Hey guys, I’ve been reading PBrunsel’s TLs recently, and I was inspired to make my own “Fluke of the Gods” TL in a PBrunsel date by date format, so kudos to PBrunsel. For fans of my other TLs, don’t worry, I have in no way dropped them, and they will be updated (and hopefully completed
). However, don’t expect many updates from this one (I hope to finish this TL, but over a very long stretch of time). I understand that this scenario may be a little unlikely, but please, bear with me. Comments, suggestions, and thoughts are appreciated.
Say What?!: Stevenson Beats EisenhowerBy hantheguitarman
Event Date: 9/25/1952Event Description: General Dwight David Eisenhower drops California Senator Richard Nixon from the Republican presidential ticket, despite public pressure to keep Nixon on the ticket due to his famed “Checkers” speech. Eisenhower privately tells Mamie: “I had a nightmare in which Richard Nixon became the most corrupt President in the history of the United States, and where he abused the Presidency. Nixon already has the makings to become a corrupt President as he is now, and the dream felt so real that I don’t want to risk putting him in a position where he could ever become President, so I dropped him.” Although Nixon is dropped, he is widely seen as vindicated by the public, and he quietly returns to his home in California.
Event Date: 9/26/1952Event Description: The media hounds Eisenhower over dropping Nixon. Many letters and telegrams come rushing into the RNC, lambasting the drop of Nixon. Gallup reports that Eisenhower, who formerly had a 52%-40% spread over Stevenson, now has a slimmer 49%-45% spread. Still, Eisenhower is seen by many as the favored candidate to win. Meanwhile, Stevenson goes on the offensive, saying on the campaign trail in Texas: “While Nixon and I certainly have our own political disagreements, Nixon clearly vindicated himself, and Eisenhower had no reason to drop Richard Nixon from the Presidential ticket. If Eisenhower makes inept decisions on the campaign trail, how can we trust him to make the right decisions in the White House?”
Event Date: 9/30/1952Event Description: Eisenhower lashes at Stevenson for his remarks: “What Stevenson doesn’t understand is that we have to end corruption in the United States government, and I think the American people are sick of the mindboggling corruption in Truman’s Administration, and that Stevenson will be four more years of Truman.” Many see Eisenhower’s remarks as too caustic.
Event Date: 10/5/1952Event Description: Eisenhower announces California Senator William Knowland as his new running mate. While Knowland is an accepted pick by Republicans and independents, polling shows that voters preferred Nixon to Knowland. Nevertheless, polling shows Eisenhower in a 51%-45% lead.
Event Date: 10/12/1952Event Description: At a press conference, reporters ask Eisenhower if there were any policy ideas from William Knowland that Eisenhower will adopt and implement in the White House. Eisenhower makes a tremendous gaffe and replies: "If you give me a week, I might think of one.” Eisenhower (and Knowland for that matter) are ridiculed for Eisenhower’s gaffe. Stevenson makes note of this and attacks the Eisenhower/Knowland ticket over this gaffe on the campaign trail.
Event Date: 10/16/1952Event Description: Eisenhower makes a public statement, saying that his gaffe was a simple joke, and nothing more. Stevenson attacks Eisenhower, saying: “If Eisenhower feels that he can make a joke out of his campaign, he’ll take the Presidency as a joke. Eisenhower seems to be a flip-flop, and he’ll change his positions to whatever politically suits him the best. It’s clear that Eisenhower is not trustworthy, and that he is unfit for the White House.”
Event Date: 11/4/1952Event Description: Governor Adlai Stevenson pulls off an upset and beats the popular General Dwight Eisenhower. The election was very close, and by a margin of 538 votes, news networks finally were able to call the state of Illinois for Stevenson, and with the state, the election at 3 am in the morning the next day. However, Eisenhower ended up winning the popular vote, and to this day, many historians wonder whether vote fraud in Illinois ended up putting Stevenson over the top.
Adlai Stevenson (D-IL)/John Sparkman (D-AL): 271 EV, 49.3% PV
Dwight Eisenhower (R-KS)/William Knowland (R-CA): 260 EV, 50.1% PVDespite Stevenson’s shocking victory, all is not well for the Democrats. The Republicans manage to pick up 2 seats in the Senate, winning control of the chamber. In the House, the Republicans pick up 13 House Seats, reducing (but not eliminating) Democratic control of the House. Nevertheless, the Democrats, who were expecting to lose the White House for the first time in twenty years, are overjoyed to hear that the next President would not in fact be a Republican, but rather another Democrat.
