The Presidency under Eisenhower Flashcards
Who was Richard Nixon?
- Key member of HUAC in Alger Hiss case
- Staunch anti-communist
- Member of congress
- Served in the Second World War- - He always wanted to win, no matter what it costed
Why does Nixon almost not become vice president?
A scandal suggested he took money from his supporters
How did Nixon respond to allegations against him?
Did people like this response?
He addressed them head on in what became known as the “checkers” speech.
Many people liked this head on approach as they thought it showed honesty and integrity
How did Nixon’s own skill change the role of Vice president?
- He had a strong work ethic
- He held political skills from his time in the house and the Senate that Eisenhower knew he didnt have
- Nixon’s links to Congress meant he became Eisenhower’s “man on the hill”
How did Eisenhower’s needs impact Nixon’s role as VP?
- Nixon had to step up twice because of Eisenhower’s ill health
- Eisenhower believed that FDR had left Truman ill-informed and that caused problems so he kept Nixon close
- Eisenhower had a military background and so a “second-in-command” was important
What was Nixon’s role as Partisan Campaigner?
- Trying to use Nixon to appeal to hard-line Republicans
- Nixon started to attack the Democrats but Eisenhower told him to ease off to gain more democratic votes
- Nixon was used as a mouthpiece
- Eisenhower publicly disliked his aggressive attitudes
How did Nixon undertake the role of being a Liaison with Congress
- He was the only member of the Eisenhower administration with Congressional experience, had knowledge on dealing with the press
- He worked hard to smooth out differences between the White House and the Old Guard
- Made sure McCarthy wouldn’t damage the organisation
What was Nixon’s role as Civil Rights Advocate?
- exceptionally liberal compared to other republicans
- May have experienced class discrimination, so was anti-discrimination in general
What did Nixon’s role as Goodwill Ambassador involve?
He worked to understand each of the countries he visited and sometimes contributed to continuing good relation
Where did Eisenhower grow up?
A small midwestern town in Kansas
What did Eisenhower’s background involve?
- He had several brothers
- Wanted to go to college but family couldnt afford him and his brother to go simultaneously so his brother went
- He applied to a military academy for the free college education
What strengths did Eisenhower himself bring to his campaign?
- He was a military hero and involved in the D-Day landing
- Famous for becoming first commander of NATO
- He showed great leadership
- He was a likeable and relatable candidate
What strengths did Nixon bring to the presidential campaing?
- Because Eisenhower hadnt come from a political background, Nixon showed his history of being a senator
- He could appeal to anti-communists
- Nixon was a hardline republican and gained their votes where Eisenhower’s more dynamic role may have lost them
How did media affect the 1952 election?
- Eisenhower used 30 second clips in prime tv time to quickly show his policies to US audiences
- Stevenson would buy longer slots but in off-time television and not many people viewed them
What was Eiesenhowers media campaign called?
Eisenhower answers America
