Worst-run presidential campaign

[Sumner 1868]

Alf Landon's 1936 campaign was quite awful, as reflected by results.

[Sumner 1868]

John Kerry's 2004 campaign could have done many things much better.

[Sumner 1868]

To those saying Carter '76 was the worst-run winning campaign, don't you think his going from 20 points ahead to just 2 points had more to do with Ford perhaps running a good losing campaign and other factors beyond his control (improving economy, GOP-friendly electorate)?

No. Ford's campaign was as badly disorganized as Carter, but it seems "devil you know" factor played a role. Not surprising, as the events of ten years prior were bound to make people suspicious of anybody claiming to represent change.

[Sumner 1868]

Alf Landon's 1936 campaign was quite awful, as reflected by results.

Consider how much harder it was back then to gauge public opinion and disseminate information.

I read somewhere that Landon's campaign staff were confident he would win because of telephone polls showing him leading Roosevelt by comfortable margins, despite the fact that the only people who had telephones in their homes back then were middle- and upper-income people who were already more inclined to vote Republican.

Even then, the number of errors he made is astonishing. Landon campaigned as if there was no Depression at all and basically targeted rich people. Well, it worked, but it was a horrible strategy during the Depression. He was also horrible with radio.

[Sumner 1868]

Taft 1912. Haha, simply because he didn't really want to even be president

The fact he even won two states is incredible.

Well, the fact he won pre-Ezra Benson Utah is incredible. Vermont in those days, however, would elect literally anyone as long as they were a Republican.