While sometimes considered dull, especially in times of peace and prosperity, U.S. presidential elections often feature bizarre and unexpected events.
Every four years, America elects a new president. This is an “intellectual battle” of diplomacy and achievements, accompanied by surprising events.
1872: Candidate Dies Before Electoral College Votes
Although when sitting presidents pass away, there is a temporary vice president as a remedy, the case of a presidential candidate dying during the election period is different.
In 1872, Democratic presidential candidate Horace Greeley died on November 29, after the popular vote. Fortunately, based on the electoral votes counted after the popular vote, Republican presidential candidate and sitting President Ulysses S. Grant won, thus averting a crisis.
But by the time the Electoral College voted, what should be done with Greeley’s votes? The U.S. Congress decided to reallocate these votes to other candidates, allowing Grant to be easily re-elected as expected without much change.
This dilemma is still considered a possibility today, as relatively older presidential candidates are becoming more common. With many candidates in their 70s and 80s gaining power, it remains uncertain when another Greeley scenario might arise, forcing political parties and Congress to grapple with the implications.
U.S. presidential candidate dies before the Electoral College votes.
1880: A Candidate with a Bizarre Fate
Today, U.S. presidential candidates actively campaign for a year just to secure their party’s nomination. This effort can cost millions of dollars, accompanied by rigorous campaigning in states holding early elections.
However, before World War II, presidential candidates rarely participated in the primaries—parties typically decided on their nominees in closed meetings of party leaders. In 1880, the Republican National Convention was held to nominate the next presidential candidate.
A Congressman at the time, James Garfield, attended the convention to nominate fellow politician John Sherman from Ohio. Perhaps impressed by Garfield’s speech or simply exhausted by infighting without finding a clear Republican leader, delegates declared they wanted Garfield himself to be the nominee! Garfield was suddenly elevated from the House of Representatives to the White House. Unfortunately, he was assassinated during his first term.
Republican National Convention in the U.S. in 1880.
1948: Last-Minute Upset Against an Opponent
Vice President Harry S. Truman became the center of attention in April 1945 when President Roosevelt died just before World War II ended. By 1948, America seemed ready for a change, leaving Roosevelt and the Democratic Party behind.
Many critics viewed Truman as Roosevelt’s successor and were dissatisfied with the struggling post-war economy.
Nonetheless, Truman plunged into the 1948 campaign with enthusiasm. Despite threats from the conservative wing of the party to abandon him, Truman remained steadfast on executive orders regarding civil rights.
Most media at the time believed the November election would be a certain victory for Republican candidate Thomas Dewey. Even a prominent newspaper published an article prematurely announcing Dewey’s victory… only for Truman to win shortly thereafter.
The image of the newspaper became a historical reminder to the media never to count someone out too early.
Mr. Truman holds the erroneous newspaper announcing Mr. Dewey’s victory.
1992: The “Era” of the Independent Candidate
The strongest independent/third-party presidential candidate in 80 years emerged in 1992. Billionaire Ross Perot, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a distinguished career in technology, ran as a third-party candidate. At the time, the sitting Republican President was George Bush Sr., and the Democratic candidate was Bill Clinton, the former governor of Arkansas.
Perot’s business acumen attracted voters following the economic downturn in 1991, and some believed the businessman could help reduce the national debt. Perot also positioned himself as an outsider in politics, bringing new ideas to Washington.
His campaign was sometimes criticized for lengthy advertisements. However, the billionaire also took the debate stage with Mr. Bush and Mr. Clinton that fall. Despite garnering over 19 million popular votes, Perot failed to win a majority in any state or Washington D.C., and ultimately, he did not secure any electoral votes.
Many Republicans blamed Perot for splitting the conservative vote in 1992, allowing Democratic candidate Bill Clinton to win.
2004: Campaign Collapse After a… Scream
In 2004, Democrats were furious with incumbent Republican President George W. Bush over the Iraq War. Consequently, a group of prominent Democratic politicians sought to reclaim the White House.
The leading candidate was long-time Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who publicly opposed the Iraq War in 2002 when many Democrats avoided speaking out. Thanks to his straightforwardness and his background as a governor rather than a member of Congress, Dean quickly gained support as a principled outsider.
Mr. Howard Dean.
With strong momentum and innovative online fundraising, Dean led in polls as the party’s conference was held in Iowa on January 19, 2004. Unexpectedly, Dean finished third, behind John Kerry and John Edwards.
In an impassioned speech following that conference, Dean shouted emphatically that his campaign would win future primaries.
“Dean’s scream” was mocked by viewers and experts, effectively collapsing his campaign. Senator John Kerry secured the Democratic nomination and later lost the general election to President Bush.
2016: A Shocking Defeat
As the brother of former President George W. Bush and the son of former President George Bush Sr., Jeb Bush was widely expected to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2016. Many anticipated that 2016 would be a competition between Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton. Both were long-standing party members with deep ties to the American political elite. However, instead of “clearing the field” of opponents, Jeb Bush struggled.
Faced with strong competition from newcomer Donald Trump, Jeb did not win any primaries. During a moment that signaled his campaign’s failure, the former Governor of Florida had to urge the audience to clap. This was a significant decline for someone once considered a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Since then, Bush has steered clear of politics.
