1956 Election (The Hearse at Monticello)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Despite his efforts to distance himself from the legacy of the McCarthy era, President Bricker would be unable to rally support for his reelection within the American Party, becoming the first incumbent chief executive since DeWitt Clinton to loose his party's nomination. Meanwhile, former Secretary of State Dwight Eisenhower narrowly bested Senator Estes Kefauver for the Populist nomination, selecting progressive Senator Carl Hayden as his running mate to placate the party's liberal wing. Thus, both major parties enter the general election campaign with a candidate at least slightly at odds with their base. As a result, the Eisenhower and Kennedy campaigns have been remarkably similar, though Eisenhower is seen as having the upper hand on the McCarthy issue.

Enter Estes Kefauver, who has responded to the lack of ideological difference between the two major party candidates by launching his own independent bid for the presidency. With Texan Senator Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate, Kefauver has campaigned to the left of both Eisenhower and Kennedy, embracing the emerging Feminist Movement and calling for vigorous action to combat poverty.

Go.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

If Kefauver wins, will he go back to being a Populist?

That largely depends on how well Eisenhower does. From a pragmatic standpoint, it makes more sense for him to govern as a Populist, since he'll need their support to pass his agenda, but if Ike proves more popular with the base he might not be welcomed back into the fold.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

1956 Presidential Election

Senator Estes Kefauver (Independent Populist-Tennessee)/ Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (Independent Populist-Texas): 307 Electoral Votes; 43.6% popular votes
Senator John F. Kennedy (American-Massachusetts)/ Senator Barry Goldwater (American-Arizona): 209 Electoral Votes; 33.3% popular votes
Fmr. Secretary of State Dwight D. Eisenhower (People's-Kansas)/ Senator Carl Hayden (People's-Arizona): 15 Electoral Votes; 27.1% popular votes

With little ideological difference between the two major party nominees, Senator Estes Kefauver was able to unite liberals in both parties behind his candidacy, becoming the first third party candidate to win the presidency since Andrew Curtin.