A History of Presidential Campaigns

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A History of Presidential Campaigns
POLS 125 Political Parties Elections
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During the election of 1800, one of Thomas
Jeffersons political foes called him a
mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a
half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia
mulatto father raised wholly on hoe-cake made of
course-ground Southern corn, bacon and hominy,
with an occasional change of fricasseed bullfrog.
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The Reluctant Candidate
People will never make a man President who is so
importunate as to show by his life and
conversation that he not only has an eye on, but
is in active pursuit of the office. No man who
has laid himself out for it, and was unwise
enough to let the people into his secret, ever
yet obtained it. Clay, Calhoun, Webster, Scott,
and a host of lesser lights, should serve as a
guide-post to future aspirants.
Martin Van Buren, in a letter to his son, John,
in 1858
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Come swell the throng and join the song Make
the circle wider Join the round for Harrison,
Log Cabin and Hard Cider With Harrison our
countrys won No treachery can divide her Thy
will be done With Harrison, Log Cabin and Hard
Cider "
Harrison Yankee Doodle
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A Democrat wants to knowWhy will the members of
the Whig party for the next Presidency be like
the General who killed himself by falling on his
sword? Because they will be Pierced in the Fall!

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Douglas is going about peddling his opinions as
a tin man peddles his ware. The only excuse for
him is that as he is a small man, he has a right
to be engaged in small business and small
business it is for a candidate for the Presidency
to be strolling around the country begging for
votes like a town constable. Newspaper
editorial
It is not personal ambition that has induced me
to take the stump this year. I say to you who
know me that the presidency has no charms for me.
I do not believe that it is my interest as an
ambitious man to be President this year if I
could. But I do love this Union. There is no
sacrifice on earth that I would not make to
preserve it. Stephen Douglas, 1860
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You shall not press down upon the brow of labor
this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify
mankind upon a cross of gold.
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From Broadsides to Broadcasts

• Over the course of 100 days in the campaign of
  1896, William Jennings Bryan, by his own account,
  made 600 speeches in 27 states. He traveled over
  18,000 miles to reach 5 million people.
• In a single fireside chat delivered while seated
  in his very own parlor a generation later,
  Franklin D. Roosevelt was able to reach 12 times
  that number by radio.

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1975 Memo from Bob Mead to Dick Cheney and Donald
Rumsfeld
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Follow Me Around
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Creating an image
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Which is it?

• The media are a convenient scapegoat for our
  myriad ills (Stuckey)
• OR
• The media distort politics with their simple,
  character-driven narratives (Peretz).

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