But the defeat may also have been due to Eisenhower’s own absence of zeal. Again and again on civil rights he expressed “moderate” opinions in the face of men whose views were immoderate. He sought gradual change where others sought immediate progress or none at all. He showed dispassionate common sense; his opponents fought with passionate zealotry. It was immensely frustrating for Eisenhower to discover that while his appeal to moderation made him admired in the country as a whole, it disarmed him in Congress. Compromise was the ultimate outcome of most congressional proceedings, but to win
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