Assessment for candidates between 1960 and 1996 in reverse chronological order:
1996:- Bill Clinton: Had been Governor of Arkansas throughout much of 1980s, but not widely known elsewhere
- Bob Dole: Known since 1970s as Ford’s running mate and had been chairman of the Republican National Committee as early as 1971
1992:- Bill Clinton: See above
- George Bush senior: Was Republican National Committee chairman in 1974, but not widely known until becoming Reagan’s running mate in 1980
- Ross Perot: Had been known as a businessman for EDS since the 1960s, but never a household name before his campaign
1988:- George Bush senior: See above
- Michael Dukakis: Was known as Massachusetts Governor who lost renomination in the 1970s, but not a household name before the middle 1980s
1984:- Ronald Reagan: A famous actor since the 1940s, and famous as Governor of California since the 1960s. He had by 1984 been as well-known for as long as Trump and Hilary.
- Walter Mondale: Had been well-known as Minnesota Senator since the 1960s, and had been Vice-President from 1977 to 1981
1980:- Ronald Reagan: See above
- Jimmy Carter: Burst onto the scene as a reformist Governor of Georgia in the early 1970s – not known for nearly as long as Reagan despite being the incumbent President
1976:- Jimmy Carter: See above
- Gerald Ford: Had been the representative for Michigan’s 5th Congressional District since 1949 (and a top-class Wolverines football player in the 1930s) but not a household name until becoming House Minority Leader in 1965
1972:- Richard Nixon: The most prominent United States politician of the “dealignment era”, he had been a household name for over two decades – as long as Hilary Clinton – when he swept over three thousand counties in 1972.
- George McGovern: First gained prominence in the early 1960s as a “Food for Peace” director.
1968:- Richard Nixon: See above
- Hubert Humphrey: Had been well-known for over two decades as the first Democrat to develop a concerted Civil Rights plan, and prominent since as Senator and Vice-President. Like Nixon and Reagan, Humphrey was prominent for as long as Trump and Hilary
- George Wallace: Came into spotlight as Governor of Alabama with his uncompromising support for segregation during the “Bombingham” era in the middle 1960s
1964:- Lyndon Johnson: A household name from the time of his controversial election to the United States Senate in 1949, and very well-known for over a decade as Democratic Senate leader
- Barry Goldwater: First gained prominence as only Arizona’s second-ever Republican Senator and for his criticism of Eisenhower in the 1950s
1960:- John F. Kennedy: Although his family had been well-known since before 1940, he was first famous when elected to the Senate in 1953 against his rival’s running mate, Henry Cabot Lodge junior
- Richard Nixon: See above
So, it’s fair to say that Hilary and Trump have at least four rivals –
Reagan,
Nixon,
Humphrey and perhaps
Dole – for being a household name the longest prior to a presidential nomination.
