Which candidate would you have voted for ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Which candidate woud you have voted for during the past presidential elections ? Here is what I would do.

1789 : Washington
1792 : Washington
1796 : Jefferson
1800 : Jefferson
1804 : Jefferson
1808 : Madison
1812 : Madison
1816 : Monroe
1820 : Monroe
1824 : Jackson
1828 : Jackson
1832 : Jackson
1836 : Van Buren
1840 : Van Buren
1844 : Polk
1848 : Van Buren
1852 : Hale
1856 : Frémont
1860 : Lincoln
1864 : Lincoln
1868 : Seymour
1872 : Greeley
1876 : Tilden
1880 : Garfield
1884 : Cleveland
1888 : Cleveland
1892 : Weaver
1896 : Bryan
1900 : Bryan
1904 : Roosevelt
1908 : Bryan
1912 : Roosevelt
1916 : Wilson
1920 : Cox
1924 : LaFollette
1928 : Smith
1932 : Roosevelt
1936 : Roosevelt
1940 : Roosevelt
1944 : Roosevelt
1948 : Truman
1952 : Stevenson
1956 : Stevenson
1960 : Kennedy
1964 : Johnson
1968 : Humphrey
1972 : McGovern
1976 : Carter
1980 : Carter
1984 : Mondale
1988 : Dukakis
1992 : Clinton
1996 : Clinton
2000 : Gore
2004 : Kerry
2008 : Obama

What about you ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Another interesting fact is that we all seem to stick with our parties through thick and thin, even if they would be considered liberal/conservative by todays standards (Fremont and Lincoln as liberals, Jackson and WJB as conservatives).

To a degree, yes.  I don't do that as much, voting Whig 1836/1840 and 1848/1852, then GOP from 1856-1880, Populist 1892, GOP 1904, Progressive in 1912 and 1924, then GOP in 1952-1956, 1972, and 1984.  A lot of the time, still though, there is agreement between the poster's current party and their past votes.

From 1876 to 1896, there was no great difference between Northern democrats and republicans : no one was more progressive or conservative than the other.

[Antonio the Sixth]

1789: George Washington (NP-VA)
1792: George Washington (NP-VA)
1796: Thomas Jefferson (DR-VA)
1800: Thomas Jefferson (DR-VA)
1804: Thomas Jefferson (DR-VA)
1808: James Madison (DR-VA)
1812: James Madison (DR-VA)
1816: James Monroe (DR-VA)
1820: James Monroe (DR-VA)
1824: Andrew Jackson (D-TN)
1828: Andrew Jackson (D-TN)
1832: Andrew Jackson (D-TN)
1836: Martin Van Buren (D-NY)
1840: Martin Van Buren (D-NY)
1844: Henry Clay (W-KY)
1848: Martin Van Buren (FS-NY)
1852: Franklin Pierce (D-NH)
1856: Nathaniel P. Banks (R-MA)
1860: William Henry Seward (R-NY)
1864: Abraham Lincoln (R-IL)
1868: Ulysses Grant (R-IL)
1872: Charles Francis Adams (LR-MA)
1876: James G. Blaine (R-ME)
1880: James G. Blaine (R-ME)
1884: James Blaine (R-ME)
1888: John Sherman (R-OH)
1892: James Weaver (Pop-IA)
1896: Thomas Bracket Reed (R-ME)
1900: William McKinley (R-OH)
1904: Theodore Roosevelt (R-NY)
1908: Robert M. LaFollette Sr. (R-WI)
1912: Theodore Roosevelt (Prog-NY)
1916: Charlese Evan Hughes (R-NY)
1920: James Cox (D-OH)
1924: Al Smith (D-NY)
1928: Al Smith (D-NY)
1932: Albert Ritchie (D-MD)
1936: Franklin Roosevelt (D-NY)
1940: Franklin Roosevelt (D-NY)
1944: Franklin Roosevelt (D-NY)
1948: Harry Truman (D-MO)
1952: Harry Truman (D-MO)
1956: Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
1960: Stuart Symington (D-MO)
1964: Lyndon Johnson (D-TX)
1968: Hubert Humphrey (D-MN)
1972: Edmund Muskie (D-ME)
1976: Birch Bayh (D-IN)
1980: Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
1984: John Glenn (D-OH)
1988: Joe Biden (D-DE)
1992:  Bob Kerrey (D-NE)
1996: Bill Clinton (D-AR)
2000: Al Gore (D-TN)
2004: Wesley Clark(D-AR)
2008: Joe Biden (D-DE)

You must vote for a candidate that ran in the general election.

[Antonio the Sixth]

1860: Breckinridge
1864: McCellan
1868: Seymour
1872: Grant
1876: Tilden
1880: Hancock
1884: Cleveland
1888: Cleveland
1892: Cleveland
1896: KcKinley
1900: McKinley
1904: Roosevelt
1908: Taft
1912: Taft
1916: Hughes
1920: Cox
1924: Coolidge
1928: Smith
1932: Roosevelt
1936: Landon
1940: Wilkie
1944: Dewey
1948: Dewey
1952: Eisenhower
1956: Eisenhower
1960: Nixon
1964: Goldwater
1968: Nixon
1972: Nixon
1976: Ford
1980: Reagan
1984: Reagan
1988: Bush
1992: Bush
1996: Clinton
2000: Gore
2004: Kerry
2008: McCain

That's the strangest votes that I ever saw. So you would vote for every democrat until 1896 and then fore every republican ( even in 1912 ), but you would vote for Cox in 1920 and Smith in 1928. You would choose Roosevelt in 1932 but then vote for every republican, until 1996. You would vote for Clinton, Gore and Kerry but McCain in 2008. What does it mean ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Eh, it's not that hard when you think more in terms of views instead of parties. If you look at that candidate list, most of the people I voted for lean to the right or at least center. My vote for Roosevelt  can be explained as being a response to Hoover's failure and incompetent meddling in the economy. My vote for Clinton can be explained by his cutting welfare, crime, etc. and relative moderation compared to his opponent. My votes for Gore and Kerry can be explained as responses to Bush's obvious incompetence and general satisfaction with the Clinton years.

Thanks a lot, glad to have discovered a republican that prefers to vote for a moderate democrat than for an incompetent republican extremist.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Little poll ( the most voted candidate for each election ) :

1789 : Washington
1792 : Washington
1796 : Jefferson
1800 : Jefferson
1804 : Jefferson
1808 : Madison
1812 : Madison
1816 : Monroe
1820 : Monroe
1824 : Adams
1828 : Jackson
1832 : Clay
1836 : Van Buren
1840 : Van Buren
1844 : Clay
1848 : Van Buren
1852 : Scott
1856 : Frémont
1860 : Lincoln
1864 : Lincoln
1868 : Grant
1872 : Grant
1876 : Hayes
1880 : Garfield
1884 : Blaine
1888 : Cleveland
1892 : Weaver
1896 : Bryan
1900 : McKinley

Will continue the list later...