Eisenhower's Granddaughter For Obama: Sign Of A GOP Shift?

"You'll have to forgive me for being an Eisenhower Republican," joked Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the former five-star general and two-term Republican president. The man who had helped lead America to victory over the forces of Axis darkness during World War II, then oversaw a period of unprecedented prosperity and suburban satisfaction during the 1950s.

Speaking on the telephone on Aug. 7 from her Washington office at The Eisenhower Institute, a think tank where she serves as president emeritus, the journalist-turned-foreign policy wonk explained her decision to publicly support Barack Obama after a lifetime in the Republican Party.

"I don't know how much you know about my grandfather's administration," Eisenhower said. "But that administration stood for multilateral engagement, balancing the budget. They were the party of civil rights, they were the party of environmental progress. That was the Republican Party of the 1950s. I think you can make the case that doesn't sound like the Republican Party we know today. If you look at the way Obama's run his campaign, to how Hillary Clinton ran her campaign, or even how John McCain's campaign is shaping up -- you can definitely say that Obama's running his campaign in a way an Eisenhower Republican would have run his campaign.

"He raises a lot of money," Eisenhower, 56, said, by way of explaining the similarities she sees between her grandfather and the likely Democratic nominee. "He has very little debt. I just love it. Anybody who wants to make him out as this wide-eyed liberal -- I just don't see any evidence for that, not in the way he runs his campaign. And this tells you a lot about how he can administer things, how he manages things, how he deals with situations.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[SeanGardner]

It makes sense that Susan Eisenhower would support Obama.

While it is abundantly clear that Obama has a fairly liberal voting record, it is also known that Obama has a history of working with Republicans when he was a State Senator for 8 years, and, with Republicans in the U.S. Senate since he was sworn in - in January 2005.

Susan Eisenhower had to have seen Obama's 800 plus bills he sponsored as a State Senator, which can be seen right here in all its splendor: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html.

She had to have been impressed with the fact that Illinois State Senator , a longtime of Obama, cut a TV commercial for him in APril of 2007, touting his pragmatic appoach to politics. Here is the clip: http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2007/06/gop-senate-mino.html.

She had to have been impressed with Obama's involvement in the "LUGAR-OBAMA" legislation that has helped decrease the threat of old nuclear, biological, and chemical weapon in the former Soviet Union. Moreover, I'm sure she liked that Obama was also the driving force behind "Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act", which passed in July of 2007 and addressed the hideous treatment received by Veterans under the Bush administration.

So in the end, her support makes sense. Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike will give Obama a sweeping victory this Fall.

[FebM]

Thats the kind of person who should be running for president not McCain, great the Dems have her support for now,

[SwingVoter]

God Bless America!

[athenasword]

Excellent article. Her points are clear and effective. It would be wonderful for this bit of news to see the light of day on major media outlets.

[OldKnute]

Now here is a woman who has a clear vision for America and the desperate need for a new beginning, change and HOPE.

Dear, dear Susan,

My Father served under Ike, would have surrendered his life, he loved so. My Uncle did too, served all of WWII and later was lost over England, 1951. My Father was a Cameramen sent in to document the horrors of the Holocaust in preparation for the Nuremberg Trials, to document manifest HATE. He loved Ike so, though scarred for life by the experience.


A Time to BUILD.

Psalm 33: 12.,,, 2Chronicles 14: 7. remembered by Ike.

Today, religion and spirituality is abused and twisted for Political gain. Your Grandfather placed great store in faith, yet a quiet way about him, that inspired through spiritual instruction and wisdom. Faith of a universal and deeper understanding of God, knowledge that divisions and proclamations are not in the spirit that blesses, but rather adherence to principles,,,, that will.

I thank Ida for this.

One Nation,, Under God,, In God we trust,,, Both National prayers held today and in legacy to your Grandfathers wisdoms, faith and spiritual principles, he held dear.

A BUILDER,, Not a Destroyer. A Uniter, not a divider. A diplomat without equal, even in war.

Blessings to you, dear Susan. Your support for America, Change for America, HOPE for America,,,, is greatly needed.

Speak OUT! Let them hear you! Share with theworld,,,, A Warriors Prayers,,,, our future.

