Battle for the New Age

It was a cold winter day on January 20, 1953, when newly elected President Dwight D. Eisenhower addressed the nation for his Inaugural Address. As the 34th president of the United States of America, his speech included a nine-point plan that would be utilized to achieve world peace, which ranged from removing distrust between nations to increasing militaristic and political wisdom to better reach a state of universal tranquility. This was no surprise, as the election of 1952 existed in the wake of World War II’s end. The American national economy was not only recovered, but booming, and the U.S. had risen to the position of a global superpower (Muscato). The political battle which had ensued between Republican nominee, Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Democratic opponent, Adlai Stevenson, had come to represent a battle for who would lead America into this new era, making it truly unlike any other.

The humble beginnings of Adlai Stevenson trace back to 1900. Born into a family of great political, economic, and social prominence, Stevenson would begin his career in public service in the early 1930s. Backed on the education he gained from Princeton University and Harvard Law School (although he did flunk out of the latter), he would assume his first major leadership role as the special attorney and assistant to general counsel in the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, or AAA, in 1933. In a turn of events that lasted over twelve years, he became a special assistant to secretary of the Navy, Colonel Frank Knox. During this time, he handled numerous administrative duties, and following World War II’s end, worked for the State Department on preparations for the United Nations organization (Depression-era Soup Kitchens). Eventually, he became the governor of Illinois in 1948, and it was during the assumption of this position that he was nominated by the Democrats to represent their party following Harry Truman’s announcement that he would not seek another term in office (Depression-era Soup Kitchens). In his platform, he continued the campaign emphasized by Franklin Roosevelt, highlighting the significance of the New Deal plan and Truman’s list of proposals in the Fair Deal (Eleanor Roosevelt papers project). His progressive ideals to achieve prosperity, strengthen democracy, and build peace on an international scale helped establish a devoted following which came to be known as “Stevensonites,” but proved ultimately ineffective against the more vigorous campaign proposed by Eisenhower.

On the opposite side of the political ring stood Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born into poverty, he began his march into the political world from a militaristic angle. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and after continuing his education at the Command and General Staff College, served as a military aide to key generals such as John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur (Muscato). The pinnacle of this phase in his life came with the outbreak of World War II, in which he served his country in multiple forms of leadership, including bearing the responsibility of leading the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. This victory labeled him as supreme commander of the forces in Europe, and he returned home to America as chief of staff of the U.S. Army and a war hero (History.com-Eisenhower). His reputation is what inspired his nomination to the Republican party following President Truman’s dip in popularity, and built a campaign that emphasized a strengthening of democracy, a reduction in taxes, cuts in spending, and a lowering of the debt (Du). Following an election filled with claims of corruption and scandals, Eisenhower would emerge as the undisputed victor.

The months leading up to outcome of the 1952 election were plagued with controversy surrounding the Cold War and Korean War, creating an imbalance with the popularity of President Truman and stances on foreign policy. A series of unsupported decisions, including firing General Douglas MacArthur as commander of United Nations forces, created a plummet in overall patriotic and national support which trickled over into political and economic conditions. Furthermore, the “Red Scare” was in its prime, or a growing concern for foreign communism and the fear of it infiltrating United States politics and policies (History.com-McCarthy). The philosophies and claims of Joseph McCarthy added fuel to the theological fire, with the Wisconsin senator constantly making accusations of government positions being involved in communist doings. Soon enough, Truman himself became entangled in McCarthy’s web, causing many of the senator’s noble following to raise their eyebrows and question the validity of their own president. Truman’s job approval rating reached a record-breaking low, and on Valentine’s Day of 1952, America showed their love and appreciation by gracing him with a mere 22% rating (Peters).

The state of the economy was also in distress, resulting from over five year’s worth of failed attempts to pass progressive policy that was all bark and no bite. Inflation was a major point of concern, and Truman was forced into signing legislation crafted by the Republican party that did little to resolve the issue. This problem was amplified by high tax rates that existed in the wake of World War II, yet businesses were booming from increases in spending, leading to upward direction of consumption and a rather impressive GDP growth (History.com-Truman) However, following demobilization of the war, the government was also in a state of enormous deficit (Truman). He established an agenda which he coined as the “Fair Deal,” a collection of policies and programs that would address topics such as increasing the minimum wage and expanding the Social Security program and national health insurance. While it was recognized the deal had good intentions, it ultimately failed to deliver the heavy list of promises it put forth. Truman’s unsuccessful efforts to mobilize the economy coupled with the corruption from the Red Scare tacked onto his staff are two of the primary reasons that explained his decision to not run again for the 1952 election.

Truman’s presidency, though ravaged by an impressive array of concerning events, was an inspiration to the 1952 campaign. Following the period of great unpopularity with the Democratic Truman, the Republican party was convinced they could they could overtake the White House. With Eisenhower, a man with great military experience who had helped lead the United States to victory in World War II, forging the path for the Republican party into the next election year, they were confident a man with such a heroistic aura and high prestige would surely rake in a victory (History.com-Eisenhower). On the downside, however, he held no political experience, which contrasted greatly with that of Stevenson, who prided himself on not only an impressive political upbringing, but an equally striking array of political education and practice. Despite their differences, each president drove unique campaigns that would come to represent the distinct divisions between the pair.

