Why convert old cruisers after World War II?

Could political resistance to new construction have encouraged the US Navy to convert existing cruisers?

Yes. With a huge World War II fleet still fresh in memory, decision-makers struggled to see why entirely new ships were needed, making conversion a politically easier route.

Congress and naval planners were dealing with a large recently built fleet rather than a blank-sheet procurement problem. Long Beach and new guided-missile ships did not erase the political question of why more large hulls were needed so soon after wartime mass construction. Rebuilding existing cruisers could therefore look more attainable than asking Congress to approve an entirely new class. The exchange makes conversion a procurement choice shaped by institutional memory and budgets as well as technical requirements.