Dead Presidents
By Anthony Bergen
E-Mail: bergen.anthony@gmail.com
In 1964, a familiar refrain during the Presidential campaign was “Hello, Lyndon!”, a version of the title song from that year’s popular Broadway hit, “Hello, Dolly!”, sung here by Ed Ames. It was a happy time for Lyndon Johnson, who had been thrust into the White House under tragic circumstances in November 1963 with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. One year later, LBJ was elected President of the United States in his own right, routing Republican nominee Barry Goldwater in one of the biggest electoral and popular vote landslides in American history.
Four years later, many things had changed — both positively and negatively. But on March 31, 1968, the lyrics of “Hello, Lyndon!” were far from President Johnson’s mind. That night, at the end of a televised speech from the Oval Office in which Johnson announced an unconditional halt to the bombing of North Vietnam in order to help find a path towards a peace settlement, LBJ stunned the nation, other politicians, many members of his family, and most of his White House staff. With a campaign for another term as President beginning, instead of singing “Hello, Lyndon!” as in 1964, the bombastic Texan who had spent his life loving, needing, and mastering the use of power looked across his desk into the television cameras that beamed his images into millions of American homes — and Lyndon said good-bye.
There was an ugly mood in the country in 1968 with protests against the unpopular Vietnam War, racial and civil unrest in many cities around the nation, and debates and disruptions on college campuses often turning violent. Crime rates were rising, rioting was breaking out, and the situation would worsen less than a week after Johnson’s announcement when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. The United States was at war in Vietnam, but there was also a war of sorts within the country’s borders, and LBJ addressed that divisiveness in his March 31st speech as he shifted from the change in Vietnam policy to the personal decision he had come to:
The ultimate strength of our country and our cause will lie not in powerful weapons or infinite resources or boundless wealth, but will lie in the unity of our people.
This I believe very deeply.
Throughout my entire public career I have followed the personal philosophy that I am a free man, an American, a public servant, and a member of my party, in that order always and only. For 37 years in the service of our Nation, first as a Congressman, as a Senator, and as Vice President, and now as your President, I have put the unity of the people first. I have put it ahead of any divisive partisanship.
And in these times as in times before, it is true that a house divided against itself by the spirit of faction, of party, of region, of religion, of race, is a house that cannot stand.
There is division in the American house now. There is divisiveness among us all tonight. And holding the trust that is mine, as President of all the people, I cannot disregard the peril to the progress of the American people and the hope and the prospect of peace for all peoples.
So, I would ask all American, whatever their personal interests or concern, to guard against divisiveness and all its ugly consequences.
Then LBJ recalled the afternoon that an assassin’s bullet elevated him to the Presidency, along with the achievements that his Administration and Congress accomplished for the American people, particularly in the first two years of his time in the White House as Johnson tried to lead the nation to realize his “Great Society”:
Fifty-two months and 10 days ago, in a moment of tragedy and trauma, the duties of this office fell upon me. I asked then for your help and God’s, that we might continue America on its course, binding up our wounds, healing our history, moving forward in new unity, to clear the American agenda and to keep the American commitment for all our people.
United we have kept that commitment. United we have enlarged that commitment.
Through all time to come, I think America will be a stronger nation, a more just society, and a land of greater opportunity and fulfillment because of what we have all done together in these years of unparalleled achievement. Our reward will come in the life of freedom, peace, and hope that our children will enjoy through ages ahead.
What we won when all of our people united just must not now be lost in suspicion, distrust, selfishness, and politics among any of our people.
Three years earlier, Americans were amazed and some — including Martin Luther King, Jr. — were moved to tears when President Johnson adopted the inspirational words of the Civil Rights Movement and told a Joint Session of Congress that in the struggle against racial injustice, “We shall overcome.” Now, the American people heard words that surprised them for a very different reason:
Believing this as I do, I have concluded that I should not permit the Presidency to become involved in the partisan divisions that are developing in this political year.
With America’s sons in the fields far away, with America’s future under challenge right here at home, with our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office — the Presidency of your country.
Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.
But let men everywhere know, however, that a strong, confident, and a vigilant America stands ready tonight to seek an honorable peace — and stands ready tonight to defend an honorable cause — whatever the price, whatever the burden, whatever the sacrifice that duty may require.
Thank you for listening. Good night and God bless all of you.
In the days following LBJ’s withdrawal from the 1968 campaign, the President seemed to feel refreshed and his approval ratings increased, but the mood darkened once again on April 4th when Dr. King was assassinated. Robert F. Kennedy, one of the Democrats who jumped into the fray and sought the party’s Presidential nomination following Johnson’s withdrawal, was killed two months later. As the Democratic National Convention approached — an event which was marred by violence in the streets of Chicago between Chicago police and demonstrators — Johnson privately hoped that his troubled political party might turn to him and draft him as the nominee. He didn’t know if he would accept it, but as always, Lyndon Johnson wanted to be wanted. Instead, the Democrats nominated Johnson’s Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey, who lost the election in November to Richard Nixon.
