Outrun my Gun:
The Presidency of Douglas MacArthur
The Presidency of Douglas MacArthur
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All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet
You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet
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October, 15th, 1952
A massive crowd swelled around the podium as the man they had waited several hours to see came to the stage. Out of the wings walked the Republican Presidential nominee Robert Taft, followed by the man that the people had come to see speak; his running mate Douglas MacArthur. While Taft wasn't a very good campaigner, his running mate made up for his shortcomings with his bombastic personality. People, well some people anyways, liked MacArthur; he was a war hero, a staunch anti-communist and he made Taft seem just a little bit more noticeable. The two men hoped to unseat the Democratic Party from the White House after twenty years of domination by beating Adlai Stevenson. Taft gave a short speech that received clapping a praise from the crowd, but that would soon disappear under the thunderous roar of applause and screams as the former general approached the podium to add a few closing statements.
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation. There are those who say that this war is the wrong war, with the wrong enemy, those that would appease Red China. I have said before that they are blind to history's clear lesson, for history teaches with unmistakable emphasis that appeasement but begets new and bloodier wars. Robert and I will preserve the freedoms of America, by pursuing victory in Korea. A victory in November means a victory in Korea, a victory over communism, and a victory over corruption!”
The crowd applauded the two men as MacArthur and Taft left the stage.
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November 4, 1952
MacArthur held a grin on his face even as his lips held a Cuban cigar in his mouth. He was elated, he and Robert had won, it had been closer than he would have liked, but he had once said “You win or lose, live or die — and the difference is just an eyelash.” About war so he supposed the same was true in politics. As he greeted the President-elect he asked him.
“What’s wrong Robert? You don’t look so well?”
Taft replied “Oh, it’s nothing I’ll be fine.”
What neither men knew was that Taft would not be fine, the heavy campaigning had weakened his body cancer was slowly killing him.
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November 4, 1952
Molotov nervously looked around the table at the others who comrade General-Secretary Vissarionovich had called up. Molotov knew that Stalin’s mind was going, the strokes, heart attacks, and the Great Patriotic War had taken a great toll on the man; he was even more paranoid than usual. And while Molotov was fairly certain he knew what this meeting was about he could not be sure that it wasn’t just Stalin rounding them all up to be liquidated. The great Georgian sat at the head of the table looking at the others, his heavy face looking into the very souls of those around him before he decided to speak.
“The capitalist Americans have shown their true nature as fascists today in their election of General MacArthur and his figurehead this Robert Taft.”
Molotov didn’t speak though he felt that it wasn’t entirely a bad thing that Taft had been elected. The man did not want to be part of NATO a threat to the USSR’s security and was more like the isolationists that had tried to keep the Americans out of the last war. Beria spoke as if on cue with Stalin’s gaze.
“While the election of the general undoubtedly shows the true fascist nature of the Americans it may be beneficial to us as MacArthur is a man of the east, he will look to be less involved in Europe and more involved in Asia. Trading in Mao for Europe may be a possibility with this administration.”
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February 15th, 1953
“How bad is it, Robert?” MacArthur asked Taft.
“It’s not good Mac, the doctors say it has spread throughout my body and is inoperable. The stress of the campaign weakened my body and sped up the spread of the tumors. I’ve got a little bit over a month at best.”
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