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Taft sought the GOP nomination in [[United States presidential election, 1948|1948]] but it went to his arch-rival, Governor [[Thomas E. Dewey]] of New York.  One reason was Taft's reluctance to support farm subsidies, a position that hurt his party in the farm belt. Taft relied on a national core of loyalists, but had trouble breaking through to independents, and hated to raise money.

Taft sought the GOP nomination in [[United States presidential election, 1948|1948]] but it went to his arch-rival, Governor [[Thomas E. Dewey]] of New York.  One reason was Taft's reluctance to support farm subsidies, a position that hurt his party in the farm belt. Taft relied on a national core of loyalists, but had trouble breaking through to independents, and hated to raise money.

Taft tried again in [[United States presidential election, 1952|1952]], using a strong party base. According to [[Tennessee]] conservative Republican [[B. Carroll Reece]], a U.S. representative from the state's 1st district, he had the solid support from the GOP delegations of southern and border states.<ref>December 17, 1951. [https://www.nytimes.com/1951/12/17/archives/gop-in-south-solid-for-taft-says-reece.html G.O.P. IN SOUTH SOLID FOR TAFT, SAYS REECE]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved October 15, 2021.</ref> Indeed, "black and tan" delegations, including the [[Mississippi]] group led by [[Perry Wilbon Howard, II]], supported the strongly pro-civil rights Taft over [[Dwight Eisenhower]] for the GOP nomination.

Taft tried again in [[United States presidential election, 1952|1952]], using a strong party base. According to [[Tennessee]] conservative Republican [[B. Carroll Reece]], a U.S. representative from the state's 1st district, he had the solid support from the GOP delegations of southern and border states.<ref>December 17, 1951. [https://www.nytimes.com/1951/12/17/archives/gop-in-south-solid-for-taft-says-reece.html G.O.P. IN SOUTH SOLID FOR TAFT, SAYS REECE]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved October 15, 2021.</ref> Indeed, "black and tan" delegations,<ref>Rothbard, Murray N. (June 21, 2011). [https://mises.org/library/swan-song-old-right Swan Song of the Old Right]. ''Mises Institute''. Retrieved October 15, 2021.</ref> including the [[Mississippi]] group led by [[Perry Wilbon Howard, II]],<ref>Apple, Jr., R.W. (August 31, 2004). [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/30/us/republicans-convention-new-york-apple-s-almanac-father-southern-strategy-76-here.html THE REPUBLICANS: THE CONVENTION IN NEW YORK -- APPLE'S ALMANAC; Father of the Southern Strategy, at 76, Is Here for His 11th Convention]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved October 15, 2021.</ref> supported the strongly pro-civil rights Taft over [[Dwight Eisenhower]] for the GOP nomination.

Taft also promised his supporters that he would name [[Douglas MacArthur]] as candidate for Vice President, but was defeated by charismatic Eisenhower. Conservatives felt that chicanery by his opponents caused his narrow defeat at the [[Republican National Convention]]. To gain Taft's support in the campaign, Eisenhower promised he would take no reprisals against Taft partisans, would cut federal spending, and would fight "[[creeping socialism]] in every domestic field." All along Eisenhower agreed with Taft on most domestic issues; their dramatic difference was in foreign policy. Eisenhower firmly believed in [[NATO]] and committed the U.S. to an active anti-[[Communist]] foreign policy.   

Taft also promised his supporters that he would name [[Douglas MacArthur]] as candidate for Vice President, but was defeated by charismatic Eisenhower. Conservatives felt that chicanery by his opponents caused his narrow defeat at the [[Republican National Convention]]. To gain Taft's support in the campaign, Eisenhower promised he would take no reprisals against Taft partisans, would cut federal spending, and would fight "[[creeping socialism]] in every domestic field." All along Eisenhower agreed with Taft on most domestic issues; their dramatic difference was in foreign policy. Eisenhower firmly believed in [[NATO]] and committed the U.S. to an active anti-[[Communist]] foreign policy.