Martin Meenagh blog

  The Republican party dominated the period between 1876 and 1912, winning all but two presidential elections and Congressional elections in 1880, 1888, and from 1894 to 1910. The two Democratic administrations of the period, in addition, were one man, Grover Cleveland, who was elected twice non-consecutively, and with only pluralities of the popular vote. Similarly, Democratic dominance between 1932 and 1980 was characterized by every Congress being Democratic with two exceptions between 1932 and 1980, and 8 Democratic victories in presidential elections in the same period. At first glance, dominance can be attributed in both cases to a combination of events and party weakness. Democrats in the late nineteenth century were split between Southern ‘Bourbons’, populists, bimetallists, and over religion, to the point where nominating conventions were frequently deadlocked. Republicans, by contrast, proved capable of developing and applying a locally based infrastructure nationally...

    14 men have been both vice-president and president of the United States. One was elected in the peculiar conditions before the twelfth amendment of 1804. Eight ascended to the presidency after the death of their predecessor, one after his resignation, and five after a subsequent election. Their presidencies, stretched out in time across the republic, are split between those who only served out their predecessor’s term—five—and those who won a full term in their own right (six). Only two previous vice-presidents—Thomas Jefferson and Richard Nixon—have won two presidential elections afterward, though Nixon had to resign in his second term, and of course lost the presidential election of 1960 as well.   If electoral success is the measure of presidential success, the pattern is therefore, overwhelmingly negative. However, a number of former vice presidents have had consequential presidencies. Tyler created the precedent whereby vice-presidents ascend directly to the ...