Historic Parallels Between the Republican Party of the 1950s and 2000s

Facing a difficult midterm election in fall 2006, the Republican Party is facing a strong historical push against them as well as historically low approval ratings for both the President and Congress. They should express some dismay at the amount of historical parallels that exist between the Republicans in the present and the Republicans in the 1950s.

The Republicans in the 1950s rebounded from two decades of futility following the rise of Rooseveltian Democrats and the fall of laissez-faire warriors like Herbert Hoover. The New Deal and the Second World War had done much to strengthen Democratic resolve against Republicans challenges that they were too liberal or the common refrains of the flailing Republican, too socialist. However, the failures of President Truman to push through a progressive social agenda while maintaining strength against Communists led to a reconstituted Republican Party led by political newcomer Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower represented a moderate approach to politics, as he was able to claim independence from both parties in his military career. The Democratic Party, in contrast, was in dismay as three distinct factions came to rule the party: the liberal, social reform branch, the Southern conservative branch, and the moderate Truman Democrats. The Republicans were able to hold on through the 1950s to the presidency, but Eisenhower’s choice of Earl Warren to lead the Supreme Court proved to be a liberal choice and the Democrats were able to maintain their choke hold on Congress. This led to a decade of Democratic leadership in Washington and a hold on Congress until the Reagan Administration.