Draft Eisenhower

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The Draft Eisenhower movement was the first successful political draft of the 20th century to take a private citizen to the Oval Office. It was a widespread American grassroots political movement that eventually persuaded Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for President. The movement culminated in the 1952 presidential election in which Eisenhower won the Republican nomination and defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson to become the 34th President of the United States.

1 Eisenhower's rise to fame
2 "I like Ike"
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Eisenhower's rise to fame

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) enrolled at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, in June 1911, and graduated in 1915. He steadily rose through the ranks of the U.S. military from 1915 to 1952.

Gen. Eisenhower gives the order of the day, "Full victory – nothing else", to paratroopers in England, just before they board their airplanes to participate in the first assault of the D-Day invasion.

At the end of the War in Europe on May 8, 1945, Eisenhower had supreme command of all operational Allied forces. Eisenhower was named Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in November 1945, and in December 1950 was named Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and given operational command of NATO forces in Europe. Eisenhower retired from active service on May 31, 1952, returning to a simpler life. During this period Eisenhower served as president of Columbia University from 1948 until 1953.

[edit] "I like Ike"

The caption for this 1952 photo, distributed by the National Citizens for Eisenhower, read in part, "The official Citizens for Eisenhower Bandwagon, one of six campaign vehicles now touring the nation, gets a send-off from three Ike girls just before it leaves San Francisco for its cross-country swing."

The time from 1951 to 1952 has been called the American "Winter of Discontent"^[1]. Americans were frustrated by the stalemated Korean War, with no clear end in sight. The conflict had worn down even Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Harry S. Truman. Truman would not commit to seeking another term and there were no other clear candidates in sight. The nation looked for someone to lead it during this confusing time, and, as they did, more and more people turned to the strong but grandfatherly face of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the head of NATO and the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces who had helped win World War II.

Draft Eisenhower movements had sprung up in 1948 (mostly in the Democratic Party) and again in 1951 in both the Republican and Democratic parties, as Eisenhower had not yet announced any political party affiliation. As a serving officer in a post vital to American security, he said, he could not be seen as seeking to advance any group as compared to another and would not therefore permit any semblance of partisan allegiance to be associated with his name^[1]. In some cases he even quoted Army Regulations (AR 600-10.18.)i forbidding partisan political activity by serving officers^[1].

With both major political parties vying for Eisenhower's name on their presidential ticket, Democrats were especially hoping for someone who could help them retain the White House after Harry S. Truman, who many felt could not win re-election. Hoping that Eisenhower would commit to running on behalf of the Democratic Party, Truman wrote to Eisenhower in December 1951, saying: "I wish you would let me know what you intend to do." Eisenhower responded: "I do not feel that I have any duty to seek a political nomination"^[1]. But the Draft Ike movement was not so easily dissuaded. Next, the Republicans made a shot at convincing him to run. Their efforts first became serious when New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. of Massachusetts began an effort to persuade the General to run, which formalized in the creation of an organization called the "National Citizens for Eisenhower".

The internationalist wing of the Republican party soon began to take to Eisenhower as an alternative to the more isolationist candidate, Sen. Robert A. Taft, who, even up until the primaries, was widely considered by insiders to be the frontrunner for the nomination^[2]. This contrast was also apparent in one of the larger national issues of the day: Communism. While Taft wanted to stop the spread of Communism by weeding out subversives in the homefront, Eisenhower focused on diplomatically containing the spread of Communism overseas. Eisenhower eventually warmed to the Republican party, because he felt that the Democratic party was promoting centralized government at the expense of individual liberty.

In December 1951, there was so much buzz about the Draft Eisenhower movement that Eisenhower had his friend Clifford Roberts secretly organize a political advisory group of close, trusted persons so that he could keep an eye on the movement^[1]. Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge was perhaps the most vocal, effective, and persistent supporter of the movement, and after months of argument, Lodge got Eisenhower to at least not repudiate a draft movement, though Eisenhower stated that he would never actively seek the nomination^[1]. Early in 1952, long after other candidates had already begun campaigning and just weeks before the start of the primary process, the movement finally got Eisenhower to admit that while he would not actively seek the nomination, he might respond if he truly felt called to a higher duty^[1].

A cadre of young draft movement supporters sporting "Ike" apparel and a giant "We Like Ike" button

On January 6, 1952, Sen. Lodge entered Eisenhower's name into the New Hampshire primary ballot without Eisenhower's permission. Afterward, Eisenhower finally stated that if offered the Republican nomination for the presidency, he would accept it. However, for several weeks, Eisenhower was a non-participant and would not speak out on his views or declare himself a candidate. Throughout January and February 1952, Eisenhower wrote to friends and family members saying that he was flattered by the movement, but did not really believe it was as widespread as the media implied.

On February 8, 1952, the movement began to show just how large it was. A Draft Eisenhower rally was scheduled to be held in Madison Square Garden on that day. The event planners expected no more than 16,000 supporters (and such was the capacity), yet over 25,000 showed up, and the New York police and fire marshals could get very few people to leave. Then, on February 11, 1952, a turning point came, when famous businesswoman and aviator Jacqueline Cochran flew to Paris to show Eisenhower a tribute film she had made, entitled "Serenade to Ike". The film visibly touched Eisenhower, who began to shed tears when, at the end of the film, Cochran toasted to Eisenhower, saying, "To the President of the United States." Eisenhower later wrote of the event, describing his inner turmoil by stating, "I've never been so upset in years"^[1].

On March 11, 1952, the results of the New Hampshire primary came in. Eisenhower had won the contest against Sen. Taft by 50% to 38% and had captured all of the Republican delegates. Eisenhower announced that he was "astounded" and "moved" by the results and told a reporter, "Any American who would have that many other Americans pay him that compliment would be proud or he would not be an American"^[1]. After being convinced by this evidence, he announced his candidacy the next day.

Eisenhower won the Republican nomination and defeated Adlai Stevenson in the general election in November 1952.

In the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, when asked what his last words will be, Indy replies, "I like Ike" which is relevant seeing as the film is set in 1957. Later on it is written on the side of an Atomic bomb just before it's detonated.

Republican Mike Huckabee used the slogan "I like Mike" in his campaign to be the Republican Party's nominee for the 2008 Presidential election.