– Is there a present danger of communism in government? – Candidates And Issues – CBS Radio – May 13, 1952 –
1952 was an election year, and leading up to the conventions both parties’ candidates engaged in knock-down/drag-out fights in order to win nominations. Happens every four years and it’s part of our nation’s ritual.
1952 was also a year we were knee-deep in The Red Scare, the fear that Communist influence was poised to dominate, not only our government, but society in general. It was a hot-button topic in just about every facet of American life, so naturally it would be an essential point to debate and a golden opportunity to score points with the voter.
CBS Radio, among all the networks, was committed to bringing the issues and the candidates before the American audience. So this program, aptly named, was a multi part weekly series that brought together all the candidates (major and minor) to discuss and debate the issues.
This one; “Is There A Danger Of Communists In Our Government?” featured candidates, Harold Stassen, Robert Taft, Estes Kefauver, Robert Kerr and Brien McMahon.
A little background on the Red Scare, in case you didn’t know:
The Red Scare was hysteria over the perceived threat posed by Communists in the U.S. during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, which intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s. (Communists were often referred to as “Reds” for their allegiance to the red Soviet flag.) The Red Scare led to a range of actions that had a profound and enduring effect on U.S. government and society. Federal employees were analyzed to determine whether they were sufficiently loyal to the government, and the House Un-American Activities Committee, as well as U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, investigated allegations of subversive elements in the government and the Hollywood film industry. The climate of fear and repression linked to the Red Scare finally began to ease by the late 1950s.
Here is this half-hour segment from May 13, 1952 with host Dwight Cook.
