1972 Election (The Hearse at Monticello)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

While George McGovern won a landslide victory in the 1972 Populist Primaries, carrying every state with over 70% of the vote, the American Party's nominating contest was none too tidy. When the primary season began in early 1976, it was widely expected that former Governor George Romney - who four years earlier had campaigned as a moderate alternative to Barry Goldwater - would be the American Party nominee, with polls showing him roughly even with President McGovern. Instead, the primary race disintegrated into an all-out brawl, with conservative and liberal candidates jockeying for the nomination. Though Romney maintained a slight edge in the polls, liberal Governor Ronald Reagan of California and conservative Congressman John Ashbrook of Ohio received significant support in the primaries as well, and as the American National Convention approached it became clear that no candidate would enter the balloting with a decisive advantage.

As expected, the first ballot resulted in a deadlock, with Romney and Ashbrook tied in the delegate count, Reagan just behind, and a number of "lower tier" candidates claiming a few dozen delegates. By the third ballot, most of the minor candidates had withdrawn: Spiro Agnew and Henry "Scoop" Jackson threw their support behind Ashbrook, while Pete McCloskey's delegates were split between Reagan and Romney. No candidate as yet held a majority.

After several hours of intense negotiations, Governor Reagan at last agreed to withdraw from the race, throwing his support behind Romney, allowing the latter to clinch the nomination on the seventh ballot. With the promise of a cabinet appointment, Ashbrook declined to mount a third party bid and endorsed Romney, though he delivered a passionate defense of his principles on the final day of the convention.

***

Consensus hands President McGovern the advantage as the general election campaign begins, with the American Party still visibly bruised from the grueling primary fight. Running on an ambitious, upbeat platform, McGovern has called for renewed efforts to combat poverty nationwide, including large increases in education funding and urban housing projects. Hoping to fend off charges that he is an impractical idealist, the president has repeatedly pointed to the accomplishments of his first term, such as the creation of the EPA and the Cuban Peace Accords, as proof that his is a "realistic, progressive vision for America."

For his part, Romney has sought to exploit his reputation as a centrist, hoping to draw support from liberals and conservatives alike who have been alienated by McGovern's unapologetic leftism. Pledging to preserve most social programs and to continue the fight against homelessness and unemployment, Romney has nevertheless called for a "fiscally sustainable" approach to the nation's ills, arguing that running up the deficit in the name of the War on Poverty does no favors for the nation's poor. As such, he has criticized McGovern for placing ideals before reality and has urged a return to "common-sense American values".

Finally, a small number of conservative activists off-put by Romney's defense of a modest welfare state have formed the Libertarian Party, which has chosen John Hospers as its first nominee for president. Though hardly favored to win the election, some observers have speculated that the party might draw support from former Ashbrook voters who view Romney as little more than "McGovern-lite".

Choose wisely.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Hospers!

[ScottieF]

President McGovern!

[tmthforu94]

Stop McGovern - vote Romney!

[Potus]

Stop McGovern - vote Romney!

[TDAS04]

President McGovern!

[Zioneer]

McGovern, though I wouldn't be totally opposed to a Romney win.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Stop McGovern - vote Romney!

[Antonio the Sixth]

Re-elect the best President we've had in a long while.

[Mr. Smith]

McGovern, though I wouldn't be totally opposed to a Romney win.

This.

Probably would've entertained sticking with Romney too,...if it weren't for Taft.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

McGovern, though I wouldn't be totally opposed to a Romney win.

This.

Probably would've entertained sticking with Romney too,...if it weren't for Taft.

Robert Taft Jr.'s record was significantly less conservative than his father's, and Perlstein referred to him as a "pro-reform liberal".

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

HST, it seems like you are constantly trying to divide the right of center vote in your choice of third parties ??

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

HST, it seems like you are constantly trying to divide the right of center vote in your choice of third parties ??

Trying to? No. There have been plenty of elections with multiple left-wing candidates in the past (1912, 1936 and 1956 to name a few); it just so happens that in the last two elections a right-wing split has made more sense than a left-wing split. I'd add that several liberals (including myself) voted for Romney last time, so it's not as if the right is the only side loosing votes.

[Mr. Smith]

So McGovern wins?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

1972 Presidential Election

President George McGovern (People's-South Dakota)/ Vice President Terry Sanford (People's-North Carolina): 327 Electoral Votes; 46.7% popular votes
Fmr. Governor George Romney (American-Michigan)/ Congressman Robert Taft, Jr. (American-Ohio): 211 Electoral Votes; 38.1% popular votes
Mr. John Hospers (Libertarian-California)/ Mrs. Theodora Nathan (Libertarian-Oregon): 0 Electoral Votes; 14.3%

Once again the beneficiary of a divided opposition, President George McGovern won reelection in an electoral college landslide, defeating former Governor George Romney by over 100 votes in the electoral college. The president likewise won a strong plurality of the popular vote, outpolling Romney by nearly 9 points. Libertarian Party candidate John Hospers, meanwhile, would poll an impressive 14% of the popular vote, but would fail to carry any states despite strong showings in Colorado and Virginia.

[tmthforu94]

*sigh*