Back in 1943, Irving Stone wrote a brilliant work, They Also Ran, which provides a historical analysis into the men who lost their respective presidential elections, yet, in some cases, may have actually been better Presidents than those they were defeated by.
The book ends with 1943, which means we never get to see how Stone would have rated men like Stevenson, Humphrey, or the like, which is why I decided that I'd have a few diaries on the 'Also Rans'. The people who might have made a difference, had they only been elected, and let our fellow users decide which one of these Also Rans they think might have made a difference.
And so, I'm diving this up into six separate diaries. The first three will revolve around the Democrats, the second two will revolve around the Republicans, and the final will revolve around the various third party candidates we've seen win actual electoral votes in presidential contests.
Here comes Part V, which will showcase Republicans from the 20th Century who are classified as 'Also Rans'. In this category, we have quite a few Republicans, ranging from Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes to Kansas Senator Bob Dole.
The fourth part will be showcasing those Republicans who were fortunately (or unfortunately) defeated in their respective elections in the 20th. Century.
Without further adieu, here they are:
Charles Evans Hughes served as Governor of New York, Associate Justice in the SCOTUS, Secretary of State under the egregious failure of an administration that was Warren Harding's, and eventually, as Chief Justice of the SCOTUS. Hughes, nominated in 1916 to go up against Democrat Woodrow Wilson, had been chosen by the Republican Party to bridge the gap between it's Progressive (Roosevelt) and Conservative (Taft) wings, yet, as time would later tell, Hughes was much more partial to the Conservative wing of the party. He was narrowly defeated by the incumbent Wilson in 1916, yet, he managed to stir up trouble during another Democratic presidency, namely, that of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which he and his Republican colleagues fought to declare various aspects of the New Deal (the National Recovery Administration, or NRA, in particular), unconstitutional. Hughes eventually backed off with Roosevelt's threatening to pack the Court. Hughes was defeated by Woodrow Wilson.
Alf Landon, Governor of Kansas, was the second Republican to be trounced by Franklin Roosevelt. Landon was a progressive in some aspects, having been a member of Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Progressive Party in 1912, yet, he specifically attacked Labor Unions in particular, and broke with Roosevelt on Social Security, as well. Landon was thoroughly destroyed in the 1936 election, only carrying Vermont and Maine, as Roosevelt went on to win a second consecutive landslide. Landon continued, however, to be involved in aspects of party politics, and helped the moderate to liberal faction of the Republican Party overtake the Conservative Taft faction for a solid twenty years. Landon was defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Wendell Willkie was another moderate to liberal Republican nominated in the wake of the New Deal realignment, becoming quite the Dark Horse candidate. Initially, Willkie was a Democrat who actively campaigned for Roosevelt in 1932, yet, he became a turncoat as Roosevelt's Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) interfered with his business prospects. Willkie seemed like a perfect choice for the Republicans in 1940, as he was charismatic and isolationist, something they thought could easily topple the Democratic nominee - likely to be Vice President John Nance Garner. It was a severe miscalculation, however, as Roosevelt took his chances on a third term and plowed through Willkie in another landslide. Willkie later went on to serve in the Roosevelt administration during World War II, before dying in 1944, short of becoming the GOP's nominee for a second time. Willkie was defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Thomas Dewey was the GOP's moderate to liberal nominee in both 1944 and 1948. Gaining fame by prosecuting various mob leaders, Dewey used this as a springboard to capture the Governorship of New York and later the GOP nomination, twice. In 1944, there was little doubt Roosevelt would take a fourth term, and no one honestly wanted the job of running against the beloved President, so Dewey was basically drafted for the job. In contrast, Dewey was seen as a sure fire winner against Truman in 1948, as noted by the Chicago Tribune's well known 'Dewey Defeats Truman' paper. Dewey, after being humbled by two previous defeats at the hand of both Roosevelt and Truman, played a role in 1952 of getting Dwight Eisenhower, another moderate to liberal Republican, the nomination. Dewey was defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
Barry Goldwater assumed the GOP's nomination as the first Conservative to do so since 1932. Goldwater's campaign could be summed up in a few words, namely 'Nuke Vietnam into the Stone Age' and 'Kill the New Deal', both of which proved unpopular with voters. Indeed, Goldwater's nomination led to the rise of the modern Movement Conservatism that has governed the United States since 1968 (give or take a few Centrist Democrats). In retrospect, Goldwater has spoken against the Religious Right, come out as both pro-choice and pro-Gay Rights, yet, he cannot and should not be idolized by progressives simply for this. Goldwater also began the attacks on Unions, voted against civil rights on most occasions, and hated the legacy of Roosevelt and the New Deal with a passion. Goldwater was defeated by Lyndon B. Johnson.
Bob Dole was the GOP's 1996 nominee, going up against popular incumbent Bill Clinton. Dole had a very long political history, having been Gerald Ford's pick for Vice President in 1976, yet, twenty years later, with his own name at the top of the ballot, the Kansas senator was unable to take either office. Considered a moderate early on, Dole soon latched to the coattails of the right-wing GOP majority led by Newt Gingrich, something that Bill Clinton used as an advantage in his own re-election, connecting Dole with the unpopular Speaker of the House. Dole was defeated by Bill Clinton.
I've included a poll as well for you to project your views and such, and please don't forget to comment! :)
They Also Ran : Third Parties - Part VI of VI will be posted tomorrow, and it will showcase Third Party candidates receiving large amounts of votes from Fillmore's Know-Nothing Party to Perot's Reform Party.
By request, I've included links to past parts of the series, as well:
They Also Ran : The Democrats - Part I of VI
They Also Ran : The Democrats - Part II of VI
They Also Ran : The Democrats - Part III of VI
They Also Ran : The Republicans - Part IV of VI