AHC: Eisenhower Loses An Election

d32123

Banned
Your challenge is to get Eisenhower to run for election and lose with a PoD after WWII. Good luck.
 
Yeah, let's stick to general elections.

To be honest, I don't see it. None of the Democratic candidates were particularly strong, and Eisenhower doesn't alienate any of the factions in the Republican party at that time, even those conservatives who preferred Taft over him. His political moderation doesn't really allow for the formation of a Third Party in opposition to him, or that would draw votes away from him.

Only if he were to run as an Independent would he lose, but that is far from likely considering how much needed to be coaxed into running.


 
Dewey wins in 1948, eeks out a slim reelection in 1952 because No Wartime POTUS Ever Defeated (Korea, natch) and by 1956 the Republicans are looking pretty damn shaky, mainly thanks to him failing to forge a viable thirdway between Taftite non-interventionism and George Marshall-style internationalism (at least that's what everyone would think, what with the expectations that he'd have had invested in him in those heady days of 1949).

In 1956 the GOP decides to run the old general against whomever gets a very decent looking Democratic nomination that year. And, heck, maybe the 1958 recession has been brought forward two years, thanks to savage defence cuts in the wake of the Korean armistice. Total hail mary pass.

But why Eisenhower would accept such a crappy role at that age, I dunno. Fear of a McCarthyite getting the Republican nomination?

(Surely this broad scenario has been done here before.)
 
I suggest changing his wartime record. hHave someone else have his OTL job and make him an unknown general. h He runs for Congress, Governor or Senator in Pennslyvania and loses.
 
Have Dewey win 1948. Like Truman, his popularity plummets and he decides not to run again in 1952. Afraid of isolationist Taft winning the nomination, Eisenhower steps in, but can't overcome the unpopularity of the current Republican nomination.
 
I'm surprised no one mentioned Eisenhower running and winning in 1948. Given that Truman was less popular than Nixon during Watergate at the beginning of 1952, I don't see the General getting his way out of such a poisoned chalice.

Unless he uses nukes in Korea, which is plausible. Eisenhower was a lot more nuke-happy than Truman.
 
In October of 1952 all of the details about Eisenhowers affair with Kay Summersby comes out. Eisenhower does not deny it. Stevenson in the era of a more democratic party dominated America pulls out the election . The northeast and all of the south stays Democratic.
 
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