Why is Eisenhower so praised?

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You left out the Eisenhower did nothing to challenge Joe McCarthy.

On the other hand, he apparently set up the modern structure of the federal government.

Truman should have supported Ho Chi Minh and told France to get lost.

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Well, for the most part I like Ike.

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Yes, but McCarthy ruined many decent people's lives before he crashed and burned.

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I suspect it has something to do with many a forumite obsession with "respectable" politicians, regardless of how retrograde many of said politicians views were or the actual reasons for their policies.

I don't see how Eisenhower was retrograde. At all really. If anything he was moderately liberal.

Nixon is now called 'the last liberal president'

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Nixon had some conservatives policies and some liberal policies, but:
1.He was the last president before Clinton who put forward a healthcare plan, which is apparently virtually identical to the plan Obama passed.
http://www.salon.com/2013/10/29/nixon_proposed_todays_affordable_care_act_partner/

2.He was the last president of either party to propose a guaranteed annual income.

You're right Nixon wouldn't be considered today as the last liberal president, he'd be considered the last socialist president (prior to Obama, of course.)

[136or142]

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Universal healthcare was also completely unnaceptable to the southern Democrats.  So, that Nixon offered anything on the issue, when I don't believe he had to, was still pretty liberal of him.

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No, it made him a 'compassionate conservative'

Liberal Nixon foreign policy
1.Opening up to China
2.Persuing Detante with the Soviet Union