A Return to Old Glory

Who Should be the Democrats' Nominee?

  • Adlai Stevenson

    Votes: 3 33.3%
  • Estes Kefauver

    Votes: 5 55.6%
  • Pat Brown

    Votes: 1 11.1%

  • Total voters
    9
"Everyone... Everyone, Please!"

The Chairman Bangs His Gavel.

"Thank you... By a Vote of 622 to 584... the motion of Fair Play... will not go forward."

Boos and Cheers Ring through the Crowd, the Chairman Bangs His Gavel.

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"Delegates... Delegates... quiet down!"

Chairman bangs his gavel repeatedly.

"My fellow Republicans... the votes cast for the First Ballot have been tallied... and it has been determined... that our Nominee for President of the United States... will be... Robert Alphonso Taft of Ohio."

Boos and Cheers Ring through the Crowd, to no Effect the Chairman Calls for Quiet.

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Senator Taft Steps up to the Podium, Shakes Hands with the Chairman and General Eisenhower, Sips from a glass of Water.

"Excuse me... Mr Chairman, Mr Vice President to Be... My Fellow Americans... I Would Like to Thank You for... for putting your faith in my competence and dedication to public service... I am aware of the solemn duties of the office to which you have nominated me to.

"With humility, I accept your nomination for President of the United States."

The crowd cheers.

"I... I Will be Honored to Serve You in the Executive Branch, Should I Be Elected... Alongside One of the Finest Men in Public Service of Our Time... Governor Earl Warren."

The crowd cheers, more enthusiastically.

"I... I would like to thank General Dwight Eisenhower, for conceding so graciously... he has put up a good fight... and I hope, that now, we can come together as one Party."

Cheers.

"I do not think that it would be over-dramatic of me to suggest that this is a significant election... in an unnerving time... as we speak, tens of thousands of American boys are fighting across the Pacific in Korea...

"Indeed... over the course of three years have we defeated Nazi fascism... a monster whose atrocities have forever scarred the face of Europe... and in that process, have we restored democracy, sovereignty, to France, to Italy, to Holland, and Greece.

"We have also restored prosperity... today, the economies of those countries have rebounded considerably... millions of people there are employed, at well-paying jobs, affording them whatever they wish.

"So it would seem to me... that the presence of American military bases overseas... are no longer needed... economically strong, they should be able to handle their own affairs.

"As for Korea... while we have liberated Seoul from the Northern Army... I believe that it is an unwinnable war-"

Boos and cheers.

"An unwinnable war... and that it would be in the interest of United States servicemen... those who are willing to sacrifice their very lives... for the good of the country, and the good of the world... so, in their honor, let us bring them home!"

Cheers.

"I assure you, however... that under no circumstances would I attempt to make us look weak in the face of an expansionist, totalitarian Russia... we will retain our atomic arsenal, the greatest deterrent as proven over the past few years.

"This... this country of ours, it has, and always shall be, a shining example of the success of democracy... which is why despots abroad hate us so... and it is in my belief that democracy requires that power is placed in the hands of the individual.

"In the past twenty years or so... the federal government has only increased the realm of it's power... one man's pension is not controlled by the future pensioner, but by a bureaucrat in Washington... I will attempt to reverse such abuses of power.

"So... we are about to embark upon a campaign... not just a campaign to put a Republican in the White House... but rather, to end decades of corruption at the hands of the machinery that is the Democratic Party!"

Overwhelming cheers.

"I know... I know that many of you do not have faith in me, or my beliefs... and I will respect such sentiments... but I ask you, as Republicans... as Americans who wish to end the reign of one party... to stand by my side... as we move forward.

"God Bless You, and God Bless America."
 
New York Post Interview with Adlai Stevenson, Governor of Illinois:

INTERVIEWER: Governor, a lot of Democrats are... are asking for you to nominate yourself at the Convention?

STEVENSON: Well, um... unfortunately, for them [CHUCKLES] I... I have no interest in running for President, not... not at this time.
 
"God-dam motherfucker won the nomination... maybe if I lost in `48, then Dewey, who has common sense, would be in charge... now, we may lose everything we ever fucking worked for..."

-Harry Truman's Diary
 
"It Is Time that This Party Stands Up for What is Right! We Must Preserve Social Security! We Must Fight for the Rights of Unionists! We Must Not Let the Republicans Have their Way! If You Believe in the Legacy of Franklin Roosevelt, in Fighting for the Working Man, then Come With me On to Victory!"

-Estes Kefauver Campaign Pamphlet
 
The Republicans are gonna win no matter who the Democrats nominate (unless they nominate Eisenhower), so it's a bad idea to waste a good nominee. Nominate Kefauver so he can't run in 1956.
 
MITCHELL: Give Stevenson whatever he wants, I don't want that mother-fucker from Tennessee five miles away from the ticket.

-FBI Wiretap
 
"Today, the Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago..."

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"Order... Order!

The Chairman Banged his Gavel.

"Please... We Will Now Be Hearing from Governor Stevenson."

The crowd applauds as Stevenson steps up to the stage.

"Thank you... thank you... I am honored to give the welcoming address at... at this year's Democratic National Convention. Only a few weeks ago, at this very spot... one Senator Taft gave a speech of his own."

Boos from the crowd.

"A speech decrying our Party... our Party which stands for Social Security... our Party which stands up for the rights of unionists... our Party as, apparently, a corrupt machinery... so apparently, fighting for the working man makes us corrupt."

Cheers.

"So, esteemed delegates... I want to remind you that you have been elected to come here... so that we can make sure that Robert Taft does not make it to the Oval Office in November!"

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MITCHELL: He says he doesn't wanna run... for fuck's sake, you heard the speech! That's a message, if there ever was any!

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"And now, we will be hearing from Senator Kefauver."

Cheers and boos from the crowd as Estes Kefauver steps up to the podium.

"Can... Can I speak, please?"

Egg thrown in the direction of Kefauver, misses. A uniformed guard escorts a delegate outside. The Chairman whispers something to Kefauver, but he shakes his head.

"Please... Please, let me speak!"

He sips from a glass of water.

"Esteemed... esteemed delegates..."

The crowd quieted down.

"Esteemed delegates... it is my privilege to be speaking before you today... whether you support me or not... after all, what is a Convention for if not assaulting one of the candidates?"

Laughter.

"But... but in all seriousness... we, as a Party, must make a decision... whether we are to be the Party of the common man... or the Party of the back-room dealer... whether we are to be the Party of civil rights... or the Party of the Dixiecrat... whether we are to be the Party of Franklin Roosevelt... or Grover Cleveland. This is not about the nominee, gentlemen... this is not even about the Platform... this is about our spirit!"

Cheers and boos.

"So... So, I ask you this: are you really willing to call yourself a Democrat, a member of the Party of steel-workers and farmers and coal-miners, a Party open to White and Colored alike, a Party which in this century has stood for the general welfare... and yet, fight against the people behind those causes... that's all I have to say."
 
"The final tally is in..."

The Chairman bangs his gavel.

"And... and it appears that no contestant has won a necessary amount of delegates on the first ballot."
 
"Now... now with all due respect to Governor Brown, Governor Stevenson... I, I won 12 contests, more than three million votes, that's... that's almost 65 percent... it's pretty clear that I am the elected nominee, and... and it seems the National Committee is using the Convention to out me."

-Statement to the Press at Kefauver's Hotel

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TAFT: The Democrats seem to be killing each other.

SUMMERFIELD: Icing it is.

-FBI Wiretap

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Boston Herald Poll: Kefauver expected to lose by a margin of two hundred delegates on the second ballot
 
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