How would you have voted?: United States Presidential Elections

[Bo]

1789: George Washington (Federalist)
1792:George Washington (F)
1796:Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican)
1800:Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1804:Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1808:James Madison (D-R)
1812:James Madison (D-R)
1816:James Monroe (D-R)
1820:James Monroe (D-R)
1824:John Quincy Adams (D-R)
1828:John Quincy Adams (D-R)
1832:Henry Clay (National Republican)
1836:Martin van Buren (Democrat)
1840:Martin van Buren (Democrat)
1844:James K. Polk (D)
1848:Lewis Cass (D)
1852:Winfield Scott (Whig)
1856:John Fremont (R)
1860:Abraham Lincoln (R)
1864:Abraham Lincoln (R)
1868:Ulysses Grant (R)
1872:Ulysses Grant (R)
1876:Samuel Tilden (D)
1880:Winfield Hancock (D)
1884:Grover Cleveland (D)
1888:Grover Cleveland (D)
1892:Benjamin Harrison (R)
1896:William McKinley (R)
1900:William McKinley (R)
1904:Teddy Roosevelt (R)
1908: William Taft (R)
1912:Teddy Roosevelt (Bull-Moose)
1916:Charles Hughes (R)
1920:James Cox (D)
1924:John Davis (D)
1928:Al Smith (D)
1932:Franklin Roosevelt (D)
1936:Franklin Roosevelt (D)
1940:Wendell Wilkie (R)
1944:Thomas Dewey (R)
1948:Thomas Dewey (R)
1952:Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1956:Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1960:Richard Nixon (R)
1964:Lyndon Johnson (D)
1968:Richard Nixon (R)
1972:Richard Nixon (R)
1976:Gerald Ford (R)
1980:Ronald Reagan (R)
1984:Ronald Reagan (R)
1988:George H. W. Bush (R)
1992:Bill Clinton (D)
1996:Bill Clinton (D)
2000:Al Gore (D)
2004:George W. Bush (R)
2008:Barack Obama (D)
2012:Barack Obama (D)

All of this is with retrospect.

[Bo]

1789: George Washington (Federalist)
1792:George Washington (F)
1796:Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican)
1800:Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1804:Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1808:James Madison (D-R)
1812:James Madison (D-R)
1816:James Monroe (D-R)
1820:James Monroe (D-R)
1824:John Quincy Adams (D-R)
1828:John Quincy Adams (D-R)
1832:Henry Clay (National Republican)
1836:Martin van Buren (Democrat)
1840:Martin van Buren (Democrat)
1844:James K. Polk (D)
1848:Lewis Cass (D)
1852:Winfield Scott (Whig)
1856:John Fremont (R)
1860:Abraham Lincoln (R)
1864:Abraham Lincoln (R)
1868:Ulysses Grant (R)
1872:Ulysses Grant (R)
1876:Samuel Tilden (D)
1880:Winfield Hancock (D)
1884:Grover Cleveland (D)
1888:Grover Cleveland (D)
1892:Benjamin Harrison (R)
1896:William McKinley (R)
1900:William McKinley (R)
1904:Teddy Roosevelt (R)
1908: William Taft (R)
1912:Teddy Roosevelt (Bull-Moose)
1916:Charles Hughes (R)
1920:James Cox (D)
1924:John Davis (D)
1928:Al Smith (D)
1932:Franklin Roosevelt (D)
1936:Franklin Roosevelt (D)
1940:Wendell Wilkie (R)
1944:Thomas Dewey (R)
1948:Thomas Dewey (R)
1952:Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1956:Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1960:Richard Nixon (R)
1964:Lyndon Johnson (D)
1968:Richard Nixon (R)
1972:Richard Nixon (R)
1976:Gerald Ford (R)
1980:Ronald Reagan (R)
1984:Ronald Reagan (R)
1988:George H. W. Bush (R)
1992:Bill Clinton (D)
1996:Bill Clinton (D)
2000:Al Gore (D)
2004:George W. Bush (R)
2008:Barack Obama (D)
2012:Barack Obama (D)

All of this is with retrospect.

Your list is similar to mine, but the 2012 vote is a bit early.

Any specific questions for why I would have voted for a particular candidate?

[Bo]

Bush 04 with retrospect?

