The 1956 Democratic Nominee: Estes Kefauver

[Turbo Flame]

How would the Tennessee Senator do against Eisenhower in 1956? Who would be his running mate choice?

[mianfei]

Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard Nixon (R): 451 EV, 58 percent
Estes Kefauver/Mike Mansfield (D): 72 EV/41 percent
Unpledged electors (SR): 8 EV

[Fuzzy Bear]

Kefauver was a heavy smoker and had alcohol problems in real life.  He was also (reportedly) something of a womanizer.  Not that this made him stand out in the Senate, mind you, but Kefauver also managed to make himself rather unpopular with his colleagues.

Kefauver was also a noted liberal, and a liberal from a conservative Southern state.  If he had the virtues of Jimmy Carter he'd have made it to the Presidency because he'd have lived longer and been healthier.  I believe the reason he ruled out running for President in 1960 was simply that a lot of people just didn't like him and because he was tired.

[MATTROSE94]

Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard Nixon (R): 451 EV, 58 percent
Estes Kefauver/Mike Mansfield (D): 72 EV/41 percent
Unpledged electors (SR): 8 EV

Seems about right, give or take Missouri and Arkansas. Estes Kefauver was also one of the few Southern Democratic Senators who supported civil rights for African Americans and iirc sponsored the 24th Amendment, which banned the poll tax in Presidential elections, so Alabama and Mississippi would probably go for the unpledged electors.