How would you have voted?: United States Presidential Elections

[Mr. Smith]

As a guide, instead of continuously pointing out the party and colors, I will just point out the colors from the get-go. Bold years mean the candidate won unambiguously, italicized means I picked the PV winner/declared loser, and nothing means the candidate lost fair and square. Also In brackets on the right is my primary choice or preferred alternative if it differs from the general candidate.

No color means Independent
Brown means Federalist
Green means Democratic-Republican
Red means Democratic
Orange means National Republican/Whig
Blue means Republican
Purple means Socialist, Populist, or Progressive I'll note the differences on those

So now to begin:

1789: George Washington
1792: George Washington
1796: John Adams
1800: Thomas Jefferson
1804: Thomas Jefferson
1808: James Madison
1812: DeWitt Clinton
1816 James Monroe
1820: James Monroe
1824: Andrew Jackson
1828: Andrew Jackson w/out hindsight, J.Q. Adams with it
1832: Andrew Jackson
1836: Martin Van Buren
1840: William Henry Harrison w/out hindsight, Martin Van Buren with it
1844: James Polk
1848: Zachary Taylor
1852: Winfield Scott
1856: John C. Fremont
1860: Abraham Lincoln
1864: Abraham Lincoln
1868: Ulysses S. Grant
1872: Ulysses S. Grant
1876: Rutherford B. Hayes
1880: James Garfield    [Ulysses S. Grant]
1884: Grover Cleveland
1888: Benjamin Harrison
1892: James B. Weaver (Populist)
1896: William Jennings Bryan
1900: William Jennings Bryan
1904: Theodore Roosevelt
1908: William Howard Taft , William Jennings Bryan again with hindsight.
1912: Theodore Roosevelt (Bull Moose Progressive)
1916: Charles Evans Hughes
1920: Warren G. Harding w/out hindsight, James M. Cox with it [Hiram Johnson]
1924: Robert La Follette (Progressive)     [Al Smith]
1928: Al Smith
1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1936: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1948: Harry S. Truman
1952: Dwight D. Eisenhower  [Estes Kefuaver]
1956: Dwight D. Eisenhower  [Estes Kefauver]
1960: John F. Kennedy [ Hubert Humphrey]
1964: Lyndon B. Johnson  [Nelson Rockefeller]
1968: Hubert Humphrey  [George Romney]
1972: George McGovern   [Ed Muskie]
1976: Jimmy Carter
1980: Jimmy Carter
1984: Walter Mondale   [Gary Hart]
1988: Michael Dukakis
1992: Bill Clinton [Jerry Brown]
1996: Bill Clinton
2000: Al Gore [Bill Bradley]
2004: John Kerry   [Howard Dean]
2008: Barack Obama [Hillary Clinton]

I actually voted in 2012 for Obama, so it doesn't quite count. If I had to do it over again,I'd vote for  Jill Stein or Rocky Anderson though.

[Mr. Smith]

To explain some parts, I like Clay's policies better than Jackson,but the man himself disgusts me far more than Jackson, and frankly he probably would've done the same thing to the Native Americans if it made him look good.

1876 would be a hard call since both are Big Business toadies,but Tilden seems like a Democratic Nixon, harping on the "corrupt" Grant administration and not denazifying the South. Sorry but no.

1884 despite Cleveland being a business toadie again, at least he seemed sincere in his convictions and Blaine's case was really bad.

1892 Harrison was simply no good at this point,and Cleveland's Randian policies were even worse.

1952: Only because it was Eisenhower against the Democrats, and because all contenders were pretty weak except for Kefauver....same thing with '56. Also they picked a segregationist for VP,that's the one thing worse than Nixon

1964: I don't see LBJ as much better than Nixon,so I would've been open to any Republican on this election...except Goldwater the business-over-poor toadie. But Rockefeller seems most ideal

1968: George Romney seems exactly like Rockefeller,except Mormon and more dovish. I admire Humphrey,but the triple combination wins it.

1976: Would've been a toss-up if Ford had kept Rockefeller and not made that foreign policy blunder. This marks the last halfway decent Republican.

