While much of Schlesinger s speech and the contents of the exhibit concentrated on the 1940-1960 period, Stevenson s legacy points to lessons for the 2000 election and current issues in public affairs. The phrase politically correct did not sit well with Adlai Stevenson. In the 1950s he spoke out against the abuses of the McCarthy committee and criticized Eisenhower and the Congress for not standing up for freedom and democracy. In a speech in 1952 in Detroit, where he defended those who were wrongfully charged by McCarthy, Stevenson declared that My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular. He understood deeply the need for tolerance of opposing political viewpoints and the debilitating effect on democracy of a litmus test for patriotism and loyalty.
Polls show a continued decline in the confidence that citizens have in government and politicians.
Stevenson held the view that government serves an important public purpose in society, and public service warrants participation by the most capable people in the country. You let light into a dark and musty room. Candidates for office like to run as outsiders, even when they have served their careers in government. Candidates also pledge not to engage in negative advertising, while running slanderous attack ads against their opponents. In contrast, Stevenson committed himself to a high level of public discourse among political leaders and believed that the American public valued open and honest viewpoints.