By CIAN McKEOWN and ALEX CAMBOURIS
If you’re reading this, the Election of 2024 is already well underway. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off on November 5 of this year. No election in history has ever felt so decisive as this one. With many issues on the ballot, such as women’s rights, immigration, inflation, and security, voters can’t help but wonder how their lives may change following the results. As turbulent as this election is, it is not the first time the country has been so divided in American history. To confront and understand the insanity that was these last few years, it’s important to understand how we got here.
Let’s rewind the clock to a time long past but not forgotten. The year is 1892, and current President Benjamin Harrison is challenged by Former President Grover Cleveland, who won previously in 1884, but not 1888, and Cleveland was in his third campaign in less than a decade. Sound familiar? Harrison’s administration had been deemed a failure by most, and he was reluctant to seek a renomination by the Republican Party in 1892. He accepted only because of his opposition to the nomination of James G. Blaine, former senator from Maine and Secretary of State. Cleveland had previously defeated Blaine in the election of 1884, and their relationship had soured over Harrison’s term, as The President knew that Blaine was more important and popular within the Republican Party than himself. The incumbent electorate was in a difficult position. The party would need to take drastic measures to ensure their success in the election. Consider the predicament in this day and age. President Joe Biden’s term has been scrutinized heavily by both sides, and concerns about his health eventually led him to drop out of the race and endorse his younger, more lively vice president, Kamala Harris. In 1892, voters were irked by Harrison’s narrow victory in 1888 and the forcing through of partisan measures in a Republican-controlled Congress, such as the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 which raised tariffs on imports, raising prices for American consumers. Raising tariffs is a prominent part of Donald Trump’s 2024 policy platform. Many believed Harrison was too aligned with the nation’s wealthy elite and out of touch with the working-class voter. Managing to stave off convention challenges from Blaine and Ohio Representative and future president William McKinley, Harrison went into election day with trepidation.
His opponent, Former President Grover Cleveland, had spent his time out of the White House working at his successful New York law firm and further entrenching himself as a power player in East Coast Democratic Party politics. The quintessential establishment figure, Cleveland’s decision to run for a third time was mainly driven by his desire to snuff out the burgeoning Free Silver movement, led by William Jennings Bryan, who would soon usurp Cleveland as the leader of the Democratic Party. The movement was mainly driven by farmers and ranchers who believed that the expanded currency would make it easier for them to pay their debts. Bryan was a populist, famous for his rousing stump speeches and tours across the country to appeal to everyday Americans, mostly his rural base of farmers, and at age thirty-six, he was the youngest person ever to run for president. Bryan’s opponent in the 1896 election was Ohio Republican William McKinley, praised for his moderate views on silver and the gold standard, and support for industrial and economic interests. Many Bryan supporters believed that McKinely was only a friend to the elite, and Bryan emerged as one of the first truly populist leaders in the history of American politics. Bryan’s appeal to the financial woes of Western states and self-positioning as a man of the people is very similar to Donald Trump’s targeting of the American populace’s distaste for the current economy and a system of governance they feel has left them behind.
One final consideration would be the Election of 1960. 40 years after the last discussed election, America was an entirely different world. Hotshot senator John F. Kennedy faced off against the hard-boiled Richard Nixon. With growing tension with the USSR and drastic civil progress, the nation was once again full of conviction. To the Democrats, Kennedy was a beacon of hope and a symbol of progress. To Republicans, Nixon was a known figure who would bring traditional values to a world threatened by communism. Kennedy was an exciting young figure who offered a split from the traditional conservatism of Nixon, striking a progressive tone on issues like civil rights by pressuring the governor of Georgia to release Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from jail and calling King’s wife Coretta to pledge his support. These factors contributed to it being one of the closest presidential elections in American history, with Kennedy receiving only around 100,000 more votes than Nixon. The election also had the highest voter turnout ever in American history, with 62.8% of the eligible voters casting their ballots. As we watch the results unfold in what will surely be another one of this country’s closest-ever presidential elections, we can only hope that the American people can make the best decision for themselves and their country, and learn from our past victories and follies alike.
Featured Image: CNN Electoral Results, 11 p.m. CT November 5, 2024
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