By the time November of 1952 rolled around the Korean War was in stalemate; this made the 1952 election one that was about progress as the American voters looked for a candidate who could make good decisions and offer a leadership that would take the country (and the war) in a better direction. This article points out that even on the eve of the election pollsters had discovered that as many as seven million voters were undecided as to their allegiances. Neither candidate was looking for a victory in Korea, both campaigned on finding "a peace". When President Truman taunted Eisenhower to "come forward with any plan he had for peace in Korea" it resulted in the retired general standing before the microphones and uttering pensively: "I will go to Korea". The electorate was at once reminded as to how trusted he had been in the past and Eisenhower was elected, carrying 41 states and receiving nearly 58 percent of the popular vote.
It should also be remembered that no small part of the Eisenhower victory lay in the fact that the Democratic Party had held the power since 1933, inflation was growing and, in many parts of the country, change was in the air.
More on the 1952 presidential election can be read here...
