General Down!BackgroundThe 1952 Republican Primary saw Dwight D. Eisenhower become the Republican Nominee for President. He was a Popular General from Europe from the recent World War.
He saw a difficult challenge to Robert Taft, Senator from Ohio. Son of Former President William Howard Taft, he was the Darling of the Conservative Wing of the Republican Party and sought a more Conservative view of the Country after the major expansions of government during the Roosevelt and Truman Presidency's. He wanted to try to return to before then to the economically prosperous 1920s under a Lassez faire Economic Principal and despised the eastern established lead by two time party nominee Thomas Dewey who after much thought decided not to enter into the 1952 Republican Race.
On the Other side of the Isle stood Eisenhower. As a Wartime General, he was a Moderate who supported much of the New Deal and wanted to transform the Party into accepting it. Minor candidates and favorite Sons Earl Warren and Harold Strassen stood no chance and only took there home states of California and Minnesota Respectively.
In the Midwest Taft blew Eisenhower out winning Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Nebraska and South Dakota by Large Margins. The more traditional conservative states. Eisenhower on the other hand took Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Oregon. The traditionally more liberal states.
At the end of the day both men stood at 5 contests won with Taft with a 9% greater Popular vote. This didn't matter much as the delegates and in the delegates both men were basically tied. The Chicago Convention was notoriously suspicious as Eisenhower Aides lead by Dewey accused Taft delegates of stealing and called for there replacements.
They moved for a Initiate called 'Fair Play' which would swap many of Tafts delegates. Fairplay was approved by the Convention and Taft lost many delegates to Eisenhower. After the First Shift Eisenhower stood 845-280 in Delegates. Taft would concede defeat to Eisenhower after a hard fought campaign. He would never get his dream of his Conservative America at least not in his life time as he would die 1 year later. But what if Fair Play was never enacted? What if Taft defeated the General
1952 Republican PrimaryThe Primary's go the same as in our timeline. Taft still sweeps the Midwest and Plains states. Eisenhower still sweeps the more Liberal States in the Primarys. And the Nominee would be anyone's guess.
The convention was surprisingly smooth. There was a attempt by the Eisenhower campaign to break up Tafts delegates through Fair Play however it failed the Convention 598-587. After 10 shifts Eisenhower concedes as Taft comes on top of the Delegates. Taft becomes the Republican Nominee for President and begins his refocusing of the party away from the New Deal Moderation to much dismay from the Eastern Establishment.
1952 Democratic PrimaryThe Democratic Primary was suppose to be a sweep for Truman. He was suppose to be a relitively good president coming off the back of Roosevelt. But he wasnt as his poll numbers sank due to the Indecisive Korean War which had been in stalement for a year and the US at war for 2. Anti-Communist hysteria had also drag him down as Senator Joseph McCarthy lead a crusade against Truman's government.
His approval among democrats was hovering around 40% and it only got worse when he faced a populist democratic insurgency from Estes Kefauver who offered a different path for the party. He was a Populist Senator from Tennesee who lead a crusade against Organized crime. This all accumulated in the first Primary in New Hampshire.
Kefauver pulled up a upset in New Hampshire as he defeated Truman there. Truman, exiled in defeat conceded to never hold Political power again with Johnson following his footsteps in 1968. Estes would sweep the rest of the primary's winning 11 other primarys 3 others from Favorite sons/Minor Candidates.
At the Ends, Estes Populist revolt lead him to capture 64.6% of the vote and mostly no opposition. The convention however proved trouble some. Truman refused to give up his delegates denying Kefauver the amount of delegates needed to win.
There was talk of bring in a dark horse candidate like Adlai Stevenson into the position of Nominee but it was quickly put down as pressure on Truman forced him to croak and give Kefauver the delegates he needed to become nominee making him Democratic Nominee for President
1952 Election*I wrote this whole thing on it but when it didnt save so instead of writing it again i will just post the map here and continue with it
Estes Kefauver - 266, 50.61%Robert Taft - 265 - 49.10%Others/Invalid - 0.29%