Was LBJ’s withdrawal from the 1968 campaign a self-sacrificial act on behalf of his party and country in order to focus on the job at hand? No, of course not. It’s no secret that Johnson, as Commander-in-Chief of a tremendously unpopular war, was himself tremendously unpopular. Few people had better political instincts than Lyndon B. Johnson, and he could certainly read and understand approval polls.
LBJ was certainly spooked by the results of the Democratic primary in New Hampshire on March 12, 1968. Although LBJ won the primary with 49%, Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota won 42%. Prior to the New Hampshire primary, there were no Democrats willing to challenge LBJ for the nomination. McCarthy’s showing led RFK to enter the race, even though he had previously declined to run. Facing a challenge for the Democratic nomination probably was a factor in LBJ’s decision to withdraw from the race, but I don’t think it wasn’t the main reason.
As LBJ suggested in his withdrawal speech, a general re-election campaign takes a President away from his duties, but having to beat back a challenge for his own party’s nomination would require even more campaigning. Still, a politician with LBJ’s experience and an incumbent President with the advantages of a built-in political team, massive war chest, and nominal control of all aspects of the Democratic Party (the President is always the head of his political party) would be a tough opponent for any challenger within the party to overcome. I think LBJ would have won the nomination (and relished a chance to defeat Bobby Kennedy), and a general election battle between LBJ and Richard Nixon probably would have gone LBJ’s way. Hubert Humphrey nearly beat Nixon despite his relatively low-profile and without the advantages of Presidential incumbency that Lyndon Johnson would have possessed.
So, the political challenges were a factor, and the determination to focus on the troubles gripping the nation were a factor, but I believe the main reason for Lyndon Johnson’s decision to withdraw from the 1968 campaign and not seek re-election was his health.
In every campaign that Lyndon Johnson ever participated in — dating back to his first bid for Congress in 1937 — he worked so hard that he became sick. Johnson, who suffered a massive heart attack that nearly killed him in 1955, was convinced that he would not live long. According to Leo Janos in The Atlantic, LBJ didn’t think he would survive another term. ”The men in the Johnson family have a history of dying young,” he told Janos in 1971, two years after leaving office. ”My daddy was only 62 when he died, and I figured that with my history of heart trouble I’d never live through another four years.”
Johnson also told Janos, “The American people had enough of Presidents dying in office.” As someone who succeeded an assassinated President and who saw Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt (who “was like a daddy to me” according to LBJ) die in office, a weakened or incapacitated President resonated deeply within Johnson. He spoke often to aides about how one of his biggest fears was ending up like Woodrow Wilson who was crippled by a stroke in 1919 and spent the last two years of his Presidency as an invalid. When she was young and a member of the White House Fellows program, Doris Kearns Goodwin was an aide to LBJ and, in retirement, helped him complete his Presidential memoir, The Vantage Point: Perspectives on the Presidency, 1963-1969. In her own book about LBJ, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream — a book in which a far more candid LBJ emerges — Kearns Goodwin writes about how deeply the Wilson nightmare truly haunted Johnson:
Hating the days, Johnson hated the nights even more. He began dreaming again the dream of paralysis that had haunted him since early childhood. Only this time he was lying in a bed in the Red Room of the White House, instead of sitting in a chair in the middle of the open plains. His head was still his, but from the neck down his body was the thin, paralyzed body that had been the affliction of both Woodrow Wilson and his own grandmother in their final years. All his Presidential assistants were in the next room. He could hear them actively fighting with one another to divide up his power: Joe Califano wanted the legislative program; Walt Rostow wanted the decisions on foreign policy; Arthur Okun wanted to formulate the budget; and George Christian wanted to handle relations with the public. He could hear them, but he could not command them, for he could neither talk nor walk. He was sick and stilled, but not a single aide tried to protect him.
The dream terrified Johnson, waking from his sleep. Lying in the dark, he could find no peace until he got out of bed, and, by the light of a small flashlight, walked the halls of the White House to the place where Woodrow Wilson’s portrait hung. He found something soothing in the act of touching Wilson’s picture; he could sleep again. He was still Lyndon Johnson, and he was still alive and moving; it was Woodrow Wilson who was dead. The ritual, however, brought little lasting peace; when morning came, Johnson’s mind was again filled with fears. Only gradually did he recognize the resemblance between this dream and the stampede dream of his boyhood. Making the connection, his fears intensified; he was certain now that paralysis was his inevitable fate. Remembering his family’s history of early strokes, he convinced himself that he, too, would suffer a stroke in his next term. Immobilized, still in office nominally, yet not actually in control: this seemed to Johnson the worst situation imaginable. He could not rid himself of the suspicion that a mean God had set out to torture him in the cruelest manner possible. His suffering now no longer consisted of his usual melancholy; it was an acute throbbing pain, and he craved relief. More than anything he wanted peace and quiet. An end to the pain.
It was thoughts and feelings like these that led Lyndon Johnson to make his famous speech 45 years ago tonight. It sounds crazy and seems insane that the power-hungry, power-loving Lyndon Johnson would allow himself to be chased out of office by a fear of death. But Lyndon Johnson thought he would die at the age of 64 and Lyndon Johnson was worried he wouldn’t survive another term. That term would have ended on January 20, 1973.
Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973. He was 64.
Anonymous Asks:
deadpresidents Said:
I think Goldwater would have had a better chance in 1968 than 2012, but I don’t know if I can envision a scenario where Goldwater could ever win 270 electoral votes. McGovern, I believe, would have an easier time today because what he was in 1972 was really a sneak peek at what the Democratic Party would become in the 1990’s until now.
I will say this about Barry Goldwater — while he certainly scared the crap out of a lot of people in 1964, there were a lot of other factors that played a big role in LBJ’s landslide victory. When people went to the polls in November 1964, they did so less than a year after JFK’s assassination. With everything going on in the world, there was a hunger for political stability and LBJ offered that. Americans didn’t want to have three different Presidents in a span of less than 15 months. Even Goldwater knew that. He went into that 1964 campaign knowing that JFK’s assassination had all but guaranteed that Goldwater was fighting a losing battle.
Don’t get me wrong. LBJ’s effective assumption of the Presidency and his efficiency in working with Congress to get things accomplished from November 22, 1963 until November 3, 1964 also had a lot to do with the landslide. And Goldwater was too extreme for a lot of Americans. But the 1964 election would have been far closer had John F. Kennedy been seeking a second term against Barry Goldwater. Kennedy would have won, but there’s no way he would have won 61% of the popular vote like LBJ did in 1964.
This is the fourth and final part of our look at major party tickets for President and Vice President since the enactment of the Twelfth Amendment. Here is Part I. Here is Part II. Here is Part III.
•1960: Kennedy/Johnson defeated Nixon/Lodge
Democratic Party ticket
-John F. Kennedy (MA), 43 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
-Lyndon B. Johnson (TX), 52 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Texas/Senate Majority Leader
Republican Party ticket
-Richard Nixon (CA), 47 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
-Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (MA), 58 years old, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
•1964: Johnson/Humphrey defeated Goldwater/Miller
Democratic Party ticket
-Lyndon B. Johnson (TX), 56 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Hubert H. Humphrey (MN), 53 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Minnesota
Republican Party ticket
-Barry Goldwater (AZ), 55 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Arizona
-William E. Miller (NY), 50 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from New York
•1968: Nixon/Agnew defeated Humphrey/Muskie and Wallace/Lemay
Republican Party ticket
-Richard Nixon (CA), 55 years old, former Vice President of the United States/1960 Republican Presidential nominee
-Spiro Agnew (MD), 49 years old, incumbent Governor of Maryland
Democratic Party ticket
-Hubert H. Humphrey (MN), 57 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
-Edmund Muskie (ME), 54 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Maine
American Independent Party ticket
-George C. Wallace (AL), 49 years old, former Governor of Alabama
-Curtis LeMay (OH), 61 years old, United States Air Force General
•1972: Nixon/Agnew defeated McGovern/Shriver
Republican Party ticket
-Richard Nixon (CA), 59 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Spiro Agnew (MD), 53 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Democratic Party ticket
-George S. McGovern (SD), 50 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from South Dakota
-Sargent Shriver (MD), 56 years old, diplomat/former Peace Corps director
[McGovern originally picked Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri as his running mate but dumped him from the ticket in favor of Shriver when it was revealed that Eagleton had been treated for mental illness with electroshock therapy.]
•1976: Carter/Mondale defeated Ford/Dole
Democratic Party ticket
-Jimmy Carter (GA), 52 years old, former Governor of Georgia
-Walter Mondale (MN), 48 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Minnesota
Republican Party ticket
-Gerald R. Ford (MI), 63 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Bob Dole (KS), 53 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Kansas
•1980: Reagan/Bush defeated Carter/Mondale
Republican Party ticket
-Ronald Reagan (CA), 69 years old, former Governor of California
-George H.W. Bush (TX), 56 years old, former CIA Director/diplomat/former U.S. Representative from Texas
Democratic Party ticket
-Jimmy Carter (GA), 56 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Walter Mondale (MN), 52 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
•1984: Reagan/Bush defeated Mondale/Ferraro
Republican Party ticket
-Ronald Reagan (CA), 73 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-George H.W. Bush (TX), 60 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Democratic Party ticket
-Walter Mondale (MN), 56 years old, former Vice President of the United States
-Geraldine Ferraro (NY), 49 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from New York
•1988: Bush/Quayle defeated Dukakis/Bentsen
Republican Party ticket
-George H.W. Bush (TX), 64 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
-Dan Quayle (IN), 41 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Indiana
Democratic Party ticket
-Michael Dukakis (MA), 55 years old, incumbent Governor of Massachusetts
-Lloyd Bentsen (TX), 67 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Texas
•1992: Clinton/Gore defeated Bush/Quayle and Perot/Stockdale
