Which party was better/less awful during the Second Party System?

[TDAS04]

Tough one.  I detest Jackson and Polk, and the era's Democrats tended to be more virulently racist as a whole.  However, the Whigs had their nativism and elitism, and were not completely innocent of racism either.

Lean Whigs.

[RINO Tom]

Neither is going to look good to people living in 2016, but the Democrats were awful.  Give me the Whigs!

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Both parties contained multitudes.

[Santander]

Democrats, obviously. Jackson and Polk were the two best Presidents of all-time.

[Goldwater]

Lean Democrats.

[Bigby]

Definitely the Democrats. Let it sink in that even with two wonderful General Presidents, the Whigs ruined themselves once their VPs became Presidents. Both times, those horrible VPs who became Presidents had to be replaced on the ticket. Jackson and Polk are one of my two favorite Presidents, so maybe there is some bias.

By the way, I love how the GOPers prefer the Democrats and the Democrats prefer the Whigs, on average.

[Higgs]

Definitely the Democrats. Let it sink in that even with two wonderful General Presidents, the Whigs ruined themselves once their VPs became Presidents. Both times, those horrible VPs who became Presidents had to be replaced on the ticket. Jackson and Polk are one of my two favorite Presidents, so maybe there is some bias.

By the way, I love how the GOPers prefer the Democrats and the Democrats prefer the Whigs, on average.

Eh, not a big enough sample to extrapolate anything from.

[Bigby]

Definitely the Democrats. Let it sink in that even with two wonderful General Presidents, the Whigs ruined themselves once their VPs became Presidents. Both times, those horrible VPs who became Presidents had to be replaced on the ticket. Jackson and Polk are one of my two favorite Presidents, so maybe there is some bias.

By the way, I love how the GOPers prefer the Democrats and the Democrats prefer the Whigs, on average.

Eh, not a big enough sample to extrapolate anything from.

The Whig (R) column has also grown after I posted and voted.

[I’m not Stu]

Whigs

[Mr. Smith]

Democrats, specifically because of Henry Clay.

[Bigby]

Democrats, specifically because of Henry Clay.

Not a fan of corrupt bargains?

[sparkey]

Northern Democrats and Southern Whigs. In Missouri, there were 3 factions for a while: Southern-style Democrats, Northern-style Democrats, and Whigs. The Northern-style ones were the best, then the Whigs, then the Southern-style Democrats.

[Kingpoleon]

1. Free Soil
2. Whigs
3. Democrats

Van Buren and Taylor are the greatest Presidents from this time period.

[White Trash]

Democrats

[Kingpoleon]

Democrats

Martin Van Buren/Richard Mentor Johnson(D) v. Henry Clay/Daniel Webster(W)?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Between Whigs and Democrats, Whigs. Free Soil was better than those two, but I would never vote for them in a presidential election, because they would never have had a chance to win.

[White Trash]

Democrats

Martin Van Buren/Richard Mentor Johnson(D) v. Henry Clay/Daniel Webster(W)?

Lean Van Buren

[Kingpoleon]

Democrats

Martin Van Buren/Richard Mentor Johnson(D) v. Henry Clay/Daniel Webster(W)?

Lean Van Buren

Now, see, that's what makes me doubt my Whig vote. Van Buren seems good politically. Besides him, the Democrats of the era strike me as either authoritarian populists or warmongers.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Democrats, because banking and Martin van Buren.

[White Trash]

Democrats

Martin Van Buren/Richard Mentor Johnson(D) v. Henry Clay/Daniel Webster(W)?

Lean Van Buren

Now, see, that's what makes me doubt my Whig vote. Van Buren seems good politically. Besides him, the Democrats of the era strike me as either authoritarian populists or warmongers.

You say that like it's a bad thing

[Goldwater]

Democrats

Martin Van Buren/Richard Mentor Johnson(D) v. Henry Clay/Daniel Webster(W)?

Lean Van Buren

Now, see, that's what makes me doubt my Whig vote. Van Buren seems good politically. Besides him, the Democrats of the era strike me as either authoritarian populists or warmongers.

And you also say that like it's a bad thing.

[Intell]

A radical northern democrat.