The 1952 presidential campaign is well known for marking the beginning of the modern campaign era. Television was a significantly useful tool, whether this was meant for commercial and advertising reasons, personal campaigning purposes, or speech broadcasting. Eisenhower utilized this revolutionary technology to target the common man, seeking to use his knowledge and experience from the army to inform and invoke emotion into the everyday population. He and his team created a vast assortment of commercials, even coining a catchy song called “I Like Ike,” to capture the attention of the people (Pach). In this particular commercial, an elephant clad in an Eisenhower blanket happily bangs a drum to the tempo of the tune, making his way up to Washington, D.C. With Uncle Sam leading the march, an enormous crowd steps in time behind him, which includes a diverse range of people varying from men, to women, to farmers, to bankers alike. Families, miners, and even dogs are included in the mix, which seeks to demonstrate the diversification of Eisenhower’s following and how “everyone” is voting for him. The Republican nominee also spent a great deal of his time during the election pointing out the inconsistencies and negative aspects of the former Democratic president, Truman. Such tactics did little harm against Stevenson himself, but more so created a suspicion that the Democratic party was not what America needed. It produced an interesting predicament for Stevenson and his campaign. Furthermore, similar to that of former President Roosevelt, Eisenhower created what was called “Eisenhower Answers America,” which aimed to appeal to the population on an individual level. It not only made Americans feel valued, but Eisenhower also came across as a personable man who was willing to take the time to address his nation person by person, voter by voter (Beschloss). His method worked. When election polls were finalized, Eisenhower had collected 55.4% of the popular vote. He obtained over half of the votes from Americans who had achieved a high school education or more, and also earned the votes from 53% of people between the ages of 30 and 49 and 61% of the votes from people 50 years and older. Regionally, the polls were spread evenly, but even more interestingly, he gained 92% of the Republican votes and 95% of the Independent vote (Gallup). Most interestingly, in the electoral college, he gained 442 votes while Stevenson pulled only 89 (Pach). Overall, his crusade to appeal to the common man was overwhelmingly effective, and Eisenhower secured an easy victory by the campaign’s end. The methods of Adlai Stevenson were similar in delivery but contrasted more in content and message. With the Republican nominee ferociously attacking the credibility of the Democratic party, Stevenson had to fight to maintain America’s faith in his integrity and abilities. As a result, he made sure to proclaim his extensive political career. Like Eisenhower, he coined his own catchy tune entitled “I Love the Gov” in order to sway voters to his side. As it can be suspected, the song stressed the vast amount of adoration and loyalty he held for the American people, as well as the political knowledge and experience he possessed that would be surely reliable and useful for the presidential role. Despite this, Stevenson knew that he and his colleagues had to in some way undermine Eisenhower if he was going to have a hope of winning the election. Lucky for him, he found traction when word spread that some of Eisenhower’s commercials were doctored and not entirely truthful in its content and making; however, his attempt to cripple the Eisenhower operation would prove to be fruitless (Beschloss).

Stevenson’s campaign rested on the back of Roosevelt’s doings, which he hoped to propel forward into his presidency. This included the New Deal, which sought to bring prosperity and opportunity to the American people, as well as Harry Truman’s Fair Deal policies (Eleanor Roosevelt paper project). However, multiple controversies plagued his running for the presidency, which included having criticized the efficiency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, being labeled as a “softie” against communism by Red Scare leader, Joseph McCarthy, and designated a Marxist (Hamby). So determined was Stevenson to maintain his validity, it is unclear as to exactly who he attempted to appeal to during his campaign in the 1952 election. Unfortunately, his endeavors to portray himself as a capable, sound politician was not enough to appeal to the American population. By the election’s end, he had accounted for approximately 44% of the total popular vote. The Independents’ vote was lost to Eisenhower, with Stevenson only collecting 35%. Interestingly enough, he gained a mass bulk of the nonwhite community, winning an overwhelming 79% majority, but was offset by losing those with college and high school education or above, and instead only winning over 52% of those with grade school education or equivalent (Gallup). While Eisenhower gained an even distribution of the popular vote, Stevenson’s results were also equally spread across America, but were underwhelming when compared to that of his rival. Ultimately, it was a combination of poor campaign techniques and controversial tie-ins that led to his swift, easy defeat.

The election of 1952 is truly unparalleled when compared to others, as it marked a significant turn in the way presidential candidates appealed and communicated to the public. While both Stevenson and Eisenhower sought to take advantage of the newly modernized technology the television offered, the results were essentially dependent upon previous economic and leadership factors that greatly impacted the American people. While Eisenhower provided a fresh, strapping campaign based upon his rather impressive militaristic background, Stevenson was plagued by a combination of mistakes made by the Truman administration and the communist scare that was invading the United States. It can be no surprise as to why such a war hero rose to claim a victory. As newly elected President Eisenhower declared when he addressed his nation on Inauguration Day, “for history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose.”

Works Cited

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