Democratic Party ticket
-Bill Clinton (AR), 46 years old, incumbent Governor of Arkansas
-Al Gore (TN), 44 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Tennessee
Republican Party ticket
-George H.W. Bush (TX), 68 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Dan Quayle (IN), 45 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Independent ticket
-Ross Perot (TX), 62 years old, businessman
-James Stockdale (CA), 68 years old, United States Navy Admiral/Medal of Honor recipient
•1996: Clinton/Gore defeated Dole/Kemp and Perot/Choate
Democratic Party ticket
-Bill Clinton (AR), 50 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Al Gore (TN), 48 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Republican Party ticket
-Bob Dole (KS), 73 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Kansas/Senate Majority Leader
-Jack Kemp (NY), 61 years old, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development/former U.S. Representative from New York
Reform Party ticket
-Ross Perot (TX), 66 years old, businessman/1996 Independent Presidential candidate
-Pat Choate (OK), 55 years old, economist
•2000: Bush/Cheney defeated Gore/Lieberman
Republican Party ticket
-George W. Bush (TX), 54 years old, incumbent Governor of Texas
-Dick Cheney (WY), 59 years old, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
Democratic Party ticket
-Al Gore (TN), 52 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
-Joe Lieberman (CT), 58 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Connecticut
•2004: Bush/Cheney defeated Kerry/Edwards
Republican Party ticket
-George W. Bush (TX), 58 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Dick Cheney (WY), 63 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Democratic Party ticket
-John Kerry (MA), 60 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
-John Edwards (NC), 51 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from North Carolina
•2008: Obama/Biden defeated McCain/Palin
Democratic Party ticket
-Barack Obama (IL), 47 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Illinois
-Joe Biden (DE), 65 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Delaware
Republican Party ticket
-John McCain (AZ), 72 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Arizona
-Sarah Palin (AK), 44 years old, incumbent Governor of Alaska
•2012: Obama/Biden vs. Romney/Ryan (Election Day: November 6, 2012)
Democratic Party ticket
-Barack Obama (IL), 51 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Joe Biden (DE), 69 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Republican Party ticket
-Mitt Romney (MA), 65 years old, former Governor of Massachusetts/businessman
-Paul Ryan (WI), 42 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
Part III of our look at the major party tickets for President and Vice President since the enactment of the Twelfth Amendment. Here is Part I, covering 1804-1832. For Part II, covering 1836-1892, click here.
•1896: McKinley/Hobart defeated Bryan/Sewall
Republican Party ticket
-William McKinley (OH), 53 years old, Governor of Ohio
-Garret A. Hobart (NJ), 52 years old, Vice Chairman of the Republican National Committee/former president of the New Jersey State Senate
Democratic/Populist Party ticket
-William Jennings Bryan (NE), 36 years old, former U.S. Representative from Nebraska
-Arthur Sewall (ME), 60 years old, shipbuilder/bank president
[Bryan was nominated as President by the Democrats and the Populist Party; Sewall was the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate and the Populist Party nominated former U.S. Representative Thomas E. Watson of Georgia for VP.]
•1900: McKinley/Roosevelt defeated Bryan/Stevenson
Republican Party ticket
-William McKinley (OH), 57 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Theodore Roosevelt (NY), 42 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
Democratic Party ticket
-William Jennings Bryan (NE), 40 years old, 1896 Democratic Presidential nominee
-Adlai E. Stevenson (IL), 65 years old, former Vice President of the United States
•1904: Roosevelt/Fairbanks defeated Parker/Davis
Republican Party ticket
-Theodore Roosevelt (NY), 46 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Charles Warren Fairbanks (IN), 52 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Indiana
Democratic Party ticket
-Alton B. Parker (NY), 52 years old, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
-Henry G. Davis (WV), 80 years old, former U.S. Senator from West Virginia
•1908: Taft/Sherman defeated Bryan/Kern
Republican Party ticket
-William Howard Taft (OH), 51 years old, U.S. Secretary of War
-James S. Sherman (NY), 53 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from New York
Democratic Party ticket
-William Jennings Bryan (NE), 48 years old, 1896 and 1900 Democratic Presidential nominee
-John W. Kern (IN), 59 years old, former Indiana State Senator
•1912: Wilson/Marshall defeated Roosevelt/Johnson and Taft/Sherman
Democratic Party ticket
-Woodrow Wilson (NJ), 55 years old, incumbent Governor of New Jersey
-Thomas Riley Marshall (IN), 58 years old, incumbent Governor of Indiana
Progressive/Bull Moose Party ticket
-Theodore Roosevelt (NY), 54 years old, former President of the United States
-Hiram Johnson (CA), 46 years old, incumbent Governor of California
Republican Party ticket
-William Howard Taft (OH), 55 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-James S. Sherman (NY), 57 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
[Vice President Sherman died a few days before Election Day, so his Electoral College votes went to Columbia University president Nicholas Murray Butler of New York.]
