Richard Nixon is dropped after his Checkers Speech proves to be a flop. The strong internationalist Joe McCarthy is chosen as Eisenhower's running-mate. Eisenhower wins 1952 and 1956, but in 1960 Barry Goldwater and John Lindsay run against the controversial McCarthy. McCarthy narrowly wins the Convention's first ballot because of the stunning speech by Secretary of Defense Douglas MacArthur.
Eugene McCarthy takes over the Democratic left and triumphs over Strom Thurmond, John F. Kennedy, and Stuart Symington. His charisma gave him a narrow lead in the polls, and he later marched to victory over McCarthy in the debates.
1960:
309: Sen. Eugene McCarthy(D-MN)/Sen. John F. Kennedy(D-MA) - 46.8%
209: Vice Pres. Joe McCarthy(R-WI)/Sen. Richard Nixon(R-CA) - 44.4%
019: Gov. Ross Barnett(AI-MS)/Sen. Jon Sparkman(AI-AL) - 8.4%
Other: 0.4%
