1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower

[tenderfoot]

"Don't join the book burners. Don't think you are going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go into your library and read every book." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

https://www.loc.gov/item/rbpe.0980090c/

[dchill]

1. He seems nice.

[Hekate]

3. He was. He was a great General, a good President, & a decent man. I was just a little kid...

… but I have vivid memories of his decision to federalize the State National Guard in order to desegregate public schools in the South.

[wnylib]

15. He also helped American

businesses in Latin America to support dictatorships that would help those businesses. He supported the Cuban dictator, which resulted in the Cuban people turning to Castro. He joined the British in overthrowing an elected democratic government in Iran and supported the dictatorship of the Shah in order to benefit British and American oil businesses.

Eisenhower was a good general. He led the fight against fascism in Europe. But as president, he did not support democracies abroad. He did some good things domestically, like sending in the National Guard to enforce desegregation. He built the highway system in the US. But after Germany was defeated, he turned his attention so strongly to opposing communism that his administration used fear of communism to villify American people on the left. The McCarthy hearings occurred during Eisenhower's administration. So did the planning for the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.

[Enter stage left]

2. THE VERY LAST DECENT REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT!

Every single one of them since Ike is a horrible piece of shit!!!

[brush]

4. You're so right. He'd be a pro-union Democrat today. See '56 platform below.

[elleng]

5. 'Funny,' my first political memory,

I recall my family being unhappy he defeated Adlai!

[bahboo]

8. same here, my parents were about the only dems in the neighborhood....

hell, almost the entire town....

[elleng]

9. We were in Brooklyn!!!

[bahboo]

10. haha...probably a bit more liberal than the suburban Chicago town I grew up in...

more interesting and fun too!

[elleng]

12. Yes fun!

(Then the 'Bums' moved west.

[captain queeg]

6. He'd be sick to his stomach with the current rethug party, marching to the tune of Nazis.

He was the right man to be supreme allied commander. There were only a could things that I’ve read against him, like the way he treated Truman.

[pidge]

7. He was responsible for interstate highway system that we all enjoy today.

[monkeyman1]

11. he would have seen to it that there would be treason charge's brought ASAP !!

[niyad]

13. Excellent find. Thank you.

[LoisB]

14. My family was for Adlai Stevenson but Eisenhower turned out okay.

[murielm99]

16. My dad campaigned for Adlai.

He was unhappy for a short time, but decided Ike was okay.

My dad had hoped for Adlai to win second one.

My late brother was six when Ike won his second term. My dad was talking about the election with the family. We had just gotten a TV in our household. We kids paid more attention to the news after that.

My brother expressed his concern over Ike being President. He said, "But Dad...now what are they going to do with George Washington?"

My dad explained to him that Washington was long dead.

I did not laugh or tease my brother over that. To this day, I am glad I stayed out of the gentle conversation my dad had with my little brother.

[LoisB]

17. What a marvelous memory.

We only had radio but my grandmother used to make us listen and I'm glad she did. I thought Adlai would win in '56 but I guess people were still enamored with the hero of WWII. I remember hearing Eleanor Roosevelt speaking on behalf of Stevenson.

I am sorry for the loss of your brother.

[murielm99]

18. Thank you.

More and more good memories of my brother are coming back to me these days. He was a good and gentle person. He could be abrasive at times, but then he would turn around and show amazing insights into people and situations.

[tenderfoot]

21. Had I been able to vote at the time (I wasn't alive) I would have backed Stevenson

Eisenhower had some worts but nothing in comparison to now.

[Boomerproud]

19. In truth, did most people pay much attention to Eisenhower?

Yes, he did some mildly progressive things domestically but was a disaster for the developing world. I was born in 1956 and I think the US was so internalized tight after the war and only the power players were playing the game. Not much different than now...

[marie999]

20. He was also responsible for the Vietnam civil war.

He backed the French and when they lost, he refused to back the 1954 Geneva Accord.