•1916: Wilson/Marshall defeated Hughes/Fairbanks
Democratic Party ticket
-Woodrow Wilson (NJ), 59 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Thomas Riley Marshall (IN), 62 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Republican Party ticket
-Charles Evans Hughes (NY), 54 years old, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court/former Governor of New York
-Charles Warren Fairbanks (IN), 64 years old, former Vice President of the United States
•1920: Harding/Coolidge defeated Cox/Roosevelt
Republican Party ticket
-Warren G. Harding (OH), 55 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Ohio
-Calvin Coolidge (MA), 48 years old, incumbent Governor of Massachusetts
Democratic Party ticket
-James M. Cox (OH), 50 years old, incumbent Governor of Ohio
-Franklin D. Roosevelt (NY), 38 years old, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Navy
•1924: Coolidge/Dawes defeated Davis/Bryan and La Follette/Wheeler
Republican Party ticket
-Calvin Coolidge (MA), 52 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Charles Gates Dawes (IL), 59 years old, diplomat/Member of the Allied Reparations Commission/former Brigadier General of the United States Army
Democratic Party ticket
-John W. Davis (WV), 51 years old, former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain/American Bar Association president
-Charles W. Bryan (NE), incumbent Governor of Nebraska
Progressive Party ticket
-Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (WI), 69 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
-Burton K. Wheeler (MT), 42 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Montana
•1928: Hoover/Curtis defeated Smith/Robinson
Republican Party ticket
-Herbert Hoover (CA), 54 years old, U.S. Secretary of Commerce
-Charles Curtis (KS), 68 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Kansas
Democratic Party ticket
-Alfred E. Smith (NY), 54 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
-Joseph T. Robinson (AR), 56 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Arkansas
•1932: Roosevelt/Garner defeated Hoover/Curtis
Democratic Party ticket
-Franklin D. Roosevelt (NY), 50 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
-John Nance Garner (TX), 63 years old, incumbent Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Republican Party ticket
-Herbert Hoover (CA), 58 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Charles Curtis (KS), 72 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
•1936: Roosevelt/Garner defeated Landon/Knox
Democratic Party ticket
-Franklin D. Roosevelt (NY), 54 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-John Nance Garner (TX), 67 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Republican Party ticket
-Alf Landon (KS), 49 years old, incumbent Governor of Kansas
-Frank Knox (IL), 62 years old, Publisher of the Chicago Daily News
•1940: Roosevelt/Wallace defeated Willkie/McNary
Democratic Party ticket
-Franklin D. Roosevelt (NY), 58 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Henry A. Wallace (IA), 52 years old, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Republican Party ticket
-Wendell L. Willkie (IN), 48 years old, lawyer
-Charles L. McNary (OR), 66 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Oregon
•1944: Roosevelt/Truman defeated Dewey/Bricker
Democratic Party ticket
-Franklin D. Roosevelt (NY), 62 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Harry S. Truman (MO), 60 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Missouri
Republican Party ticket
-Thomas E. Dewey (NY), 42 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
-John W. Bricker (OH), 51 years old, incumbent Governor of Ohio
•1948: Truman/Barkley defeated Dewey/Warren and Thurmond/Wright
Democratic Party ticket
-Harry S. Truman (MO), 64 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Alben W. Barkley (KY), 70 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Kentucky
Republican Party ticket
-Thomas E. Dewey (NY), 46 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
-Earl Warren (CA), 57 years old, incumbent Governor of California
States’ Rights/Dixiecrat ticket
-Strom Thurmond (SC), 45 years old, incumbent Governor of South Carolina
-Fielding L. Wright (MS), 53 years old, incumbent Governor of Mississippi
•1952: Eisenhower/Nixon defeated Stevenson/Sparkman
Republican Party ticket
-Dwight D. Eisenhower (NY), 62 years old, General of the Army/Supreme Allied Commander of NATO
-Richard Nixon (CA), 39 years old, U.S. Senator from California
Democratic Party ticket
-Adlai E. Stevenson II (IL), 52 years old, incumbent Governor of Illinois
-John Sparkman (AL), 52 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Alabama
•1956: Eisenhower/Nixon defeated Stevenson/Kefauver
Republican Party ticket
-Dwight D. Eisenhower (NY), 66 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Richard Nixon (CA), 43 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Democratic Party ticket
-Adlai E. Stevenson II (IL), 56 years old, 1956 Democratic Presidential nominee/former Governor of Illinois
-Estes Kefauver (TN), 53 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Tennessee
Continuing our look at the major party tickets for President and Vice President since the enactment of the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution in 1804. For Part I, covering 1804-1832, go here.
•1836: Van Buren/Johnson defeated Harrison/Granger and White/Tyler
[No Vice Presidential candidate won the necessary Electoral College votes for election, so the Vice Presidency was decided by the U.S. Senate]
Democratic Party ticket
-Martin Van Buren (NY), 54 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
-Richard M. Johnson (KY), 56 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Whig Party ticket
-William Henry Harrison (OH), 63 years old, former soldier (Major General, U.S. Army)/diplomat/territorial politician
-Francis Granger (NY), 44 years old, incumbent member of the New York State Assembly
Whig Party ticket
-Hugh Lawson White (TN), 63 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Tennessee
-John Tyler (VA), 46 years old, U.S. Senator from Virginia
•1840: Harrison/Tyler defeated Van Buren/Johnson
Whig Party ticket
-William Henry Harrison (OH), 67 years old, former soldier (Major General, U.S. Army)/diplomat/territorial politician
-John Tyler (VA), 50 years old, Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Democratic Party ticket
-Martin Van Buren (NY), 58 years old, incumbent President of the United States
[The Democratic Party did not nominated a Vice Presidential candidate in 1840. Incumbent Vice President Richard M. Johnson was the de facto nominee, but Littleton Tazewell of Virginia and James K. Polk of Tennessee also received Vice Presidential Electoral votes.]
