How would you have voted?: United States Presidential Elections

[Rob]

I've done this about twenty times, but oh well.

1904: Debs (S)
1908: Debs (S)
1912: Debs (S)
1916: Benson (S)
1920: Debs (S)
1924: LaFollette (P)
1928: Smith (D)
1932: Thomas (S)
1936: Roosevelt (D)
1940: Roosevelt (D)
1944: Roosevelt (D)
1948: Wallace (P)
1952: Stevenson (D)
1956: Stevenson (D)
1960: Kennedy (D)
1964: Johnson (D)
1968: Humphrey (D) [Kennedy in the primary]
1972: McGovern (D)
1976: McCarthy (I) [Church in the primary]
1980: Anderson (I) [Kennedy in the primary]
1984: Mondale (D)
1988: Dukakis (D)
1992: Clinton (D) [Kerrey in the primary]
1996: Nader (I)
2000: Nader (G) [Bradley in the primary]
2004: Kerry (D) [Dean in the primary]

Brackets indicate primaries in which I oppose the nominee. I'm on the fence with a few of these (namely 1992, 2000, and 2004), and change my preference depending on mood.

[Rob]

1832: Clay (NR)
1836: Webster (W)
1840: Birney (L)
1844: Birney (L)
1848: Van Buren (FS)
1852: Hale (FS)
1856: Frémont (R)
1860: Lincoln (R)
1864: Lincoln (R)
1868: Grant (R)
1872: Grant (R)
1876: Tilden (D)
1880: Weaver (GL)
1884: Butler (GL)
1888: Streeter (UL)
1892: Weaver (P)
1896: Bryan (D)
1900: Bryan (D)
1904: Debs (S)
1908: Debs (S)
1912: Debs (S)
1916: Benson (S)
1920: Debs (S)
1924: LaFollette (P)
1928: Smith (D)
1932: Roosevelt (D)
1936: Roosevelt (D)
1940: Roosevelt (D)
1944: Roosevelt (D)
1948: Wallace (P)
1952: Stevenson (D)
1956: Stevenson (D)
1960: Kennedy (D)
1964: Johnson (D)
1968: Humphrey (D) [Kennedy]
1972: McGovern (D)
1976: Carter (D) [Udall]
1980: Anderson (I) [Kennedy]
1984: Mondale (D) [Jackson]
1988: Dukakis (D) [Jackson]
1992: Clinton (D) [Brown]
1996: Nader (I)
2000: Gore (D)
2004: Kerry (D) [Dean]
2008: Obama (D)

I "support" Democrats in 21 elections; Republicans in five; Socialists in five; others in fourteen. Bracketed names indicate my Democratic primary preferences that failed to win the nomination.

[Rob]

1840: Harrison
1844: Birney [Clay, in a swing state]
1848: Van Buren [Taylor, in a swing state]
1852: Hale [Scott, in a swing state]
1856: Frémont
1860: Lincoln
1864: Lincoln
1868: Grant
1872: Grant
1876: Hayes
1880: Weaver [Garfield, in a swing state]
1884: Butler [Blaine, in a swing state]
1888: Harrison
1892: Weaver [Harrison, in a swing state]
1896: Bryan
1900: Debs
1904: Debs
1908: Debs
1912: Debs
1916: Benson [Hughes, in a swing state]
1920: Debs
1924: LaFollette
1928: Smith
1932: Roosevelt
1936: Roosevelt
1940: Roosevelt
1944: Roosevelt
1948: Wallace [truman, in a swing state]
1952: Stevenson
1956: Stevenson
1960: Kennedy
1964: Johnson
1968: Humphrey
1972: McGovern
1976: McCarthy [Carter, in a swing state]
1980: Anderson
1984: Mondale
1988: Dukakis
1992: Perot
1996: Nader
2000: Gore
2004: Kerry
2008: Obama

Thurmond 48 and Wallace 68? Really?? You're truly that nostalgic for segregation?

Also funny that a Thurmond backer would have supported Republicans like Roosevelt, Taft and Hughes...

[Rob]

1968: George Wallace

Explain.

He would have voted for Polk in 1844 (he kicked Mexico's ass!) and Roosevelt in 1932 (he said he would balance the budget!)... but also would have voted for Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive Party in 1912, which wanted to vastly expand federal power.

Actually, it's odd that he would vote so consistently for Whigs and Republicans in the 19th century, in light of their protectionism and "Big Government" views. His support for Wallace is even stranger.

This guy's hypothetical voting history makes no sense at all, unless he's one of those right-wingers who incorrectly associate Whigs and early Republicans with present-day "conservatism." But that still doesn't explain his Bull Moose support or his Wallace vote.

Yeah, he needs to explain himself.

[Rob]

The American Conservative wrote an excellent "revisionist" profile of McGovern: Come Home, America. imo, it should be required reading for any "libertarian."

[Rob]

If you wanted to vote for a libertarian candidate in 1972, why not vote for, um, the actual libertarian candidate, Hospers, who won an electoral vote?

Hospers was only on the ballot in Colorado and Washington, winning a total of 3,674 votes (compare that to joke candidate Dr. Spock, who ran fifth with 78,759 votes; or even the Communist candidate, who received 25,597 votes). He certainly didn't "win" that electoral vote- a faithless Nixon elector gave it to him.

Hospers endorsed George W. Bush in 2004, as well. I can see why a libertarian would have problems with him.

[Rob]

And you take the racist Stevenson/Kefauver ticket?

Eisenhower believed that appointing Earl Warren to the Supreme Court was his worst decision as President and said white southerners were "good people; they just don't want their sweet daughters sitting in classrooms with some big buck ns."