Grading past candidates by how “America First” they were

[BG-NY]

This is a project I had been considering for a while, but NCY’s packaging of the concept really resonated with me:

[T]he "core four" elements that most would agree embody the America First movement

…

1. Immigration Restriction
2. Trade and related matters
3. Avoiding Foreign Wars
4. Draining the Swamp

I just wanted to put this thread up to post my notes as I work on them. I’ll probably update the OP with grades as I go along.

Some guidelines I’ll be following:

(1) I’m going to start with the 2020 general election and go backwards. I would like to make it at least 1968. I can go back further eventually, but 1968 seems the oldest election in the current era (post-New Deal).
(2) To start it’ll be major party nominees. For competitive primaries I will try and grade as well (uncertain whether I’ll grade relative to party or on an absolute scale).
(3) I will also include my vote (without hindsight) for each election. I will try and force myself to pick D or R, with an anti-incumbent party nod when it’s close on those issues.

That’s all. Hopefully I actually can finish this and it’ll be interesting.

[BG-NY]

I put together a basic template, a lot of work to be done still. For now I'm just using +1 for positive, -1 for negative, 0 for neutral, and summing without weights. I think I'll go with A-F after I've refined it a bit.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kKoqkEGA5J6H0tJFF1Hhok4kKbLZA8_UUGWGkqdoTPE/

Notes:

(1) Going back to 1968 to start, with Democratic/Republican general election nominees.
(2) This is without hindsight. It's only knowledge up until and including Election Day.
(3) Since it's without hindsight, one person can have different grades in different years.
(4) For "Intervention", this includes invasions and other multilateralism (UN, NATO, etc.).

My knowledge of US history is limited, so any feedback is welcome.