Eisenhower Platform

In my job as librarian, I get asked for a lot of information about political issues and candidates every election year. In the course of researching a question for someone recently, I stumbled across a couple of interesting documents. Let’s see if you can guess where these statements came from.

“We deplore the duplicity and insincerity of the (opposition) party in racial and religious matters.”

“We recommend to Congress the submission of a constitutional amendment providing equal rights for men and women.”

“(We) will continue to fight for dynamic and progressive programs which . . . will: Stimulate improved job safety of our workers; protect by law, the assets of employee welfare and benefit plans; continue to fight for the elimination of discrimination in employment.”

“In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with people’s money, or their economy, or their form of government, be conservative.”.

They’re from Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Republican platforms in 1952 and 1956!

There has been a lot of finger-pointing this political season about who is on the right, or the left, or in the middle. A look at recent history shows us the truth, that both parties have moved to the right since the 1950s. The Republicans started their move with Richard Nixon, who was far to the right of more traditional Republicans, such as Eisenhower. The Democrats didn’t start moving to the right until after the debacle of the McGovern campaign of 1972, but have been inching steadily in that direction ever since. Bill Clinton has deliberately continued that trend, which brings us to the great irony of this election: If you were an Eisenhower Republican in the 1950s, today you are a Clinton Democrat.

JAMES M. TUCKER

Bellflower