He may have considered his chances strong against Ohio Senator Robert Taft, but would have been a severe underdog against Dwight Eisenhower. Because of this, in the spring of 1952, Truman announced that he would not be a candidate for re-election.mericans disliked the Korean War and felt General Eisenhower, either as a Democrat or Republican, could handle the problem better. Gen. Eisenhower decided to run for president as a moderate Republican who supported the New Deal.