What do people think of Eisenhower?

[Lucky Luciano]

I am especially interested in the opinion of older DUers that might have lived during his tenure as president while they were also politically aware. Some of his statements were quite good - like telling us to watch out for the impending Military Industrial Complex. Was he an ok president or were there other very sinister aspects attached to him as it seems almost all republicans in our modern times have?

[Mythsaje]

1. A couple things about Ike

that I like...

I don't remember him at all, of course (having been born in '66), but I do know two things...his statement about the Military-Industrial complex, and the fact that he was against pushing religious indoctrinization during the pacification of Japan.

[JHBowden]

2. A majority of scientists supported Eisenhower

Eisenhower might have been the most pro-science president ever. I'm not an older voter, but I do know that scientists didn't become a soild Democratic group until Republicans began demonizing us in the 1970s to encourage fundies.

[Cooley Hurd]

3. A real American, and the last republican worthy of my respect....

Ike commanded my Dad and uncles on 6/6/44. They all came home alive, so he has my undying affection for that.:thumbsup:

[Warren DeMontague]

4. For some reason, he reminds me of Elmer Fudd

but he's head and shoulders FAR superior to any Republican President since. I think the worst things you could say about him was that he was intentionally or unintentionally asleep at the switch for quite a while, and as such allowed the CIA to create all kinds of havoc in places like Iran (which still haunts us to this day) and he also ignored what he must have known was a looming battle over civil rights and desegregation.

But overall, a good American, worthy of respect.

[RPM]

5. I like Ike (couldnt resist)

seriously - i would vote for him if he ran tomorrow.

hes my kind of republican.

[tsuki]

6. Eisenhower was the only Republican my "yellow-dog" dad ever

voted for. It was his first election (21 back then.) One of the most difficult things he ever did, pull the Republican lever.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to Little Rock

During Eisenhower's Administration, the Supreme Court issued their Brown vs. Board of Education decision striking down the separate but equal doctrine which had become implemented throughout the South. A couple years later, when Governor Orville Faubus sent the Arkansas National Guard to Little Rock's Central High School to block nine black children from going to school, Eisenhower responded by sending in the 101st Airborne Division to prevent the Arkansas National Guard from taking any action. It was known as the "Little Rock Crisis". He also assigned a personal guard from the 101st Airborne to follow each black student around within the school. Despite their guards, the kids were pursued, beaten, stabbed, and even had acid thrown on them. It's said that one student, Melba Patillo would have lost her eyesight if not for the quick action of a member of the 101st Airborne who quickly washed her face in water.

[ChiDem]

8. It was only days after he took office ....

that he sent word to the Brits that he was willing to crush Irans newfound democracy in the name of oil.

Truman said no way.

Democracy on the march...:hurts:

[JDPriestly]

9. Today he would be a Democrat

although he was anti-union.

I remember sitting on my father's knee listening to the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions in 1951. My father was a staunch Democrat but liked Eisenhower and was hoping he would decide to run as a Democrat. Although my dad was very disappointed when Eisenhower chose to run as a Republican, he backed Stephenson, a good man but up against a formidably popular opponent. Eisenhower is an example of the kind of damage that happens when people elect a middle-of-the-road Republican. He brought a lot of party hard-line Republicans into his administration, and that was damaging to the country. You don't just elect the president, you elect his whole party who manage the administration for the president. That's the lesson I learned from Eisenhower.

By the way, the nominating conventions were much more exciting then, full of surprises, than they are today. Today, everything is scripted. What a shame.

[CTyankee]

10. Federal highway system

That was his big accomplishment domestically and why we have Interstates today. But you could say it buildt the nation (altho to the detriment of public transit but that's another issue).

I have referenced this elsewhere, but what I remember (I am 65 years old)recently is how un-military he was once he retired from the Army. When I saw W up there on that carrier all gussied up in a military uniform (flight suit) I thought of Ike and how it would be unthinkable for him to wear his military uniform once he became president. One of our most cherished principles in this country is that we have a civilian Commander in Chief and Ike knew that.

I remember that Ike was slow on racial integration, if he moved at all and that he lied about our infamous U2 (spy) flight over the Soviet Union. He was also slow on the uptake with Sen. Joe McCarthy. The Rosenberg's were executed during his first term, I think.

Ike was kind of emblematic for the 50s. We had just won the 2nd World War, defeating two countries who couldn't compete with us on the world stage because we had destroyed their ability to do so. The Japanese and Germans came back, of course, but were denied the right to have standing armies. We had cheap energy and for a while low intrest rates. My parents prospered in the 50s, enabling my brother and me to attend college. It was agood time for some, bad time for others.

[Quixote1818]

11. His Grandson endorsed Wes Clark. I have a feeling he would be more

close to the Democrats than Republicans if he were around today.

[ChiDem]

12. How can you say that ?

Bush invaded Iraq for oil

Eisenhower crushed Irans democracy in the name of oil


Some things never change, the people in Iran suffered for decades because of Eisenhower...as will the people of Iraq for Bush's actions...These actions DO come home to roost

Wake up peeps.

[many a good man]

13. He was the last presidential candidate to get my 99-yr old Grandma's vote

...until John Kerry.

[Independent_Liberal]

14. It seems like he was the last Republican president that didn't suck....

I mean, looking at Bush, Reagan, and Nixon, Eisenhower seemed very liberal. I really like his quotes. He was a very intelligent man and you could tell he didn't always put his political gain before the people of the nation.

[Blue_In_AK]

15. He was president from the time I was 6 until 14...

...so I wasn't really politically aware at the time. To me, he seemed like a kindly old grandfather, and I don't remember my parents saying anything bad about him. My dad was always a huge admirer of Harry Truman, though, although I don't remember him saying why.

[oscar111]

16. Good: Nuke sub for the UN: Bad, did not support Stevenson

he could have avoided the race and gone on the stump for the democrats.

Should have, like every american of that time. Massive thought failure, that he did not. Inexcusable.

{mind you i am only judging him from history books, as he was before my time}.