[Mr. Smith]

Like Goldwater,I try to avoid 3rd parties (three exceptions in 1892,1912, and 1924), but I think it an interesting exercise and where I can only go with the Dems or GOP, I abstain.

2012: Rocky Anderson (Justice)
2008: Cynthia McKinney (Green)
2004: Abstain
2000: Ralph Nader (Green)
1996: Ralph Nader (Green)
1992:H. Ross Perot (Independent)
1988: Abstain
1984: Abstain
1980: John Anderson (Independent)
1976: Peter Camejo (Socialist Worker's)
1972: Abstain
1968: Abstain
1964: Abstain
1960: Abstain
1956: Abstain
1952: Abstain
1948: Henry Wallace (Progressive)
1944: Norman Thomas (Socialist)
1940: Norman Thomas (Socialist)
1936: Norman Thomas (Socialist)
1932: Norman Thomas (Socialist)
1928: Norman Thomas (Socialist)
1924: Still Robert La Follete (Progressive)
1920: Eugene Debs (Socialist)
1916: Alan Benson (Socialist)
1912: Still Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive)
1908: Eugene Debs (Socialist)
1904: Eugene Debs (Socialist)
1900: Abstain
1896: Abstain
1892: Still James B. Weaver (Populist)
1888: Abstain
1884: Benjamin Butler (Greenback)
1880: James Weaver (Greenback)
1876: Peter Cooper (Greenback)
1872: Abstain
1868: Abstain
1864: Abstain
1860: Abstain
1856: Abstain
1852: John P. Hale (Free-Soil)
1848: Martin Van Buren (Free-Soil)
1844: James Birney (Liberty)
1840: James Birney (Liberty)

[Mr. Smith]

I never really did too much on primaries, I made some hints here and there, but most of it was when I really didn't care too much for the nominated (such as Stevenson over Kefauver)

Since 1952 were the first consistent set of primaries for Democrats that is where I start [despite some earlier preferences], bold being the eventual nominee if they made it, parenthesis for general if different

1952: Kefauver (TN)   (Eisenhower (R-PA)) --> protest vote against Stevenson (IL)
1956: Kefauver (TN) ( Eisenhower (R-PA)) --> Same as 1952
1960: Humphrey (MN) (J. Kennedy (MA))
1964: Johnson (TX)
1968: R. Kennedy (NY) (Humphrey (MN)) [would've said Humphrey but I don't think he did primary runs at all, thus he doesn't fit criteria]
1972: Muskie (ME) (McGovern (SD)) [would've stuck by Humphrey or gone for Terry Sanford of North Carolina with hindsight concerning Nixon's "dirty tricks"]
1976: Carter (GA)
1980: Carter (GA)
1984: Hart (CO) (Mondale (MN))
1988: Gore (TN) (Dukakis (MA))
1992: Brown (CA) ( W. Clinton (AR))
1996: W. Clinton (AR)
2000: Gore (TN)
2004: Dean (VT) (Kerry (MA))
2008: H. Clinton (NY) (Obama (IL))
2012: Obama (IL)

[Mr. Smith]

@SPC and LBSDem: Leave the Senate stuff for another thread. Maybe somewhere in Individual Politics, idk.

[Mr. Smith]

It's been awhile, and I think a few changes are in order:

1789-1792: Washington
1796: J. Adams
1800-1804: Jefferson
1808: Madison
1812: D. Clinton
1816-1820: Monroe
1824-1828: J.Q. Adams
1832: Jackson
1836-1840: Van Buren
1844: Abstain
1848: Taylor
1852: Pierce
1856: Abstain
1860-1864: Lincoln
1868-1872: Grant
1876: Hayes
1880: Garfield
1884: Cleveland
1888: B. Harrison
1892: Weaver
1896-1900: Bryan
1904: T. Roosevelt [CON: Hearst reluctantly]
1908: Taft [CON:Gray]
1912: T. Roosevelt [CON: Marhsall]
1916: Wilson
1920: Cox
1924: LaFollette [CON: Underwood]
1928: Smith
1932-1944: F. Roosevelt
1948: Truman
1952: Eisenhower [P: Kefauver]
1956: Stevenson
1960: Kennedy
1964: L. Johnson
1968: Humphrey
1972: McGovern [P: Muskie -> Sanford]
1976-1980: Carter
1984: Mondale
1988: Dukakis [P: Jackson]
1992-1996: B. Clinton [P: Brown]
2000: Gore
2004: Kerry [P: Edwards]
2008-2012: Obama [P: Edwards -> H. Clinton]

