Stassen Again

A new investigation of the meteoric rise, lifetime of achievements, and unique persona of &quot;boy wonder&quot; and perennial candidate Harold E. Stassen.<br /><br />In ten unsuccessful runs at the U.S. presidency, Harold E. Stassen became infamous as a perennial candidate. But his lifetime of achievements, now mostly forgotten, demonstrate his contributions to Minnesota&#39;s political evolution, to international cooperation, and to world peace, as well as his importance to American history. It&#39;s time to consider Stassen, again.<br /><br />At the start of his career in the 1930s, extremism thrived in both state and national politics. Fear-mongering was an increasingly effective weapon in the battle for votes&mdash;and for international influence. Stassen&#39;s leadership as the moderate &quot;boy governor&quot; of Minnesota, lauded by national media, revitalized the state&#39;s Republican Party and helped pave the way for the national party&#39;s return to power. In the middle of his third term as governor, this principled man enlisted in the navy, served in the Pacific, directed the liberation of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, and helped write the charter for the United Nations. After the war, he served in Eisenhower&#39;s cabinet, showing his energy and his ambition. Stassen argued successfully throughout his career for moderation, tolerance, and common sense&mdash; &quot;the middle way&quot;&mdash; at a time when America, and the world, was in woefully short supply of each.