When Dwight Eisenhower died half a century ago this week, tributes flowed freely, highlighting his role in crushing Nazism during World War II. Meanwhile, Ike's steadiness as 34th president during the height of the Cold War and his pragmatic approach to domestic affairs received less credit.
Leading columnists, including the New York Times' Tom Wicker, called Ike a poster boy for the American dream — the Kansas farm boy made good. But few contemporary observers much appreciated the degree to which that “ordinary fellow” from the heart of America — as Ike liked to describe himself — was a sly and effective politician and a deft, behind-the-scenes puppet master.
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