Likely Registrations:

1789-1800: Federalist
1800-1824: Republican [Old]
1824-1832: National Republican
1836-1856: Democratic (The George M. Dallas wing)
1856-1892: Republican [GOP] (The Radical wing)
1892-1896: Populist
1896-Present: Democratic

[Mr. Smith]

Haven't done this in awhile, so here we go.

*reluctant
voted for winners
Actual Vote

Party ID

Federalist (1789-1804)
Republican (1804-1828)
Democratic (1828-1848, 1900-Present)
Whig (1848-1856)
GOP (1856-1877)
Independent (1877-1890)
Populist (1890-1900)



General

1789-1792: George Washington
1796: John Adams
1800: John Adams
1804: Thomas Jefferson
1808: James Madison
1812: DeWitt Clinton
1816: James Monroe
1820: James Monroe
1824: Andrew Jackson
1828: Andrew Jackson
1832: Andrew Jackson
1836: Martin Van Buren
1840: Martin Van Buren
1844: James Polk
1848: Zachary Taylor
1852: Winfield Scott
1856: Abstain
1860: Abraham Lincoln
1864: Abraham Lincoln
1868: Ulysses S. Grant
1872: Ulysses S. Grant
1876: Rutherford B. Hayes
1880: James Weaver
1884: Grover Cleveland*
1888: Benjamin Harrison*
1892: James Weaver
1896: William J. Bryan
1900: William J. Bryan
1904: Theodore Roosevelt
1908: William J. Bryan
1912: Woodrow Wilson
1916: Woodrow Wilson
1920: James M. Cox
1924: Robert M. LaFollette
1928: Al Smith
1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1936: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1948: Harry S. Truman
1952: Dwight Eisenhower
1956: Adlai Stevenson
1960: John F. Kennedy
1964: Lyndon B. Johnson
1968: Hubert Humphrey
1972: George S. McGovern
1976: Jimmy Carter
1980: Jimmy Carter
1984: Walter F. Mondale
1988: Michael S. Dukakis
1992: Bill Clinton*
1996: Bill Clinton*
2000: Al Gore
2004: John F. Kerry*
2008: Barack Obama
2012: Barack Obama*

Primaries

1952: Estes Kefauver
1956: Estes Kefauver
1960: Hubert Humphrey
1964: Lyndon Johnson
1968: Robert F. Kennedy
1972: Ed Muskie
1976: Jimmy Carter
1980: Jimmy Carter
1984: Gary Hart
1988: Al Gore
1992: Jerry Brown
1996: Bill Clinton
2000: Al Gore
2004: Wesley Clark
2008: Hillary Clinton
2012: Barack Obama
2016: Bernie Sanders

[Mr. Smith]

1796: John Adams
1800: John Adams
1804: Thomas Jefferson
1808: James Madison
1812: DeWitt Clinton
1816: James Monroe
1820: James Monroe
1824: John Quincy Adams
1828: John Quincy Adams
1832: Andrew Jackson
1836: Martin Van Buren
1840: Martin Van Buren
1844: James Polk
1848: Zachary Taylor
1852: Winfield Scott
1856: Abstain
1860: Abraham Lincoln
1864: Abraham Lincoln
1868: Ulysses Grant
1872: Ulysses Grant
1876: Rutherford Hayes
1880: James Garfield
1884: Grover Cleveland
1888: Benjamin Harrison
1892: James Weaver
1896: William Jennings Bryan
1900: William Jennings Bryan
1904: Thomas Watson
1908: William Jennings Bryan
1912: Theodore Roosevelt
1916: Woodrow Wilson
1920: James Cox
1924: Bob LaFollette
1928: Al Smith
1932: FDR
1936: FDR
1940: FDR
1944: FDR
1948: Harry Truman
1952: Dwight Eisenhower
1956: Adlai Stevenson
1960: JFK
1964: LBJ
1968: Hubert Humphrey
1972: George McGovern
1976: Jimmy Carter
1980: Jimmy Carter
1984: Walter Mondale
1988: Michael Dukakis
1992: Bill Clinton
1996: Ralph Nader
2000: Al Gore
2004: John Kerry
2008: Barack Obama
2012: Barack Obama  
2016: Hillary Clinton*

* Last minute Hail-Mary, would write-In Joe Biden with hindsight.

