I Like Ike Button, 1952 (Image from the Smithsonian Museum of American History)

In this first election featuring t.v. campaign commercials, General Eisenhower faced Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson. Ike’s good nature and conversational style was well-received by the voters. The American people seemingly agreed with the famous slogan, “I Like Ike.”  And, his war record made him a valuable asset for the ongoing Cold War.

In the election of 1956, the question wasn’t if Ike could win a second term – the incumbent was wildly popular. The question was if the president would run for a second term at all. President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack, and had only recently resumed a normal work day.

But, Eisenhower did accept the Republican nomination, and again faced Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. During the election, the volatility of the Cold War surfaced in the Suez Canal crisis and a Soviet invasion of Hungary. President Eisenhower’s handling of these crises led to even more voter support. He again defeated Stevenson and held the White House for four more years.

BIRTHPLACE

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LIBRARY & MUSEUM

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BOOKS

Davis, Kenneth C., and Pedro Martin. Don’t Know Much about the Presidents. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2014.

DeGregorio, William A., and Aaron Jaffe. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books, Inc., 2017.

Kane, Joseph Nathan, and Janet Podell. Facts about the Presidents: A Compilation of Biographical and Historical Information. New York: H.W. Wilson, 2009.