10-13-2020, 12:41 AM
Speaking of Ike, I wonder whether Classic X'er can figure this one out:
... In this case I suggest that even if the partisan identities of the states are almost opposite in the elections involving Eisenhower and Obama, the blocks of states involved suggest that Ike and Obama got (and lost) many of the key constituencies in their elections. This, if you are aware of my posting history, is one of my favorite contrasts.
..........................
When all is said and done, I think that the Obama and Eisenhower Presidencies are going to look like good analogues. Both Presidents are chilly rationalists. Both are practically scandal-free administrations. Both started with a troublesome war that both found their way out of. Neither did much to 'grow' the strength of their Parties in either House of Congress. To compare ISIS to Fidel Castro is completely unfair to Fidel Castro, a gentleman by contrast to ISIS.
The definitive moderate Republican may have been Dwight Eisenhower, and I have heard plenty of Democrats praise the Eisenhower Presidency. He went along with Supreme Court rulings that outlawed segregationist practices, stayed clear of the McCarthy bandwagon, and let McCarthy implode.
![[Image: genusmap.php?year=2008&ev_c=1&pv_p=1&ev_...&NE3=2;1;7]](https://uselectionatlas.org/TOOLS/genusmap.php?year=2008&ev_c=1&pv_p=1&ev_p=1&type=calc&AL=3;9;7&AK=0;3;2&AZ=2;11;7&AR=3;6;7&CA=4;55;1&CO=4;9;1&CT=4;7;1&DE=4;3;1&DC=0;3;1&FL=4;29;1&GA=3;16;7&HI=0;4;7&ID=2;4;7&IL=4;20;1&IN=2;11;2&IA=4;6;1&KS=2;6;7&KY=3;8;4&LA=3;8;4&MD=4;10;1&MA=4;11;1&MI=4;16;1&MN=4;10;1&MS=3;6;7&MO=3;10;4&MT=2;3;7&NV=4;6;1&NH=4;4;1&NJ=4;14;1&NM=4;5;1&NY=4;29;1&NC=1;15;2&ND=2;3;7&OH=4;18;1&OK=2;7;7&OR=4;7;1&PA=4;20;1&RI=4;4;1&SC=3;9;7&SD=2;3;7&TN=2;11;7&TX=2;38;7&UT=2;6;7&VT=4;3;1&VA=4;13;1&WA=4;12;1&WV=3;5;4&WI=4;10;1&WY=2;3;7&ME=4;2;1&ME1=4;1;1&ME2=4;1;1&NE=2;2;7&NE1=2;1;7&NE2=2;1;2&NE3=2;1;7)
gray -- did not vote in 1952 or 1956
white -- Eisenhower twice, Obama twice
deep blue -- Republican all four elections
light blue -- Republican all but 2012 (I assume that greater Omaha went for Ike twice)
light green -- Eisenhower once, Stevenson once, Obama never
dark green -- Stevenson twice, Obama never
pink -- Stevenson twice, Obama once
No state voted Democratic all four times, so no state is in deep red.
Although Obama is unique as President, someone has to be most similar to him in his regional appeal and in his constituencies of support. Obviously any big winner is going to have a chance to win Maine and Vermont as FDR didn't in his 46-state landslide, Massachusetts as did Nixon didn't in a 49-state landslide, and Minnesota as Reagan didn't in 1984 in his 49-state landslide. By temperament and character, and ineffectiveness in building his Party's strength in Congress, Obama seems closer to Eisenhower than to anyone else. The overlay between Obama and Eisenhower is between states voting for the Republican nominee in 1952 and 1956 and Democratic nominee in 2008 and 2012.
Both Presidents did well with people of above-average formal education. Very well. In 2012 Obama got 331 electoral votes, only seven of those from places that did not vote twice for Ike in the 1950's. Hawaii and Dee Cee weren't voting then.
... In this case I suggest that even if the partisan identities of the states are almost opposite in the elections involving Eisenhower and Obama, the blocks of states involved suggest that Ike and Obama got (and lost) many of the key constituencies in their elections. This, if you are aware of my posting history, is one of my favorite contrasts.
..........................
When all is said and done, I think that the Obama and Eisenhower Presidencies are going to look like good analogues. Both Presidents are chilly rationalists. Both are practically scandal-free administrations. Both started with a troublesome war that both found their way out of. Neither did much to 'grow' the strength of their Parties in either House of Congress. To compare ISIS to Fidel Castro is completely unfair to Fidel Castro, a gentleman by contrast to ISIS.
The definitive moderate Republican may have been Dwight Eisenhower, and I have heard plenty of Democrats praise the Eisenhower Presidency. He went along with Supreme Court rulings that outlawed segregationist practices, stayed clear of the McCarthy bandwagon, and let McCarthy implode.
gray -- did not vote in 1952 or 1956
white -- Eisenhower twice, Obama twice
deep blue -- Republican all four elections
light blue -- Republican all but 2012 (I assume that greater Omaha went for Ike twice)
light green -- Eisenhower once, Stevenson once, Obama never
dark green -- Stevenson twice, Obama never
pink -- Stevenson twice, Obama once
No state voted Democratic all four times, so no state is in deep red.
Although Obama is unique as President, someone has to be most similar to him in his regional appeal and in his constituencies of support. Obviously any big winner is going to have a chance to win Maine and Vermont as FDR didn't in his 46-state landslide, Massachusetts as did Nixon didn't in a 49-state landslide, and Minnesota as Reagan didn't in 1984 in his 49-state landslide. By temperament and character, and ineffectiveness in building his Party's strength in Congress, Obama seems closer to Eisenhower than to anyone else. The overlay between Obama and Eisenhower is between states voting for the Republican nominee in 1952 and 1956 and Democratic nominee in 2008 and 2012.
Both Presidents did well with people of above-average formal education. Very well. In 2012 Obama got 331 electoral votes, only seven of those from places that did not vote twice for Ike in the 1950's. Hawaii and Dee Cee weren't voting then.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.