1952: Taft vs Stevenson

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

If Eisenhower refused to enter the race, how would Taft dare against "Egghead" Stevenson?

[Alben Barkley]

[Mr. Smith]

Stevenson still loses.

Taft vs. Kefauver is the only outcome I can see where Democrats still win that year.

[Alben Barkley]

Stevenson still loses.

Taft vs. Kefauver is the only outcome I can see where Democrats still win that year.

Taft vs. Eisenhower (D) may have been the best chance in history for an all-state sweep.

And nope, don't think Taft beats Stevenson nor do I think Kefauver would have been a stronger candidate than Stevenson. Taft's brand of old school isolationism would not sit well with most of the public outside parts of the Midwest/West in the post-WW2/Cold War environment. And being as he was the "Taft" in the "Taft-Hartley Act," he would not win that Northern industrial support of New Deal coalition crossover voters like Eisenhower did.

Also Taft was at least as much of an "egghead" as Stevenson, quite frankly the man was something of a dweeb, so he doesn't even have the personality/charisma factor going for him.

[Adjective-Statement]

Governor Adlai Stevenson (D-IL) / Senator John Sparkman (D-AL) ✓
Senator Robert Taft (R-OH) / Fmr. General Douglas MacArthur (R-NY)

Just too much going against Taft. All elections at this time were lean D due to the unprecedented strength of the New Deal Coalition. It's telling that only New Dealer Lite Eisenhower could beat it in those 36 years of the Fifth Party System. Taft does improve on Dewey's map though, especially in the Midwest and West.