. -- and he was only moderately supportive of thomas dewey in 1944 and 1948. as 1952 approached, hoover and many associates began to marshall their resources in support of the presidential aspirations of their friend and colleague, senator robert taft of ohio. known as mr. republican, taft led the republicans against truman and believed he earned a shot at the residential press ring. year.hould be his just as important to hoover, taft had been one of the young hoover men who worked with him on relief in belgium from 1914-1919. and the rest of europe after the war. such loyalty deserved his support fo. do we had other ideas and eisenhower was the man who led forces against hitler's eisenhower was at the center of those plans. was dewey and eisenhower on one side and hoover and taft at the other. i can 52 was a time when the two camps focused on the coming campaign. although they were not political opponents, hoover and eisenhower were not allies. they barely communicated during those critical months before the presidential campaign began in earnest. instead of