What Were the Major Issues Of Each Presidential Election?

[H. Ross Peron]

What do you believe were the major issues at stake in each Presidential election?

[old timey villain]

2012: Economic recovery, healthcare, taxes, Gay Marriage
2008: Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Financial collapse, recession
2004: War on Terror, Gay Marriage
2000: Education, Economy, Budget Surplus (yes, we were actually debating what we were going to do with our budget SURPLUS)
1996: Crime, education, taxes, character issues (wink wink)
1992: Recession, healthcare, racial tensions, culture wars
1988: Iran contra, economy, cold war, death penalty, sideshow character issues (Much was made of Dukakis supposedly not making kids recite the pledge of allegiance)
1984: Cold War, Reaganomics, women's issues, nuclear proliferation
1980: Iranian hostage crisis, inflation, recession, malaise
1976: Inflation, recession, cold war, watergate
1972: Vietnam, poverty, cultural issues
1968: Vietnam, race riots, integration, generation gap, poverty
1964: Civil Rights, Nuclear proliferation, social and domestic programs, character issues, kennedy legacy
1960: Cold war, Cuba, recession, catholicism, civil rights
1956: civil rights, Eisenhower's health, cold war, Suez Canal
1952: Korean War, economy, red scare, corruption



That's all I got

[kcguy]

When I was researching the "Who Would You Have Voted For. . ." thread, I was surprised how many of my votes in the late 19th century were determined by the tariff issue.

That issue doesn't even appear on anyone's radar nowadays.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

2012 Bain Capital and Wallstreet downturn
2008 Iraq
2004 911
2000 Economy and Impeachment
1996 Welfare reform
1992 Economy
1988 Cold War
1984 Economy
1980 Iran

[Peter the Lefty]

1932: The Depression
1936: The New Deal (essentially a referendum on it)
1940: The third term issue, as well as how far the New Deal should go, and the extent to which we should help the British and prepare ourselves for war
1944: Fala
1948: Congressional obstructionism, civil rights, the Fair Deal
1952: Communism, corruption, and Korea
1956: Civil rights (no difference between them at all), Relations with the USSR, social welfare spending, Hungary, and the Suez Canal
1960: The "missile gap," Cuba, Medicare, Medicaid, civil rights, space exploration, federal aid to education, etc.
1964: Civil rights, the War on Poverty, Nukes
1968: Vietnam, Law and Order, race relations, hippies
1972: Vietnam, cultural divides
1976: Watergate, inflation, the Cold War, detente
1980: Inflation, the economy, Iran
1984: The economy
1988: Referendum on Reaganism, the death penalty, Iran contra, Dukakis's willingness to allow kids to exercize their first amendment rights
1992: The economy, NAFTA
1996: Welfare reform, education, crime
2000: The economic boom, Clinton's affairs, drug prices, education, the budget surplus
2004: How much we luv havin' a Pres-dant who fahts the terr-ists, not that smart gah
2008: The economy, Iraq, Iran, conspiracy theories regarding Obama
2012: The economy, personal style, Romney's background, and gay marriage

[ElectionsGuy]

At 270towin.com, it gives us issues and topics of the day for each election for which were the main issues.

1789: Ratification of U.S. Constitution (Article Two relates to the executive branch and selection of the president)
1792: Militia Act of 1792
1796: Whiskey Rebellion, Jay's Treaty
1800: Alien & Sedition Acts, XYZ Affair, Relations with France
1804: Louisiana Purchase
1808: Embargo Act
1812: War of 1812
1816: War of 1812
1820: Slavery (Missouri Compromise)
1824: Monroe Doctrine
1828: Tariffs
1832: National Bank Charter, Indian Removal Act
1836: States' Rights
1840: Panic of 1837
1844: Texas Annexation
1848: Slavery, War with Mexico
1852: Slavery (Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act)
1856: Slavery (Kansas-Nebraska Act, Bleeding Kansas)
1860: Slavery (Dred Scott decision, Secession)
1864: Civil War
1868: Reconstruction, Impeachment
1872: Corruption in Federal Government
1876: Corruption, Financial Panic of 1873
1880: Tariffs, Implications of the end of Reconstruction
1884: Personal Ethics of the Candidates
1888: Free Trade vs. Protectionism
1892: Farming Issues, Homestead Steel Strike
1896: Monetary System (Gold, Silver Standards), Financial Panic of 1893
1900: Spanish-American War
1904: Gold Standard, Panama Canal
1908: Bank Panic of 1907
1912: Trusts (Monopolies): The Standard Oil case of 1911; 16th Amendment (Federal Income Tax, ratified in 1913)
1916: World War I (U.S. Neutrality)
1920: League of Nations, Prohibition, Women's Right to Vote (Suffrage)
1924: Good Economy, Corruption (Teapot Dome Scandal)
1928: Good Economy, Prohibition
1932: Great Depression, Prohibition
1936: Great Depression (New Deal), Repeal of Prohibition
1940: U.S. Neutrality in European Conflict
1944: World War II
1948: Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift
1952: Korean War, Communism
1956: Communism/USSR (McCarty hearings, Hungary, Suez Canal), Brown Segregation Ruling
1960: Sputnik/space (keeping up with USSR technologically)
1964: Great Society (Civil Rights), Vietnam (Gulf of Tonkin), Good Economy
1968: Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Assassinations (Robert Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King)
1972: Vietnam War, International Relations (Detente with USSR, Visit to China), Watergate
1976: Watergate (Impeachment, pardon of Nixon)
1980: Iran hostage crisis, USSR invasion of Afghanistan (Summer Olympics boycott), Inflation
1984: Recession and Subsequent Recovery (start of bull market for stocks), Defense Spending
1988: Stock market crash, Iran-Contra, Progress in US-USSR relations (INF Treaty)
1992: Persian Gulf War, Fall of Berlin Wall and Breakup of Soviet Union, Recession
1996: Waco standoff, Oklahoma City bombing, Good economy
2000: Impeachment, Presidential ethics, Good economy
2004: Terrorism, Iraq War, Job growth
2008: Great Recession, Financial panic, Bailouts, Iraq War
2012: Role of government, Spending & tax rates, Nuclear Iran, Arab Spring, Global warming, Campaign finance

http://www.270towin.com/

[IceSpear]

2012 had very little discussion of actual issues. Most of it was a personality contest.

The economy? When both candidates only use vague platitudes to discuss it, I wouldn't really call it an actual issue.

Health care? Hardly discussed because of the Romneycare issue.

Gay marriage? No. Obama came out for it in May, and then it was never discussed again.

Pretty much the only REAL issue that was debated was whether or not it was socialistcommunistfascistnazism to tax the rich an extra 3%. Riveting.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Gay marriage? No. Obama came out for it in May, and then it was never discussed again.

Pretty much the only REAL issue that was debated was whether or not it was socialistcommunistfascistnazism to tax the rich an extra 3%. Riveting.

This. I don't really get why the other posters were citing gay marriage for 2012. Romney never really attacked Obama on it except for a very muted "support traditional marriage" sentence on the party platform to appease SoCons.

Romney never was a culture warrior, unlike Dubya in 2004. It was very much on the economy, healthcare, and a good dose of foreign policy(but fairly superficial).