I'd want Bush to get the blame for the financial crisis and resulting Great Recession so that a Democrat will be elected in 2008 and possibly 2012 and 2016. If Kerry won in 2004, we'd possibly be looking at a Republican President and Congress right now and possibly for a very long time nonstop.

[Bo]

Bush 04 with retrospect?

I'd want Bush to get the blame for the financial crisis and resulting Great Recession so that a Democrat will be elected in 2008 and possibly 2012 and 2016. If Kerry won in 2004, we'd possibly be looking at a Republican President and Congress right now and possibly for a very long time nonstop.

So you acknowledge that the economic problems were not caused by Bush or Republicans, but simply were going to happen at that time regardless due to te nature of the mixed market?

The economic problems were going to occur during this time no matter what. However, it was the Republicans' idea to get the Glass-Steagall Act repealed in 1999 (even though Democrats nearly unanimously agreed to it) and it was a Republican Fed Chair (Greenspan) that kept interest rates too low for too long (in order to get Bush reelected). Thus it is mostly (though not completely) the Republicans' fault that the crisis happened, even though I'm very sure that the crisis would have occured anyway if either Gore or Kerry defeated Bush.

[Bo]

1789: George Washington (Federalist)
1792:George Washington (F)
1796:Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican)
1800:Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1804:Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1808:James Madison (D-R)
1812:James Madison (D-R)
1816:James Monroe (D-R)
1820:James Monroe (D-R)
1824:John Quincy Adams (D-R)
1828:John Quincy Adams (D-R)
1832:Henry Clay (National Republican)
1836:Martin van Buren (Democrat)
1840:Martin van Buren (Democrat)
1844:James K. Polk (D)
1848:Lewis Cass (D)
1852:Winfield Scott (Whig)
1856:John Fremont (R)
1860:Abraham Lincoln (R)
1864:Abraham Lincoln (R)
1868:Ulysses Grant (R)
1872:Ulysses Grant (R)
1876:Samuel Tilden (D)
1880:Winfield Hancock (D)
1884:Grover Cleveland (D)
1888:Grover Cleveland (D)
1892:Benjamin Harrison (R)
1896:William McKinley (R)
1900:William McKinley (R)
1904:Teddy Roosevelt (R)
1908: William Taft (R)
1912:Teddy Roosevelt (Bull-Moose)
1916:Charles Hughes (R)
1920:James Cox (D)
1924:John Davis (D)
1928:Al Smith (D)
1932:Franklin Roosevelt (D)
1936:Franklin Roosevelt (D)
1940:Wendell Wilkie (R)
1944:Thomas Dewey (R)
1948:Thomas Dewey (R)
1952:Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1956:Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1960:Richard Nixon (R)
1964:Lyndon Johnson (D)
1968:Richard Nixon (R)
1972:Richard Nixon (R)
1976:Gerald Ford (R)
1980:Ronald Reagan (R)
1984:Ronald Reagan (R)
1988:George H. W. Bush (R)
1992:Bill Clinton (D)
1996:Bill Clinton (D)
2000:Al Gore (D)
2004:George W. Bush (R)
2008:Barack Obama (D)
2012:Barack Obama (D)

All of this is with retrospect.

Your list is similar to mine, but the 2012 vote is a bit early.

Any specific questions for why I would have voted for a particular candidate?

Yes, actually, I was curious at why you didn't vote for FDR in 1940 and 1944; As you are voting in retrospect.

I wouldn't vote for FDR in 1940 and 1944 because Wilkie was going to take the U.S. into WWII anyway after Pearl Harbor (and thus the Great  Depression would have still ended in the early 1940s), and FDR passed very little of his New Deal between 1941 and 1945, and even Truman (afterwards) passed very little new initiatives in domestic policy (I think the National Housing Act of 1949 was the major exception). I think that Wilkie and Dewey might have been tougher on the Soviet Union than Roosevelt was and thus allow the U.S. to enter the Cold War in a much more advantageous position. Also, Wilkie and Dewey were comparatively moderate on domestic/economic policy, so that was little to lose in that regard. Finally, I would oppose having a President serve for more than two terms, even though this is a little factor for why I would have supported Wilkie and Dewey over FDR.

