important question...?

Question

Adlai Stevenson II... in his campaign in 1952, what were his interests, and what did he look in to? serious answers only please!

Answer 1

Stevenson was a liberal Democratic Governor from Illinois who lacked a national profile and who was very ambivalent about running in 1952. The Republican candidate, Eisenhower was strongly favored, and the departing Democratic President, Truman, was so unpopular on account of the Korean War that Stevens was afraid to get his endorsement.

In those days, the party nominations were decided at conventions held just two or three months before the general election. Two days before the Democratic convention, Stevens told the delegates from Illinois not to vote for him because he didn't want the job, and he wasn't fit for it.

Nonetheless, Stevenson was nominated, and at first, reporters and the public were impressed with his fresh approach and unscripted sincerity. He said he would "re-freshen" the Fair Deal policies of the Truman Administration. But when he criticized Truman for making a mess of the Korean War and the economy, Truman lashed back a him for being disloyal. Stevenson stopped criticizing his own party, but unfortunately, that left a huge opening for the Republicans to run as the party of change.

Although Stevenson was a gifted speaker, he was also an intellectual with wide interests, and reflecting that, he sprinkled his speeches with references literary and historical references which often eluded the common man. To make matters worse, several poets, playwrights, and novelists contributed phrases and ideas to his speeches. Finally, a pundit dubbed Stevenson an "egghead" and Stevenson instantly lost a lot of support to the plain speaking Eisenhower.

Stevenson often saw two sides to an issue, and because of this, he took a few positions that alienated traditionally Democratic voters. He felt the FBI and not Congress should investigate communist conspiracies against the government, and that the Taft Hartley labor law should be repealed. He testified honestly as a character witness in the Alger Hiss spy trial saying that he knew Hiss to be a good man.

Because of his nuanced and intellectual approach to many of the issues of the day, Republicans were able to paint Stevenson as soft on Communism, out of touch, and indecisive. He refused to attack Eisenhower directly until just a few weeks before the general election and by that time, it was too late.

Answer 2

Early in 1952, while Stevenson was still governor of Illinois, President Harry S. Truman proposed that he seek the Democratic nomination for president. In a fashion that was to become his trademark, Stevenson at first hesitated, arguing that he was committed to running for a second gubernatorial term. As governor of the host state, Stevenson delivered a welcoming address to the delegates to the 1952 Democratic National Convention in Chicago so stirring that it may have helped stampede his nomination. Despite his protestations, the delegates drafted him, and he accepted the nomination with a speech that according to contemporaries, "electrified the nation:"

"When the tumult and the shouting die, when the bands are gone and the lights are dimmed, there is the stark reality of responsibility in an hour of history haunted with those gaunt, grim specters of strife, dissension, and materialism at home, and ruthless, inscrutable, and hostile power abroad. The ordeal of the twentieth century —the bloodiest, most turbulent age of the Christian era—is far from over. Sacrifice, patience, understanding, and implacable purpose may be our lot for years to come. … Let’s talk sense to the American people! Let’s tell them the truth, that there are no gains without pains, that we are now on the eve of great decisions."

Stevenson's distinctive speaking style quickly earned him the reputation of an intellectual and endeared him to many Americans, while simultaneously alienating him from others.

Stevenson's intelligence was the subject of much ridicule; it was during the 1952 campaign that Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. Richard M. Nixon of California labeled Stevenson an "egghead." In the 1952 presidential election against Dwight D. Eisenhower, Stevenson lost heavily outside the Solid South; he won only nine states and lost the Electoral College vote 442 to 89.
Adlai Stevenson statue showing hole in sole of shoe
Adlai Stevenson statue showing hole in sole of shoe

During the campaign, a photograph revealed a hole in the sole of Adlai's right shoe. This became a well-known symbol of Adlai's frugality and earthiness. Photographer Bill Gallagher of the Flint Journal won the 1953 Pulitzer prize on the strength of the image.

Following his defeat, Stevenson traveled throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe, writing about his travels for Look magazine. Although he was not sent as an official emissary of the U.S. government, Stevenson's international reputation gave him access to many foreign officials.