (a) that in his perhaps naive view the President was the Chief Executive of all Americans and not of those alone in the states that voted for him, and (b) that, if he were elected, he should have familiarized himself with the problems and currents of opinion in the South. Besides, he had a personal reason, unrelated to the campaign; he liked most Southerners. Finally after tedious hours of argument, Eisenhower slammed the door on the argument. He said he would go South if he had to go alone. He was never more bullheaded.

And so, in early September, he flew to Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Birmingham and Little Rock. Later, he made other tours below the Mason-Dixon Line. The response was fantastic. Tremendous crowds greeted him and roared with what certainly appeared to be hearty approval of his speeches. Who could say what it portended? His managers remained dubious. On Election Night, the returns showed Eisenhower carrying Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma. To him, this was the sweetest cherry on the cake.

The disclosure of the “Nixon Fund” came as a shattering blow. At first blush, it appeared to be an unmitigated disaster. Eisenhower had been hammering away relentlessly, with documentation, on the issue of corruption in government. Now it appeared that he had a screeching political scandal involving his own running mate, Richard M. Nixon. A blizzard of telegrams and letters engulfed Eisenhower’s headquarters and he was subjected to a drumfire of long-distance telephone calls. These messages ran about three-to-one in urging him to drop Nixon from the ticket. The Democrats were delighted and many of Eisenhower’s supporters thought this might cost him the election. It was an authentic crisis.

Eisenhower stood firmly against the clamor to rid himself of Nixon, the sooner the better. He said he would wait for the facts. Lawyers and accountants soon brought them to view.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.