[Bo]

starting with 1900:

1900: McKinley (R)
1904: Roosevelt (R)
1908: Taft (R)
1912: Roosevelt (P)
1916: Hughes (R)
1920: Harding (R)
1924: Coolidige (R)
1928: Hoover (R)
1932: Roosevelt (D)
1936: Roosevelt (D)
1940: Willkie (R)
1944: Dewey (R)
1948: Dewey (R)
1952: Eisenhower (R) (convention: Eisenhower (R))
1956: Eisenhower (R) (convention: Eisenhower (R))
1960: Kennedy (D) (convention: Kennedy (D))
1964: Johnson (D) (primary: Rockefeller (R))
1968: Nixon (R) (primary: Rockefeller (R))
1972: Nixon (R) (primary: Nixon (R))
1976: Ford (R) (primary: Ford (R))
1980: Anderson (I) (primary: Anderson (R))
1984: Reagan (R) (primary: Hart (D))
1988: Bush (R) (primary: Biden (D))
1992: Clinton (D) (primary: Tsongas (D))
1996: Clinton (D) (primary: Clinton (D))
2000: Nader (G) (primary: Bradley (D))
2004: Kerry (D) (primary: Dean (D))
2008: Obama (D) (primary: Gravel (D))

Why would you have voted for Nader in 2000? Gore was going to continue Clinton's policies, and you would have voted for Clinton twice.

[Bo]

Probably vote straight GOP since 1856.

You do realize that the GOP and the Democrats have completely switched on most issues since this time?

[Bo]

Decided to revise the list a bit. Only including major parties (ones that won electoral votes):

1789: George Washington
1792: George Washington
1796: Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1800: Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1804: Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
1808: Charles C Pinckney (F)
1812: DeWitt Clinton (F)
1816: James Monroe (D-R)
1820: James Monroe (D-R)
1824: Henry Clay (D-R)
1828: John Quincy Adams (NR) *
1832: John Floyd (N)
1836: Martin Van Buren (D)
1840: Martin Van Buren (D)
1844: Henry Clay (W)
1848: Lewis Cass (D)
1852: Winfield Scott (W) *
1856: John C. Fremont (R) *
1860: John Bell (CU)
1864: George B McClellan (D)
1868: Horatio Seymour (D)
1872: Horace Greeley (D)
1876: Samuel J Tilden (D)
1880: James A Garfield (R)
1884: Grover Cleveland (D)
1888: Grover Cleveland (D)
1892: Grover Cleveland (D)
1896: William Jennings Bryan (D)
1900: William Jennings Bryan (D)
1904: Alton B Parker (D)
1908: William Howard Taft (R) *
1912: William Howard Taft (R) *
1916: Charles E Hughes (R)
1920: Warren G Harding (R)
1924: Calvin Coolidge (R)
1928: Al Smith (D)
1932: Herbert Hoover (R) *
1936: Alf Landon (R) *
1940: Wendell Wilkie (R)
1944: Thomas E Dewey (R) *
1948: Thomas E Dewey (R) *
1952: Adlai Stevenson (D) *
1956: Adlai Stevenson (D) *
1960: John F Kennedy (D)
1964: Barry Goldwater (R)
1968: Hubert Humphrey (R)
1972: George McGovern (D)
1976: Jimmy Carter (D)
1980: Jimmy Carter (D)
1984: Walter Mondale (D)
1988: George H.W. Bush (R)
1992: Bill Clinton (D)
1996: Bill Clinton (D)
2000: George W Bush (R) *
2004: John Kerry (D)
2008: John McCain (R) *

* = Reluctant

What don't you like about Gore?

[Bo]

1948: Strom Thurmond (SR)

You know he was an extreme racist, right? Even Goldwater appeared moderate in comparison to him, and you would have voted against Godlwater.

