Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They changed America

Editor's Note

2000 Another Contested Election

Preface: The electoral college is a 12th century medieval construct where specific influential noble princes were chosen to elect the Holy Roman Emperor. They were given the hereditary title of “elector.”

Election of 1800 was decided in the House of Representatives.
The soon to be replaced Federalist Congress would make the decision. Alexander Hamilton worked behind the scenes to helped Jefferson, the lesser of two evils. One delegate from each state voted 4 for Jefferson, 4 for 4 Burr, and 2 made no choice. It was the first peaceful transition of political power between opposing parties in U.S.

1824 was House decided when no candidate received a majority. Jackson had 43 percent to 30% for Adams. The House elected John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson. Some felt Clay, the Speaker of the House, had made a Corrupt bargain with Adams who would appoint Clay his Secretary of State. Jackson had refused the offer.

1876 Election was contested when electoral college vote went to Samuel Tilden by 19 votes with 20 votes from four states unresolved: in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina. An informal Compromise of 1877 awarded all 20 electoral votes to Hayes in return for Republican agreement to ending Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South.

1888 Election again had Benjamin Harrison a popular vote loser. It is noted for the Blocks of Five corruption scandal.

1960 election had a 0.17 percent winning margin though Kennedy easily won the Electoral College. Winner of the popular vote is complicated by ambiguous Alabama results. Some Republican legislators and journalists, claimed voter fraud, especially in Texas, where Lyndon B. Johnson was senator, and Illinois, home of Mayor Richard Daley's powerful Chicago political machine.

2000 Election went to Bush 2 after a Florida recount requiring Supreme Court intervention. The court vote followed party lines and the Green Party adversely affected Democratic Al Gore.

See A history of contested presidential elections, S. Tilden-A. Gore

Who Invented the Electoral College?

Part 1 Building a Nation	Part 2 Guiding the World
1) G. Washington made voters unhappy with the Jay Treaty and Taxes See Do You Want a Revolution? and The Revolution 1774-76	6) FDR took an unpopular stance by planning for war but still reelected. See Great Depression was FDR first major problem then WW2 Safety Net Deficits like war deficits prove attractive
2) J. Adams avoided a Quasi-War with France which cost him reelection. See The Master of Monticello 1809 to the End and The Leader of the Opposition	7) HT made tough decisions like quickly recognize the new sate of Israel in the face of pressure from all sides.
3) A. Jackson Took On Eastern Oligarchs to Serve Rural America. See From a Constitution to Manifest Destiny Andrew Jackson - Good Evil & The Presidency	8) JFK push school integration despite potential political opposition. See JFK Avoids Vietnam, and 1973 Finally Brings Faster Track Civil Rights
4) A. Lincoln required freeing the slaves as a condition of saving the Union. See Apocalypse To Civil War and Reconstruction A Divided Nation from the 1862 Battle of Antietam	9) R. Reagan hastened the end of the Cold War with deficit spending. See RR Closes an Evil Empire and Federal Deficit increases used to hasten the fall of USSR a re still feared by many. Please
5) T. Roosevelt took on corporate RR trusts for consumers and farmers. See TR Continues Manifest Destiny and War With Spain mean Manifest Destiny Rides again.