[Mr. Smith]

Updated

1860: Lincoln
1864: Lincoln
1868: Grant
1872: Grant
1876: Hayes
1880: Garfield
1884: Cleveland
1888: B. Harrison
1892: Weaver
1896: Bryan
1900: Bryan
1904: T. Roosevelt
1908: Bryan
1912: Wilson
1916: Wilson
1920: Cox
1924: LaFollette
1928: Hoover
1932: F. Roosevelt
1936: F. Roosevelt
1940: F. Roosevelt
1944: F. Roosevelt
1948: Truman
1952: Eisenhower
1956: Eisenhower
1960: Nixon
1964: L. Johnson
1968: Humphrey
1972: McGovern
1976: Carter
1980: Carter
1984: Mondale
1988: Dukakis
1992: B. Clinton
1996: Nader
2000: Gore
2004: Kerry
2008: Obama
2012: Obama*
2016: Abstain**
2020: TBD


Primaries

1952: Kefauver
1956: Kefauver
1960: Humphrey
1964: L. Johnson
1968: R. Kennedy
1972: Muskie
1976: Carter
1980: Carter
1984: Jackson
1988: Gore
1992: Harkin
2000: Gore
2004: Edwards
2008: H. Clinton
2016: Sanders
2020: Sanders

[Mr. Smith]

I think I have said this before, but it actually still surprises me how many Democrats would have voted for Eisenhower.  I mean, taking away the fact that Ike was actually a pretty standard mainstream conservative for the time, Stevenson was a decidedly "liberal" Democrat.  I know Ike has gained a (well-deserved!) great reputation over the years, but this isn't exactly like picking Coolidge over Davis.  Perhaps it's because of Stevenson's VP pick to placate the South, but no one usually has a real problem with FDR or Truman throwing the Southern Democrats' bones.  I'd have to imagine it's just Eisenhower's personal popularity, but I think a lot of Democrats would like him a lot less during the time period, as party loyalty on that side of the aisle was likely at an all-time high.

"Standard mainstream conservative" in those times was a bajillion times more liberal in many ways than today by default.

And yeah, it's hard to argue against the one billed as the second coming of George Washington himself.

But given the heavy civil rights and peacenik slants here, and between the Veep pick, and Truman committing 'Nam before 'Nam; along with allowing the CIA to form; and along with starting up the Cold War ...is it really a surprise then that someone planning to get out of Korea and not so blatantly playing The South would get the benefit of the doubt?

[Mr. Smith]

Okay UPDATED...I'll stick with just the 3rd Party system

1856: Abstain
1860: Lincoln
1864: Lincoln
1868: Grant
1872: Grant
1876: Hayes
1880: Garfield
1884: Cleveland
1888: B. Harrison
1892: Weaver
1896: Bryan
1900: Bryan
1904: T. Roosevelt
1908: Bryan
1912: Wilson
1916: Wilson
1920: Cox
1924: LaFollette
1928: Hoover
1932: F. Roosevelt
1936: F. Roosevelt
1940: F. Roosevelt
1944: F. Roosevelt
1948: Truman
1952: Eisenhower
1956: Eisenhower
1960: Nixon
1964: L. Johnson
1968: Humphrey
1972: McGovern
1976: Carter
1980: Carter
1984: Mondale
1988: Dukakis
1992: B. Clinton
1996: Abstain
2000: Gore
2004: Kerry
2008: Obama
2012: OBAMA [ACTUAL VOTE]
2016: H. CLINTON
2020: HAWKINS