The Eisenhower Years

Section 16.3

Smiling Ike

Why was Eisenhower an unusual presidential candidate?

Ike, ecstatic, in victory parade

Why was Eisenhower an unusual presidential candidate?

• Supreme Allied Commander in Europe– Led D-Day invasion– Had never seen combat

• Never voted• Only began to study US

history/economics after the war

• Handpicked by Republicans because he was popular

Above: Ike exhorts the troops; below: Ike the candidate emerges from the campaign plane

Who was Ike’s Opponent in the 1952 presidential election?

• Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois– A liberal intellectual– Eloquent speaker but

seemed out of touch with common people

– Called “egghead” by Republicans

– Tainted with Truman’s unpopularity

Above: Adlai Stevenson; below: Stevenson accepts his party’s nomination

Who was Ike’s Running mate and what was the “Checkers” speech?

• Richard M. Nixon• Experienced politician and

reputation of communist fighter – Pumpkin Papers

• Accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions which paid for a luxurious lifestyle

• Nix went on TV and denied accusation

• Admitted to accepting one gift – A dog named Checkers

• Convinced Americans that he would be an honest vice president

Above: Nixon giving Checkers speech; below: Nixon with Checkers

CheckersNixon giving Checkers speech

Describe Ike’s Campaign.• Organized and efficient• Speeches full of

platitudes– We’re going to “clean

up the mess in Washington”

• Promised to end Korean War

• “We Like Ike”• Won a landslide victory

Above and below: Ike campaign posters

Eisenhower Wins!

Describe Eisenhower’s style of management.• Consensus decision making

– Based on group (cabinet) decisions, not just his own

• Delegated – Ike only focused on big picture issues– Left the details and execution to others

• Admired Business Principles– Corporate execs appointed to key posts– Somewhat laissez-faire

• Privatization– Tried to turn government control of TVA

to private business– Atomic Energy Act of 1954

• Allowed private companies to operate nuclear power plants

Above: Cabinet meeting in Eisenhower administration; below: nuclear power plants

Ike as President

Capture: Huge crowd for Ike

Describe Ike’s Second Term.• Democrats regained control of

Congress (’56)• Launched Explorer I (1/31/58)

– 4 months after Sputnik• Created National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA)• National Highway Act (’56)

– Costs $80 billion • Extended Social Security and

Unemployment insurance• Increased minimum wage (.75 to

$1)

Above: U.S. rocket; below: incredibly aged and sad Eisenhower

Ike’s Second Term

Ike waves and smiles over economic policy

Ike’s Farewell Address• Farwell address warned

against the influence of the military industrial complex

• 2007 $626.1 billion– Includes military budget of

Department of Defense– War in Iraq– Nuclear weapons research– Infrastructure of military

bases• 47% of the World’s Total

military spendingGraph shows growth of government

Who were the candidates in the 1960 election?

• Richard M. Nixon– Republican– Protestant– Came from

Common background

– anticommunist politician

– War hero– Experienced

politician

• John F. Kennedy – Democrat– Catholic– Came from wealth

and privilege– anticommunist– War hero– Seemed much

younger

Why were the Nixon-Kennedy Debates important in the 1960 election?

• 1st presidential debate ever• Kennedy looked better on TV

– Wore make-up– Looked polished

• Nixon– Sweating problem, leg injury

• Radio listeners thought Nix won

• Closest election in history– Kennedy won by about 100

thousand votes (69 million casts)

Above: Nixon shakes JFK’s hand before debate; below: during one of the debates

The Election of 1960

JFK campaigns