•1844: Polk/Dallas defeated Clay/Frelinghuysen
Democratic Party ticket
-James Knox Polk (TN), 49 years old, former Governor of Tennessee
-George Mifflin Dallas (PA), 52 years old, former U.S. Minister to Russia
Whig Party ticket
-Henry Clay (KY), 67 years old, former U.S. Senator from Kentucky
-Theodore Frelinghuysen (NJ), 57 years old, Chancellor of New York University
•1848: Taylor/Fillmore defeated Cass/Butler and Van Buren/Adams
Whig Party ticket
-Zachary Taylor (LA), 63 years old, Major General, United States Army
-Millard Fillmore (NY), 48 years old, Comptroller of New York State/former U.S. Representative from New York
Democratic Party ticket
-Lewis Cass (MI), 66 years old, U.S. Senator from Michigan
-William O. Butler (KY), 57 years old, Major General, United States Army
Free Soil Party ticket
-Martin Van Buren (NY), 65 years old, former President of the United States
-Charles Francis Adams (MA), 41 years old, former politician/Editor of the Boston Whig
•1852: Pierce/King defeated Scott/Graham
Democratic Party ticket
-Franklin Pierce (NH), 47 years old, Brigadier General of the U.S. Army/former U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
-William Rufus DeVane King (AL), 66 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Alabama and president pro tempore of the United States Senate
Whig Party ticket
-Winfield Scott (VA), 66 years old, Lieutenant General of the United States Army
-William Alexander Graham (NC), 48 years old, U.S. Secretary of the Navy
•1856: Buchanan/Breckinridge defeated Frémont/Dayton and Fillmore/Donelson
Democratic Party ticket
-James Buchanan (PA), 65 years old, U.S. Minister to Great Britain
-John C. Breckinridge (KY), 35 years old, former U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Republican Party ticket
-John C. Frémont (CA), 43 years old, former U.S. Senator from California
-William L. Dayton (NJ), 49 years old, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
American/Know-Nothing Party ticket
-Millard Fillmore (NY), 56 years old, former President of the United States
-Andrew Jackson Donelson (TN), 57 years old, former diplomat/Editor of the Washington Union
•1860: Lincoln/Hamlin defeated Breckinridge/Lane, Bell/Everett, and Douglas/Johnson
Republican Party ticket
-Abraham Lincoln (IL), 51 years old, lawyer/former U.S. Representative from Illinois
-Hannibal Hamlin (ME), 51 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Maine
National Democratic Party ticket
-John C. Breckinridge (KY), 39 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
-Joseph Lane (OR), 59 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Oregon
Constitutional Union Party ticket
-John Bell (TN), 64 years old, former U.S. Senator from Tennessee
-Edward Everett (MA), 66 years old, former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts/former president of Harvard University
Democratic Party ticket
-Stephen A. Douglas (IL), 47 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Illinois
-Herschel V. Johnson (GA), 48 years old, former Governor of Georgia
•1864: Lincoln/Johnson defeated McClellan/Pendleton
National Union Party ticket
-Abraham Lincoln (IL), 55 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Andrew Johnson (TN), 55 years old, incumbent Military Governor of Tennessee
Democratic Party ticket
-George B. McClellan (NJ), 37 years old, Major General of the United States Army
-George H. Pendleton (OH), 39 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from Ohio
•1868: Grant/Colfax defeated Seymour/Blair
Republican Party ticket
-Ulysses S. Grant (IL), 46 years old, General of the Army/Commanding General of the United States
-Schuyler Colfax (IN), 45 years old, incumbent Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Democratic Party ticket
-Horatio Seymour (NY), 58 years old, former Governor of New York
-Francis P. Blair, Jr. (MO), 47 years old, former Major General of the U.S. Army/former U.S. Representative from Missouri
•1872: Grant/Wilson defeated Greeley/Brown
Republican Party ticket
-Ulysses S. Grant (IL), 50 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Henry Wilson (MA), 60 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
Liberal Republican Party ticket
-Horace Greeley (NY), 61 years old, Editor of the New York Tribune
-B. Gratz Brown (MO), 46 years old, incumbent Governor of Missouri
[Greeley died between Election Day and the meeting of the Electoral College, so the votes he would have received were divided amongst Thomas A. Hendricks (IN), the VP candidate B. Gratz Brown, Charles J. Jenkins (GA), and David Davis (IL)]
•1876: Hayes/Wheeler defeated Tilden/Hendricks
[No candidate won the requisite number of Electoral votes needed for election and the disputed 1876 election was decided just two days before Inauguration Day by an Electoral Commission appointed by Congress]
Republican Party ticket
-Rutherford B. Hayes (OH), 54 years old, incumbent Governor of Ohio
-William A. Wheeler (NY), 57 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from Ohio
Democratic Party ticket
-Samuel J. Tilden (NY), 62 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
