▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁President ial ▁election ▁because ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁sensitive ▁to ▁Southern ▁concerns . ▁R ivers ' s ▁long - h eld ▁dist rust ▁of ▁Republic ans ▁was ▁rein for ced ▁shortly ▁after ▁Eisen h ower ▁became ▁president ▁when ▁he ▁ordered ▁the ▁des eg reg ation ▁of ▁all ▁schools ▁on ▁military ▁bases ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁grant ▁R ivers ▁patron age ▁privileges , ▁despite ▁R ivers ▁being ▁the ▁only ▁Dem ocrat ▁to ▁support ▁Eisen h ower ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁Eisen h ower ' s ▁contin ual ▁push ▁for ▁integration ▁inf uri ated ▁R ivers . ▁When ▁asked ▁if ▁he ▁would ▁back ▁Eisen h ower ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁R ivers ▁later ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁respond ed ▁" H ell ▁no ! ▁Ain ' t ▁no ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁kick ▁of ▁a ▁m ule ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁R ivers ▁soft ened ▁his ▁vocal ▁opposition ▁to ▁civil ▁rights ▁legisl ation . ▁He ▁had ▁ris en ▁in ▁the ▁ranks ▁and ▁his ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁dep ended ▁upon ▁the ▁contin ual ▁support ▁of ▁national ▁Democr ats . ▁R ivers ▁shift ed ▁his ▁approach ▁from ▁def ending ▁seg reg ation ▁to ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁law ▁and ▁order . ▁He ▁found ▁a ▁kind red ▁spirit ▁in ▁George ▁Wal lace ▁and ▁he ▁attended ▁one ▁of ▁Wal lace ' s ▁fund ra ising ▁d inners ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁Wal lace ▁asked ▁R ivers ▁in