Eisenhower was indeed an incredibly popular President. His personal appeal cut across party lines, helping him to secure comfortable victories in the 1952 and 1956 elections. The Republicans made great play of Eisenhower's popularity, coining the slogan "I like Ike," which they used in campaign commercials, and plastered all over countless badges and posters.

Eisenhower's popularity was his main strength, which was just as well because his policy program didn't represent that much of a departure from his Democratic predecessor, Harry Truman. A moderate Republican, Eisenhower had no desire to implement the kind of laissez-faire policies associated with the Republican administrations of the 1920s and early 30s. American public opinion had changed radically in its estimation of the role of government, and Eisenhower understood this. His maintenance of the broadly Keynesian policies of the Truman Administration added to his popularity, ensuring that when he left office in 1961, Eisenhower enjoyed relatively high approval ratings.