-Thomas A. Hendricks (IN), 57 years old, incumbent Governor of Indiana
•1880: Garfield/Arthur defeated Hancock/English
Republican Party ticket
-James Garfield (OH), 48 years old, incumbent U.S. Representative from Ohio
-Chester A. Arthur (NY), 51 years old, former Collector of the Port of New York
Democratic Party ticket
-Winfield Scott Hancock (PA), 56 years old, Major General of the United States Army
-William H. English (IN), 58 years old, author/former U.S. Representative from Indiana
•1884: Cleveland/Hendricks defeated Blaine/Logan
Democratic Party ticket
-Grover Cleveland (NY), 47 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
-Thomas A. Hendricks (IN), 65 years old, former Governor of Indiana/1876 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee
Republican Party ticket
-James G. Blaine (ME), 54 years old, former U.S. Secretary of State/former U.S. Senator from Maine/former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
-John A. Logan (IL), 58 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Illinois
•1888: Harrison/Morton defeated Cleveland/Thurman
Republican Party ticket
-Benjamin Harrison (IN), 55 years old, former U.S. Senator from Indiana
-Levi P. Morton (NY), 64 years old, former U.S. Minister to France/former U.S. Representative from New York
Democratic Party ticket
-Grover Cleveland (NY), 51 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Allen G. Thurman (OH), 74 years old, diplomat/former U.S. Senator from Ohio
•1892: Cleveland/Stevenson defeated Harrison/Reid and Weaver/Field
Democratic Party ticket
-Grover Cleveland (NY), 55 years old, former President of the United States
-Adlai E. Stevenson (IL), 57 years old, former U.S. Representative from Illinois/former Assistant Postmaster General of the United States
Republican Party ticket
-Benjamin Harrison (IN), 59 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Whitelaw Reid (NY), 55 years old, U.S. Ambassador to France
People’s/Populist Party ticket
-James B. Weaver (IA), 59 years old, former U.S. Representative from Iowa
-James G. Field (VA), 66 years old, former Attorney General of Virginia/former Confederate Army General
Now that we know who all of the main players are in the 2012 election, we’re going to break down the major candidates for President and Vice President over the next few days. First, let’s take a look at the major party tickets for President and Vice President since the enactment of the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution in 1804:
•1804: Jefferson/Clinton defeated Pinckney/King
Democratic-Republican Party ticket
-Thomas Jefferson (VA), 61 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-George Clinton (NY), 65 years old, former Governor of New York
Federalist Party ticket
-Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (SC), 58 years old, retired soldier (Major General)/diplomat
-Rufus King (NY), 49 years old, diplomat (U.S. Minister to Great Britain)/former U.S. Senator from New York
•1808: Madison/Clinton defeated Pinckney/King
Democratic-Republican Party ticket
-James Madison (VA), 57 years old, incumbent U.S. Secretary of State
-George Clinton (NY), 69 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
Federalist Party ticket
-Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (SC), 62 years old, retired soldier/diplomat/1804 Federalist Presidential nominee
-Rufus King (NY), 53 years old, diplomat/former U.S. Senator from New York/1804 Federalist Vice Presidential nominee
•1812: Madison/Gerry defeated Clinton/Ingersoll
Democratic-Republican Party ticket
-James Madison (VA), 61 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Elbridge Gerry (MA), 68 years old, incumbent Governor of Massachusetts
Federalist Party ticket
-DeWitt Clinton (NY), 43 years old, incumbent Mayor of New York City
-Jared Ingersoll (PA), 63 years old, incumbent Attorney General of Pennsylvania
•1816: Monroe/Tompkins defeated King/Howard
Democratic-Republican Party ticket
-James Monroe (VA), 58 years old, incumbent U.S. Secretary of State
-Daniel D. Tompkins (NY), 42 years old, incumbent Governor of New York
Federalist Party ticket
-Rufus King (NY), 61 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from New York
-John Eager Howard (MD), 64 years old, former U.S. Senator and Governor of Maryland [The Federalist Party did not officially nominate a Vice Presidential candidate in 1816]
•1820: Monroe/Tompkins were unopposed in the 1820 election
Democratic-Republican Party ticket
-James Monroe (VA), 62 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Daniel D. Tompkins (NY), 46 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
•1824: Adams/Calhoun defeated Jackson/Calhoun, Crawford/Macon, and Clay/Sanford
*The Democratic-Republican Party was the only major political party in 1824 and it resulted in four different tickets emerging from various regions of the country. No clear winner in the Electoral College led to the election being decided in the House of Representatives in February 1825. John C. Calhoun originally sought the Presidency, but withdrew to seek the Vice Presidency and was the running mate of both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.