[Bo]

With retrospect (only since 1924 since I did not change my mind on any election before 1924):

1924: LaFollette (I)
1928: Smith (D)
1932: FDR (D)
1936: FDR (D)
1940: Wilkie (R)
1944: Dewey (R)
1948: Dewey (R)
1952: Eisenhower (R)
1956: Eisenhower (R)
1960: Nixon (R)
1964: LBJ (D)
1968: HHH (D)
1972: Nixon (R)
1976: Ford (R)
1980: Reagan (R)
1984: Mondale (D)
1988: Dukakis (D)
1992: Clinton (D)
1996: Clinton (D)
2000: Gore (D)
2004: Bush Jr. (R)
2008: Obama (D)

[Bo]

With retrospect (only since 1924 since I did not change my mind on any election before 1924):

1924: LaFollette (I)
1928: Smith (D)
1932: FDR (D)
1936: FDR (D)
1940: Wilkie (R)
1944: Dewey (R)
1948: Dewey (R)
1952: Eisenhower (R)
1956: Eisenhower (R)
1960: Nixon (R)
1964: LBJ (D)
1968: HHH (D)
1972: Nixon (R)
1976: Ford (R)
1980: Reagan (R)
1984: Mondale (D)
1988: Dukakis (D)
1992: Clinton (D)
1996: Clinton (D)
2000: Gore (D)
2004: Bush Jr. (R)
2008: Obama (D)

Mondale, Dukakis, Clinton, Gore, Obama? Some "pro-lifer" you are.

I don't vote based on abortion alone.

[Bo]

With retrospect (only since 1924 since I did not change my mind on any election before 1924):

1924: LaFollette (I)
1928: Smith (D)
1932: FDR (D)
1936: FDR (D)
1940: Wilkie (R)
1944: Dewey (R)
1948: Dewey (R)
1952: Eisenhower (R)
1956: Eisenhower (R)
1960: Nixon (R)
1964: LBJ (D)
1968: HHH (D)
1972: Nixon (R)
1976: Ford (R)
1980: Reagan (R)
1984: Mondale (D)
1988: Dukakis (D)
1992: Clinton (D)
1996: Clinton (D)
2000: Gore (D)
2004: Bush Jr. (R)
2008: Obama (D)

Mondale, Dukakis, Clinton, Gore, Obama? Some "pro-lifer" you are.

I don't vote based on abortion alone.

And you were attacking me for voicing support for Cindy Sheehan? You are a hypocrite.

No, you're a hypocrite. I never said that I only vote based on my beliefs on abortion. You, however, said that you will never vote for a candidate who supports abortion, yet you then stated that you will vote for Cindy Sheehan, who supports abortion. You're the hypocrite.

[Bo]

With retrospect (only since 1924 since I did not change my mind on any election before 1924):

1924: LaFollette (I)
1928: Smith (D)
1932: FDR (D)
1936: FDR (D)
1940: Wilkie (R)
1944: Dewey (R)
1948: Dewey (R)
1952: Eisenhower (R)
1956: Eisenhower (R)
1960: Nixon (R)
1964: LBJ (D)
1968: HHH (D)
1972: Nixon (R)
1976: Ford (R)
1980: Reagan (R)
1984: Mondale (D)
1988: Dukakis (D)
1992: Clinton (D)
1996: Clinton (D)
2000: Gore (D)
2004: Bush Jr. (R)
2008: Obama (D)

Mondale, Dukakis, Clinton, Gore, Obama? Some "pro-lifer" you are.

I don't vote based on abortion alone.

And you were attacking me for voicing support for Cindy Sheehan? You are a hypocrite.

No, you're a hypocrite. I never said that I only vote based on my beliefs on abortion. You, however, said that you will never vote for a candidate who supports abortion, yet you then stated that you will vote for Cindy Sheehan, who supports abortion. You're the hypocrite.

Considering I don't live in Nancy Pelosi's district, how the hell would I have ever voted for Sheehan even if I wanted to?

You said you would have voted for Sheehan if you had the chance to. Thus, my point remains valid.

[Bo]

1900: William McKinley (R)
1904: Theodore Roosevelt (R)
1908: William Howard Taft (R)
1912: Theodore Roosevelt (P)
1916: Charles E Hughes (R)
1920: Warren Harding (R)
1924: Calvin Coolidge (R)
1928: Al Smith (D)
1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
1936: Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
1940: Wendell Willkie (R)
1944: Thomas E Dewey (R)
1948: Thomas E Dewey (R)
1952: Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1956: Dwight Eisenhower (R)
1960: Richard Nixon (R)
1964: Lyndon Johnson (D)
1968: Richard Nixon (R)
1972: Richard Nixon (R)
1976: Gerald Ford (R)
1980: John Anderson (I)
1984: Walter Mondale (D)
1988: Michael Dukakis (D)
1992: Ross Perot (I)
1996: Bill Clinton (D)
2000: George Bush (R)
2004: John Kerry (D)
2008: Barack Obama (D)

Why the Bush Jr. vote in 2000? Also, who would you ahve supported in the Democratic primaries in 2008?