All the best

Knute Neo-LIB

[w&cheneysuck]

She has been s tomping for O bama since before the P rimary in P A. I met her in M arch and she spoke about how O bama had been seeking advice from across the aisle. She was also surprised that he was the first, and only, candidate to come to her and ask about N uclear p roliferation. The G OP has been quietly meeting with O bama but will never admit to it. She said that O bama was very well respected amongst her c olleagues and that the G OP was concerned.....

[Rog49Thomas]

Not the first Eisenhower to jump off the SS Delusion (the current Republican Party).

In 2004 John Eisenhower (son of Ike) changed his party registration and endorsed Kerry.

Hard to imagine that Republican Party - but it did exist.

[TheKnownTruth]

Dang ..... Put a check next to another box..... Welcome aboard...... Let see if we can get her involved in the cabinet......

[ShamusNYC]

The party of fiscal responsibility and restraint is the Democrats

Lincoln would not recognize the Repub party of today (particularly with the harboring of the far right bigots) and would definately be a Democrat

Read Goodwin's 'Team of Rivals' about Lincoln's Presidency to see how different things are today.

[speeddeeps]

I believe linc0ln would be dissapointed in his fellow repubs

[ShamusNYC]

At somepoint, the parties switched places. The Dems used to be the party of bigotry and hate and the Repubs was where you would find the more progressive people (abolishionists).

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

You're exactly correct. Eisenhower warned against the build up of the milit ary industrial complex but no one listened.

We spend more on defense that every other nation in the world, combined.

[ShamusNYC]

Exactly! And the guy was a 5 star General!

Powell - will you PLEASE weigh in her?

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Eisenhower was a great president and he would not recognize the Rethuglican party of today. Eisenhower was anti-expansionist wars like Korea and Viet nam. He was socially tolerant and fiscally conservative. All principles Rethuglicans have thrown under the bus to gin up votes on low taxes and using fear to win elections.

[Rog49Thomas]

I admire the man.

But he approved the overthrow of Mossadeq, planned the invasion of Cuba (Bay of Pigs), and on his watch the US Govt engaged in a variety of other unseemly acts.

[HerbTee]

"You like Ike, I like Ike, everybody likes Ike..." Ms. Susan "Ike" Eisenhower, that is! Thank you kindly Ms. Eisenhower for your support of BO. By the way, please thank your sister-in-law Mrs. Julie Nixon Eisenhower for her support of BO too. With moderate, intelligent, open-minded people like the Eisenhower ladies, Chuck Nagel and other like-thinking Republicans, the Republican Party may just become more respectful and more tolerant over the differences of others some day. I have a dream...!

[pilgrim7]

America is on the brink of its finest hour yet. Not my America. Not your America. But our America. America, the beautiful . Together we can make this happen. Yes we can.


Obama '08

[Housewife]

This could become a very, very big issue come October if more prominent Repubs like Colin Powell jump on board. I think everyone will be pretty tired of watching the old guy punch himself out with gaffe after gaffe.

[wdw101]

Colin Powell as McCain's vp.......i like that

[ShamusNYC]

Dream on!

[HerbTee]

Dream on WD! There's no way Colin Powell would ever join up with Mc-Warmonger as his VP. Not after the way the GWB Administration treated him and we all know Mc-Warmonger is no more than a 3rd GWB term! I bet we'd see Powell being BO's VP or serving in an Obama Administration before we'd ever seem him teaming up with Mc-Warmonger.

[robiform]

Not only is Susan Eisenhower supporting Obama, but I believe I read a few months ago where her sister-in-law, Julie Nixon Eisenhower sent money to the Obama campaign. It just goes to prove that in today's Republican Party, not only would Ike not be welcome, but I would venture to say that neither would his vice-president!!

[vernonbc]

Yes, both David (Susan's brother) and Julie contributed to Obama and are strong supporters. Funny how stuff like that is so seldom mentioned in the media, isn't it? Instead it is a constant barrage of why isn't Obama doing better, why are Hispanics a problem for Obama, why is Obama having a problem with women, why won't blue collar voters vote for Obama (all false premises).

[gage]

The only David Eisenhower listed in FEC reports donated to McCain. .

[dooleynoted]

I saw Susan Eisenhower speak last year ans she really is knowledgeable and brilliant about world affairs. She was my dark horse choice for a veep.