Adlai Stevenson

[FerrisBueller86]

Why did Stevenson lose to Eisenhower in two landslides?  I grew up in the Chicago area, and Stevenson is considered legendary.  From what I've read on Wikipedia, most people liked him and what he stood for.  Why wasn't he seen as damaged goods after these losses (the way Carter was seen after 1980, Dukakis ever since 1988, Gore after 2000, and Kerry today)?

Did Stevenson simply have the misfortune of running in the wrong years?

Why did Southerners like Stevenson?  (The few states he did carry were Southern states.  If a Democrat lost in a similar landslide today, the last Democratic holdouts would be states like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maryland, and New York.)  I realize that the Democrats had a lock on the South instead of the Northeast back then, but I don't think he supported segregation.

[PBrunsel]

Stevenson was nominated again in 1956 as a sacrificail lamb. Both parties knew that Eisenhower was going to win in 1956, so the Democrats chose an old New Dealer like Stevenson over more "modern" liberals like Averell Harriman or Lyndon Johnson.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Eisenhower is by far the best Republican President since Teddy Rossevelt.

[Rob]

Stevenson was far from a segregationist, but in '56 the Democrats gave only lukewarm support to civil rights. This resulted in Eisenhower winning about half of the black vote, while most of the Deep South stayed loyally Democratic.

The hardcore Dixiecrat counties of the Deep South- the Black Belts and the cities- were so alienated from the national Democrats that they switched to Eisenhower in '52. Only Stevenson's big margins among poor whites kept the Deep South Democratic in the '50's.

In 1956, there were independent State's Rights elector slates in Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. They won votes from many of the insurgent Dixiecrats that had voted for Eisenhower in '52. In Mississippi, Eisenhower went from 40 percent of the vote in '52, to only 24 percent four years later, his worst showing in the nation. In South Carolina, his drop was even more severe- from 48 percent to 25 percent. In South Carolina, he was a distant third. (In Louisiana, the independents won only 7 percent, not enough to keep him from winning).

These huge losses were due to the backlash against the Supreme Court's desegregation decision. Had there been no State's Rights tickets, Eisenhower would  have swept South Carolina, and Mississippi would have been much closer. Black Belt whites would have chosen Ike as the lesser of two evils, and the Deep South would have realigned almost a decade early.

[Dr. Cynic]

Stevenson and Eisenhower were two good men. Eisenhower was what the country needed, Stevenson would've been excellent in 56.

[FerrisBueller86]

Stevenson was nominated again in 1956 as a sacrificail lamb. Both parties knew that Eisenhower was going to win in 1956, so the Democrats chose an old New Dealer like Stevenson over more "modern" liberals like Averell Harriman or Lyndon Johnson.

Hehe, that comment reminded me of Saturday Night Live's 1991 skit called "The Race To Avoid Being The Guy Who Loses To Bush".  Tipper Gore stood in for Al Gore, because he was with the kids at a porn theater.  Richard Gephardt said, "I couldn't beat David Duke in Harlem."  Mario Cuomo said, "The issue isn't whether we lose by 30 points or 40 points.  The issue is that I'm from the mob."  Of course, that skit looks even funnier now because of how much things changed from Gulf War I to the 1992 election.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Stevenson was a good candidate and very well liked, but even he couldn't match Eisenhower's sheer popularity. He won the south because back then the south was still rather partisanly Democratic, and with both candidates supporting civil rights that wasn't a draw from Stevenson. It's worth pointing out though that in 1956 a set of unpledged electors also ran and did well in the south.

[Democratic Hawk]

Eisenhower is by far the best Republican President since Teddy Rossevelt.

I liked Eisenhower because he was a pretty moderate 'Wall Street' Republican, but I think I'd have supported Stevenson.

I liked Nixon (despite Watergate) I think there was much good in that man

Dave

[True Democrat]

Eisenhower is by far the best Republican President since Teddy Rossevelt.

I liked Eisenhower because he was a pretty moderate 'Wall Street' Republican, but I think I'd have supported Stevenson.

I liked Nixon (despite Watergate) I think there was much good in that man

Dave

That's my view also.  I think Eisenhower was one of the best Republican presidents, after T. Roosevelt and Lincoln.  The first time, I would have voted Stevenson, just because I didn't know about Eisenhower.  In Eisenhower's reelection, I would have been undecided, but probably would have voted Eisenhower because I would have been tired of Stevenson.  I also agree Nixon was a fairly good Republican, except Watergate and Cambodia.

[PBrunsel]

Stevenson's biggest problem was the "Egghead" factor. He was seen as a Utopian Intelectual and that gave Vice President Nixon the chance to say that he was like a Communist Professor.

In 1956 Stevenson was just unlucky and he ran an underfunded and dismal campaign. At one point a photo came out that showed Stevenson with a hole in his shoe, then the Eisenhower people made leaflets that showed the picture and a caption that read, "Don't let this happen to you, vote for Eisenhower."

[J. J.]

Stevenson's biggest problem was the "Egghead" factor. He was seen as a Utopian Intelectual and that gave Vice President Nixon the chance to say that he was like a Communist Professor.

In 1956 Stevenson was just unlucky and he ran an underfunded and dismal campaign. At one point a photo came out that showed Stevenson with a hole in his shoe, then the Eisenhower people made leaflets that showed the picture and a caption that read, "Don't let this happen to you, vote for Eisenhower."

The famous "shoe picture" was staged.  It was suppose to show that Stevenson was hard working, just like the "common man."

I believe the character of "President Thompson" in Atlas Shrugged is based on him.

[Erc]

Stevenson's biggest problem was the "Egghead" factor. He was seen as a Utopian Intelectual and that gave Vice President Nixon the chance to say that he was like a Communist Professor.

In 1956 Stevenson was just unlucky and he ran an underfunded and dismal campaign. At one point a photo came out that showed Stevenson with a hole in his shoe, then the Eisenhower people made leaflets that showed the picture and a caption that read, "Don't let this happen to you, vote for Eisenhower."

The famous "shoe picture" was staged.  It was suppose to show that Stevenson was hard working, just like the "common man."

I believe the character of "President Thompson" in Atlas Shrugged is based on him.

The Dukakis Tank of its day, I suppose.

[J. J.]

Stevenson's biggest problem was the "Egghead" factor. He was seen as a Utopian Intelectual and that gave Vice President Nixon the chance to say that he was like a Communist Professor.

In 1956 Stevenson was just unlucky and he ran an underfunded and dismal campaign. At one point a photo came out that showed Stevenson with a hole in his shoe, then the Eisenhower people made leaflets that showed the picture and a caption that read, "Don't let this happen to you, vote for Eisenhower."

The famous "shoe picture" was staged.  It was suppose to show that Stevenson was hard working, just like the "common man."

I believe the character of "President Thompson" in Atlas Shrugged is based on him.

The Dukakis Tank of its day, I suppose.

No, it caught on with some Democrats.