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Title: Why did Eisenhower win Louisiana in 1956? Post by: Calthrina950 on September 03, 2019, 09:33:16 AM The question is as in the title. In 1956, Dwight Eisenhower became the first Republican since Reconstruction in 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes) to win Louisiana. And not only did he win the state, he did so handily over Adlai Stevenson, carrying it 53-40-7 (the margin was distorted by the large "unpledged" vote that year, but it is notable, nevertheless). In 1952, Stevenson had won the state over Eisenhower 53-47. What caused Louisiana to flip, while states like North Carolina, South Carolina, and Arkansas remained loyal to Stevenson? And especially so, given that Stevenson picked up Missouri that same year?
Discuss below. Title: Re: Why did Eisenhower win Louisiana in 1956? Post by: morgankingsley on September 05, 2019, 06:25:03 AM I wonder if mild resentment to Stevenson not picking Kennedy would have helped in this margin by a couple percent
Title: Re: Why did Eisenhower win Louisiana in 1956? Post by: Fuzzy Bear on September 07, 2019, 12:21:24 PM This occurred mainly due to Stevenson endorsing Federal control of the Tidelands oil, while Eisenhower endorsed state control. LA Gov Robert Kennon, an anti-Long Democrat, endorsed Ike, as did a number of the more conservative LA Dems.
Title: Re: Why did Eisenhower win Louisiana in 1956? Post by: morgankingsley on September 14, 2019, 05:27:36 PM This occurred mainly due to Stevenson endorsing Federal control of the Tidelands oil, while Eisenhower endorsed state control. LA Gov Robert Kennon, an anti-Long Democrat, endorsed Ike, as did a number of the more conservative LA Dems. Still though, a double digit margin is a bit shocking Title: Re: Why did Eisenhower win Louisiana in 1956? Post by: Calthrina950 on September 14, 2019, 05:45:47 PM This occurred mainly due to Stevenson endorsing Federal control of the Tidelands oil, while Eisenhower endorsed state control. LA Gov Robert Kennon, an anti-Long Democrat, endorsed Ike, as did a number of the more conservative LA Dems. Still though, a double digit margin is a bit shocking As I mentioned in my first post, Unpledged Electors received 7% of the vote that year, exaggerating the extent of Eisenhower's victory. Had that 7% gone to Stevenson, Eisenhower would have beaten him 53-47%, an almost exact reverse of the 1952 results in the state. Title: Re: Why did Eisenhower win Louisiana in 1956? Post by: TheElectoralBoobyPrize on October 03, 2019, 08:49:56 PM As some of the posts in this thread have alluded, it's really more of a mystery why the state voted so differently than the other Deep South states, where Stevenson won by double digits (2 to 1 in Georgia!). It voted more like its neighbor to the west did...
Louisiana in '80 also gave Reagan a bigger margin than any other Deep South states. Title: Re: Why did Eisenhower win Louisiana in 1956? Post by: mianfei on February 28, 2023, 06:50:27 AM As some of the posts in this thread have alluded, it's really more of a mystery why the state voted so differently than the other Deep South states, where Stevenson won by double digits (2 to 1 in Georgia!). It voted more like its neighbor to the west did... Louisiana in '80 also gave Reagan a bigger margin than any other Deep South states. Additionally, many anti-Long Democrats even outside Acadiana voted Republican for President in 1956, and “Calthrina950” has said (https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=347934.msg7612872#msg7612872) about the Long northern upcountry parishes where Stevenson did very poorly compared to other regions of the Deep South upcountry: ...I've noticed that those same [[northern upcountry] parishes largely split between Nixon and Unpledged Electors in 1960 as well, and in 1964, Goldwater dominated the region against Lyndon Johnson. LaSalle Parish, in particular, gave Eisenhower more than 60% of the vote, and it was one of the parishes to give Nixon a majority four years afterwards [1960]. I have read elsewhere, though, that Northern Louisiana is notorious for its racism, and this certainly played a factor in its voting patterns (obviously). The racial tensions in that region must have been more pervasive compared to analogous regions in Northern Alabama, Northern Georgia, Northern South Carolina, and even Northern Mississippi—where Stevenson, Kennedy, and Johnson held up in support despite civil rights. |