A Call to Action

America has seen many draft movements in its history. Maybe the most notable draft campaign was that of former five-star general Dwight D. Eisenhower. Draft Eisenhower movements sprung up in both the Democratic and Republican parties in 1948 and again during 1951. Eisenhower did his best to ignore them.

In late December, then President Harry S. Truman wrote to ask General Eisenhower, "I wish you would let me know what you intend to do", and General Eisenhower replied, "I do not feel that I have any duty to seek a political nomination." Soon after, General Eisenhower reconciled his commitment not to seek a political office by taking the position that he would be personally compelled to respond if called to a higher duty.
During the Democratic National Convention in 1952, Adlai Stevenson was drafted as a nominee, in spite of his earlier statements about his lack of a desire to run for office, and eventually overcame Estes Kefauver as a favorite of the delegates after three rounds of voting.

Henry Cabot Lodge forced the issue by entering Eisenhower in the New Hampshire Republican primary without Eisenhower's authorization. General Eisenhower won all the Republican delegates and soundly defeated Senator Robert Taft of Ohio (who had campaigned intensively in the state) by a vote of 50% to 38%.

After the primary win, Eisenhower told a reporter, "Any American who would have that many other Americans pay him that compliment would be proud or he would not be an American." Convinced of being called to a higher duty, he announced his candidacy the next day.

The same can be said for Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross. We're calling him into action. The State of Illinois has never been in a worse spot. We need his leadership. We need his courage. We need his judgement.

Join us in helping compel Tom Cross to run in 2010.