Recent election losers as serious candidates

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Come to think of it, it kind of became more common nowadays. We've all seen Beto's abortive campaign straight after losing TX Senate race (and he was polling very high for a time). Abrams was too mentioned numerous times as a potential candidate, and now is still mentioned as a VP possibility.

But of course it's hard to beat Santorum, who, unlike Beto or Abrams, was an incumbent and lose in a f-king landslide, yet came back to be a 2012 runner-up.

[Roll Roons]

Aside from Trump, all of the presidents elected in the past 50 years have an election loss on their record.

-Obama lost a congressional primary in 2000
-W lost a congressional race in 1978
-Clinton lost a congressional race in 1974 and reelection as governor in 1980
-HW lost Senate races in 1964 and 1970, and was an unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1980
-Reagan was a unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1968 and 1976
-Carter lost a gubernatorial primary in 1966
-Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election and a gubernatorial election in 1962

[brucejoel99]

I wonder if George Allen regrets not saying "f**k it" & just going for it in 2008/12.

[OSR stands with Israel]

I wonder if George Allen regrets not saying "f**k it" & just going for it in 2008/12.

A Republican losing VA in 2006 isn't the same as a Democrat nearly winning GA and TX in 2018 as VA was still a Republican state at the time.


Santorum 2012 had more or less to do with the fact that the GOP field was so weak and the only two serious challengers to Romney: Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich self-imploded leaving Santorum as the only alternative. If Huckabee ran in 2012 , Santorum would have lost embarrassingly then too

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Aside from Trump, all of the presidents elected in the past 50 years have an election loss on their record.

-Obama lost a congressional primary in 2000
-W lost a congressional race in 1978
-Clinton lost a congressional race in 1974 and reelection as governor in 1980
-HW lost Senate races in 1964 and 1970, and was an unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1980
-Reagan was a unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1968 and 1976
-Carter lost a gubernatorial primary in 1966
-Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election and a gubernatorial election in 1962

Interesting that before his Vice President HW Bush only won two congressional races.

Anyway, out of those you've names only Nixon was the most recent GE loser running.

[brucejoel99]

Aside from Trump, all of the presidents elected in the past 50 years have an election loss on their record.

-Obama lost a congressional primary in 2000
-W lost a congressional race in 1978
-Clinton lost a congressional race in 1974 and reelection as governor in 1980
-HW lost Senate races in 1964 and 1970, and was an unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1980
-Reagan was a unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1968 and 1976
-Carter lost a gubernatorial primary in 1966
-Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election and a gubernatorial election in 1962

Interesting that before his Vice President HW Bush only won two congressional races.

Anyway, out of those you've names only Nixon was the most recent GE loser running.

That's the beauty of holding appointed offices

[Non Swing Voter]

Beto was the only one that really stood out in terms of clearly over performing while still losing. 

Abrams seemed to maximize minority turnout effectively but was a bit overrated IMO.  Beto clearly brought out legions of people and won over some swing voters.  There was definitely a period of time during election night where I thought Democrats genuinely had a better shot at winning the Texas senate race than the Florida senate race.  That's impressive.  He also clearly outperformed the governor nominee so it wasn't demographic trends alone.

[morgankingsley]

Aside from Trump, all of the presidents elected in the past 50 years have an election loss on their record.

-Obama lost a congressional primary in 2000
-W lost a congressional race in 1978
-Clinton lost a congressional race in 1974 and reelection as governor in 1980
-HW lost Senate races in 1964 and 1970, and was an unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1980
-Reagan was a unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1968 and 1976
-Carter lost a gubernatorial primary in 1966
-Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election and a gubernatorial election in 1962

I didn't know that about Obama

[ShadowRocket]

I don't think the conventional qualifications you would expect from a presidential candidate really have that much significance with the electorate anymore due to the discontent with the system across the board and something like a recent electoral defeat isn't something that is held against a candidate anymore.

While he likely wouldn't win, I think Russ Feingold could've made a splash in the 2020 primaries this year. He's a progressive in the Sanders/Warren mold but comes from the Midwest and maybe could've made the case that he was more palatable to a broader swath of the country.

[Orwell]

Aside from Trump, all of the presidents elected in the past 50 years have an election loss on their record.

-Obama lost a congressional primary in 2000
-W lost a congressional race in 1978
-Clinton lost a congressional race in 1974 and reelection as governor in 1980
-HW lost Senate races in 1964 and 1970, and was an unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1980
-Reagan was a unsuccessful presidential primary candidate in 1968 and 1976
-Carter lost a gubernatorial primary in 1966
-Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election and a gubernatorial election in 1962

Interesting that before his Vice President HW Bush only won two congressional races.

Anyway, out of those you've names only Nixon was the most recent GE loser running.

Bush had crazy appointed experience though, which was one of Reagans downsides also Bush had relationships in China and across the world from his time as CIA Director and the Ambassador.