Democratic-Republican Party
-John Quincy Adams (MA), 57 years old, incumbent U.S. Secretary of State
-John C. Calhoun (SC), 42 years old, incumbent U.S. Secretary of War
Democratic-Republican Party
-Andrew Jackson (TN), 57 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Tennessee
-John C. Calhoun (SC), 42 years old, incumbent U.S. Secretary of War
Democratic-Republican Party
-William H. Crawford (GA), 52 years old, incumbent U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
-Nathaniel Macon (NC), 67 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from North Carolina
[Macon replaced Albert Gallatin, who withdrew after being named Crawford’s running mate]
Democratic-Republican Party
-Henry Clay (KY), 47 years old, incumbent U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives
-Nathan Sanford (NY), 47 years old, incumbent Chancellor of New York
•1828: Jackson/Calhoun defeated Adams/Rush
Democratic Party ticket
-Andrew Jackson (TN), 61 years old, retired soldier (Major General)/former U.S. Senator from Tennessee
-John C. Calhoun (SC), 46 years old, incumbent Vice President of the United States
National Republican Party ticket
-John Quincy Adams (MA), 61 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Richard Rush (PA), 48 years old, incumbent U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
•1832: Jackson/Van Buren defeated Clay/Sergeant and Wirt/Ellmaker
Democratic Party ticket
-Andrew Jackson (TN), 64 years old, incumbent President of the United States
-Martin Van Buren (NY), 50 years old, U.S. Minister to Great Britain
National Republican Party ticket
-Henry Clay (KY), 55 years old, incumbent U.S. Senator from Kentucky
-John Sergeant (PA), 53 years old, former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
Anti-Masonic Party ticket
-William Wirt (VA), 60 years old, former Attorney General of the United States
-Amos Ellmaker (PA), 45 years old, former Attorney General of Pennsylvania
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson television ad (via the Living Room Candidate)
The greatest political ad of all-time — the “Daisy” ad, which only aired once because it is so incredibly fucking terrifying that one showing was enough to frighten Americans into thinking that a Barry Goldwater Presidency would basically result in a nuclear holocaust and the destruction of the world. If you’re wondering how to win a Presidential election in 60 seconds, just press play.
There are a lot of things that we never want to hear our President say, but LBJ made sure to waste no words or soften his stark declaration: “We must love each other, or we must die.” Not exactly “Change you can believe in” or “compassionate conservatism”, is it?
Have I mentioned that LBJ was awesome?
1952 Dwight Eisenhower campaign ad (via The Living Room Candidate)
Oh man, this ad is 19 seconds of awesome, unintentional hilarity. I mean, it’s an ad FOR General Eisenhower, yet in a matter of seconds he comes across as a menacing curmudgeon. I half expected him to respond to the black guy with, “What the hell? You can’t vote!”. I’m also wondering how the black dude was able to make words come out of his mouth without moving a single muscle in his face.
Again, I must thank redcloud for pointing me towards the Living Room Candidate website. As terrible as modern political advertising is, it is comforting to know that old-school television spots were not only just as awful but could easily pass for an SNL sketch.
Big thanks to redcloud for pointing me in the direction of this awesome website featuring Presidential campaign commercials dating back to Eisenhower vs. Stevenson I in 1952!
In 1888, Benjamin Harrison won a narrow victory over incumbent President Grover Cleveland, winning the Electoral College but losing the popular vote in the process. One of the people that helped put Harrison into the White House was his campaign manager, Senator Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania, the boss of Pennsylvania’s powerful Republican machine.
Following Harrison’s election, Quay visited the President-elect at his home in Indianapolis. Although he was a mesmerizing orator, Harrison was not exactly Mr. Congeniality in an individual setting — as Quay would later remark, Harrison was “a human iceberg”. A piously religious man, Harrison was nonplussed by Quay’s somewhat self-congratulatory tone about the election victory and told the Pennsylvanian, “Providence has given us the victory.”
Quay returned home and relayed the story to a newspaper journalist, adding with venom, “Think of the man! He ought to know that Providence hadn’t a damn thing to do with it.” Another fellow prominent Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, was also displeased with Benjamin Harrison: “Damn the President! He is a cold-blooded, narrow-minded, prejudiced, obstinate, timid, old, psalm-singing Indianapolis politician.”
Four years of Benjamin Harrison in the White House didn’t improve matters. In 1892, Harrison faced Cleveland in a rematch of the 1888 campaign. This time around, the American voters realized that they were much happier with President Cleveland than President Harrison and returned Cleveland to the White House that he had moved out of exactly four years earlier.
Harrison’s lackluster campaign could have used some of the help he received in 1888, but Matthew Quay had long soured on Benjamin Harrison. As Harrison prepared for his re-election campaign he had reminded Quay constantly that it was Providence which had placed him in the White House — no one else. Quay knew better than anyone what it took to elect Harrison in 1888 and finally gave up fighting the President.
Providence failed Benjamin Harrison in 1892. In a contentious meeting at the White House, Quay bluntly told Harrison, “Let God re-elect you then,” before storming out.
God voted Democrat on Election Day.
bbkld Asks:
deadpresidents Said:
The Adams vs. Jefferson campaign of 1800 was extraordinarily vicious — not simply for its time, but for all-time.
Thanks for passing the link along.
