Earl Warren and the Warren Court: The Court that Changed the Nation
mikeholme.substack.com
The start of the liberal era of the court began, strangely enough, with Republican politicking. Earl Warren (1891-1974) was a prominent player in Republican politics as California’s popular governor as well as Thomas E. Dewey’s 1948 running mate. Although Warren had a reputation as a progressive Republican governor (he even tried to push for compulsory health insurance) and in 1944 had called for a more liberal GOP at the Republican National Convention, he maintained good relations with both the liberal and conservative wings of the party. However, from the very beginning Warren took a disliking to a young politician named Richard Nixon. In 1946, Warren persuaded Harold Stassen to decline coming to California to campaign for Nixon when he ran against incumbent Democrat Jerry Voorhis for Congress. Nixon didn’t forget Warren’s intervention and the two men developed a rivalry that became a feud that lasted the rest of Warren’s life. Warren also declined to endorse his Senate bid in 1950 as he didn’t want a more conservative Republican competing with him for leadership in California and didn’t care for his sort of anti-communist politicking. Nixon would get to pay him back in spades when he wanted the presidency in 1952. He hoped he could be a compromise candidate between the conservative Taft and the moderate Eisenhower, but ultimately was undermined by Nixon, who in exchange for Eisenhower picking him as vice president, convinced most of the California delegation (of which he was part) at the Republican National Convention to switch their support from Warren to Eisenhower. This became known as “The Great Train Robbery” since he had boarded the Warren train going to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. Nixon backed procedural vote after procedural vote that helped Eisenhower secure the nomination.
Earl Warren and the Warren Court: The Court that Changed the Nation
Earl Warren and the Warren Court: The Court…
Earl Warren and the Warren Court: The Court that Changed the Nation
The start of the liberal era of the court began, strangely enough, with Republican politicking. Earl Warren (1891-1974) was a prominent player in Republican politics as California’s popular governor as well as Thomas E. Dewey’s 1948 running mate. Although Warren had a reputation as a progressive Republican governor (he even tried to push for compulsory health insurance) and in 1944 had called for a more liberal GOP at the Republican National Convention, he maintained good relations with both the liberal and conservative wings of the party. However, from the very beginning Warren took a disliking to a young politician named Richard Nixon. In 1946, Warren persuaded Harold Stassen to decline coming to California to campaign for Nixon when he ran against incumbent Democrat Jerry Voorhis for Congress. Nixon didn’t forget Warren’s intervention and the two men developed a rivalry that became a feud that lasted the rest of Warren’s life. Warren also declined to endorse his Senate bid in 1950 as he didn’t want a more conservative Republican competing with him for leadership in California and didn’t care for his sort of anti-communist politicking. Nixon would get to pay him back in spades when he wanted the presidency in 1952. He hoped he could be a compromise candidate between the conservative Taft and the moderate Eisenhower, but ultimately was undermined by Nixon, who in exchange for Eisenhower picking him as vice president, convinced most of the California delegation (of which he was part) at the Republican National Convention to switch their support from Warren to Eisenhower. This became known as “The Great Train Robbery” since he had boarded the Warren train going to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. Nixon backed procedural vote after procedural vote that helped Eisenhower secure the nomination.