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Home , Al Smith, Bob Dole, Horace Greeley, Horatio Seymour

Presidential Campaigning and Elections in The Filson’s Collection – Part II – 1868-2008

Selections from The Filson’s Manuscript, Print, Photo, and Museum Collections Illustrating America’s Presidential Campaigns and Elections After Father Abraham • Lincoln assassinated April 1865 and ascends to presidency • Non-contender for 1868 Republican nomination • Republicans look to war hero as their standard bearer Ulysses S. Grant

• Hero of Civil War for Union • Radical Republican led Reconstruction of American South in full swing • An established precedent for war heroes running for president – and being elected Grant Sweeps to Victory in 1868 versus Grant aims higher than Galena

Waving the “Bloody Shirt”

Poor judgement and corruption

. . . And in 1872 versus . . . And George Train Who ?

Insignificant candidate Inspiration for Jules Verne? Supported women’s

Main contest between Grant and Greeley

The Election of 1876: Hayes vs. Tilden and the End of Reconstruction

Hayes the declared winner Tilden the true winner?

Compromise of 1877

A commission (with Republican majority) declares Hayes the winner of the disputed states and therefore the presidency

Democrats exact promises for accepting this questionable finding

Reconstruction in the South officially comes to an end The Election of 1880: Garfield vs. Hancock

Non-candidate Garfield Nominated Civil War Hero choice of Democrats Movement to nominate Grant for a third term fizzled

Civil War hero Hancock standard bearer of resurgent Democratic Party and hopes for election high

Well organized Republican campaign perhaps the difference in a close race Garfield Assassinated; Arthur Completes Term; Contest for ’84 Nomination James G. Blaine vs. Campaign of Smears and Mistakes Very close contest – the difference

Alienated Republicans – “Mugwumps” – boost Democrats

Greenback and Prohibition Parties field candidates (again) Benjamin “Spoons” Butler

One of many candidates of splinter These parties only rarely could play parties during this period. spoiler to the two major parties. Blaine Blunders – October 29 his “Black Wednesday” Remember the Irish!

“Rum, , and Rebellion”

“Belshazzar” Blaine 1888: Cleveland vs. Harrison Republican contender from 1884 convention gets the party’s Cleveland seeks a 2nd term nomination Down but Not Out . . . 1892 Rematch of 1888 Cleveland Only U.S. President to Serve Non-Consecutive Terms Kentucky Republican efforts in vain Kentucky goes for Cleveland 1896: Republicans Retake the

McKinley of Ohio Bryan of Nebraska Silver and Gold

Republicans support the gold standard

Democrats support free silver – “Cross of Gold”

Third party candidates are in there pitching “Goldbugs” National Democrats and Prohibitionists Round 2: McKinley vs. Bryan 1900 election a repeat of the 1896 race.

Gold standard still an issue.

U.S. now an imperial power, with overseas possessions as result of Spanish American War But . . . One Significant Difference TR the Dynamo

Political machine politics backfire

McKinley’s assassination puts Roosevelt in the White House

Dynamic, popular Reformer Republicans Rule

• 1904: Roosevelt easily elected on his own

• 1908: TR’s chosen successor defeats third time Democratic candidate Bryan

Gov. Willson of KY Campaigns for Taft Election of 1912

• Republican Party’s votes are divided between Taft and Roosevelt • Democrats choose • Republicans vs. • Democrats vs. • Progressive “Bull Moose” Party Kentucky Senator Ollie James a Player

1916: Wilson vs. Hughes Republicans Rule Again: 1920, 1924, 1928

Dems and Others Go Down in Defeat

Robert La Follette 1928 1924 Progressive Party Candidate Democratic Candidate Depression and the Rise of FDR

Elected to four terms

Guided U. S. through the Great Depression and World War II

Last of the New York Presidents Defeats all Republican Comers in Four Elections

Give’m Hell Harry

Succeeds FDR upon latter’s death in April 1945

Makes decision to drop atomic bombs

Draws both praise and criticism for his domestic and foreign policies in a post-WW II world. 1948: A Close Run Thing

Harry Truman for the Democrats Thomas Dewey for the GOP A Kentuckian on the Ticket

Senator Alben Barkley The Era of Eisenhower

From war hero to White House

The Ticket of Eisenhower and Nixon

Democrat Adlai Stevenson Loses Twice to Eisenhower

And Don’t See This Campaign Ploy Any More . . .

New Decade – New Leadership

Democrat John F. wins the presidency, defeating in a close race

Media plays an important role

The and Camelot

In the Other Corner . . .

But Certainly Not Everyone . . . “Plain Speaking“,” “Give’m Hell Harry” Calls It Like He Sees It Not Pulling Any Punches Tragedy in Dallas and LBJ

1964: LBJ and HHH Square Off Against Goldwater and Miller And Negative Campaign Literature Distributed (nothing new)

Crossover Votes Were Encouraged 1968: Nixon vs. Humphrey

A Third Party Candidate:

One of more significant third party candidates – garnering almost 10 million votes but isn’t a spoiler for either major party candidate.

Nixon 520 – McGovern 17

Nixon carries 49 states McGovern takes Mass. and DC The Rise – and Fall – of Richard Nixon

Nixon wins resounding victory over George McGovern in 1972

VP Agnew resigns in 1973 in disgrace; appointed vice-president

Watergate leads to Nixon’s resignation in August 1974

Gerald Ford finds himself in the Oval Office 1976: Carter vs. Ford

Jimmy Carter of Georgia: Gerald Ford: Watergate, Nixon Washington Outsider and Reformer Pardon, and Slow Economy The Age of Reagan Reagan Sweeps to Victory Over Carter

Reagan-Bush 489 Carter-Mondale 49 And Rolls to Victory Again in 1984 Versus the Mondale-Ferraro Ticket

Reagan-Bush 525 Mondale-Ferraro 13 1988: Bush vs. Dukakis

1992: Three Way Race

Economic down turn

Infamous “Read my lips . . . No new taxes” statement in 1988 by Bush used with telling effect against him by Clinton campaign

End of Cold War and Republican party dissention

The Perot factor?

Politics Go Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along And the Winner is

The Democratic ticket of Clinton-Gore Two Southerners from adjoining states

Both relatively young men

Effective campaign with appeal to a broad spectrum of interests 1996

Clinton-Gore again carrying Dem banner

Republican stalwart the GOP candidate 2000: The Chads Have It George W. Bush defeats Albert Gore

Extremely close election: Approx. 101.5 million votes cast – Gore wins popular vote by 540,000 Bush wins electoral vote by 5 – 271 to 266

Shades of 1876? Florida (25 votes) disputed: Supreme Court decision finds for Florida government’s method of determining winner ( governor and secretary of state GWB’s Fla. campaign manager). Nader factor? ?

First father and son to serve as president since John and

And in 2004 Bush-Cheney Defeats Kerry-Edwards: Terrorism; Iraq; “Swift Boat” Politics

2008: Obama vs. McCain But Whomever You Support – Obama or McCain, Republican or Democrat . . VOTE !