[Bo]

1900: William Bryan
1904: Eugene Debs
1908: William Bryan
1912: Woodrow Wilson
1916: Woodrow Wilson
1920: Eugene Debs
1924: Robert LaFolette
1928: Norman Thomas
1932: FDR
1936: FDR
1940: FDR
1944: FDR
1948: Harry Truman
1952: Adlai Stevenson
1956: Adlai Stevenson
1960: JFK
1964: LBJ
1968: Hubert Humphrey
1972: George McGovern
1976: Gerald Ford
1980: John Anderson
1984: Walter Mondale
1988: Michael Dukakis
1992: Ross Perot
1996: Bill Clinton
2000: Ralph Nader
2004: Ralph Nader
2008: Barack Obama

Why Wilson in '16 and Ford in '76?

[Bo]

2008: Obama/P:Edwards

I don't see how anyone could support Edwards in the 08 primaries with any retrospect.  The man was hiding an affair that was going to come out regardless of where his political career went.  Democrats should be thankful everyday that we didn't even take his candidacy seriously in 2008.

You said it. I had a lot of respect for Edwards, and thought he would become our next President in 2005 and 2006. Now I'm so disappointed in him and so glad he lost.

[Bo]

1904: Roosevelt
1908: Bryan
1912: Debs
1916: Hughes
1920: Debs
1924: LaFollette
1928: Smith
1932: Roosevelt
1936: Roosevelt
1940: Roosevelt
1944: Roosevelt
1948: Truman
1952: Kefauver(Primary), Eisenhower(General)
1956: Kefauver(Primary), Eisenhower(General)
1960: Kennedy
1964: Johnson
1968: Eugene McCarthy(Primary), Humphrey(General)
1972: McGovern
1976: Carter
1980: Kennedy(Primary), Carter(General)
1984: Mondale
1988: Dukakis
1992: Clinton
1996: Clinton
2000: Gore
2004: Kerry
2008: Clinton(Primary), Obama(General)

Why the Bryan vote in 1908? Also, what about pre-1904?

[Bo]

I'm just going to stick to 1928.  (Note, I would've voted Republican in the 1800's, because the Democrats were so conservative then).  



1928:  Smith
1932:  FDR
1936:  FDR
1940:  FDR
1944:  Dewey
1948:  Truman
1952:  Stevenson
1956:  Stevenson
1960:  Kennedy
1964:  LBJ
1972:  McGovern
1976:  Carter
1980:  Carter
1984:  Mondale
1988:  Dukakis
1992:  Clinton
1996:  Clinton
2000:  Gore
2004:  Kerry
2008:  Obama

You skipped 1968 and what's with the Dewey vote in 1944?

[Bo]

I'm just going to stick to 1928.  (Note, I would've voted Republican in the 1800's, because the Democrats were so conservative then).  



1928:  Smith
1932:  FDR
1936:  FDR
1940:  FDR
1944:  Dewey
1948:  Truman
1952:  Stevenson
1956:  Stevenson
1960:  Kennedy
1964:  LBJ
1972:  McGovern
1976:  Carter
1980:  Carter
1984:  Mondale
1988:  Dukakis
1992:  Clinton
1996:  Clinton
2000:  Gore
2004:  Kerry
2008:  Obama

You skipped 1968 and what's with the Dewey vote in 1944?

Whoops, I forgot 1968.  I would have voted for Humphery, of course.




I would have voted for Dewey, but only because of the internment camps.   I would have supported Henry Wallace if he had ran that year as the nominee. 

Were all the details about the interment camps known in 1944? I figure that the govt. would try to manipulate the reports just so that the American people wouldn't know what was really happening there. I'm assuming all this is without hindsight, so that's why I'm asking.

Also, as a side note, you mind doing your votes for 1789-1924 (when you have the time)?