# How Would You Have Voted In the Past Redux **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 9, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603 "2010-10-09T14:24:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/41 "2010-10-11T18:39:52Z")
OK, I’ll take a shot at this. It’s more fun than work. My Ground Rules—my decisions will be made based only on what was known at the time of each election. In some cases, which I’ll note, I would have voted one way and had buyer’s remorse afterward. Also my choices will be restricted to candidates who carried at least one state, so splinter abolitionist and libertarian parties are out. My Ideology—I believe the function of government is to protect the life, liberty, and property of its inhabitants. In almost all cases this will mean I support the candidate advocating lower taxes and a smaller and less intrusive federal government. If you disagree with this ideology, then you’ll disagree with most of my choices. **However** , because of the complication of slavery and Jim Crow, we had a federal government for much of American history which abdicated its core responsibility of protection, and in certain cases needed to be **more** expensive and intrusive. These cases will be noted as appropriate. Note that before 1844 slavery played little role in presidential politics, nor did civil rights between roughly 1880 and 1960, so these issues play little or no role in my choices for those years. I favor a foreign policy of non-intervention except where America is attacked or under clear and present danger of an unprovoked attack. This sometimes makes choices difficult because often candidates who hold the line on domestic spending never met a war they didn’t like. And vice versa. 1796-Jefferson over Adams 1800-Jefferson over Adams, once more with feeling, after Adams disgraced himself with the Alien & Sedition Acts 1804-Jefferson over King; subsequent buyer’s remorse after the insane Embargo of 1807 1808-Madison over Pinckney 1812-Clinton over Madison; the only thing worse than starting an unnecessary war is starting an unnecessary war after a criminal lack of preparation 1816-Monroe over King 1820-no contest 1824-Adams over Jackson; Adams favored a modestly more intrusive government, but Jackson loses on authoritarian personality and disgraceful advocacy of Indian removal. Also, Jackson was an economic illiterate. 1828-Adams over Jackson 1832-Clay over Jackson 1836-Harrison over Van Buren 1840-Harrison over Van Buren; tough call in a content-free campaign 1844-Clay over Polk and avoid the Mexican War 1848-Cass over Taylor; non-buyer’s surprise after Taylor turned out to be anti-slavery, but then died and was succeeded by doughface Fillmore 1852-Scott over Pierce; no more doughfaces! 1856-Fremont over Buchanan and Fillmore 1860-Lincoln over Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell 1864-Lincoln over McClellan 1868-Grant over Seymour 1872-Grant over Greeley; definite buyer’s remorse as Grant abandoned Reconstruction during his second term and imploded in scandal 1876-Hayes over Tilden; more buyer’s remorse as Hayes abandoned what was left of Reconstruction 1880-Garfield over Hancock; Garfield actually might have been a good president 1884-Cleveland over Blaine; with Reconstruction over, Cleveland gets the nod as a tiger on spending 1888-Cleveland over Harrison 1892-Cleveland over Harrison 1896-McKinley over Bryan 1900-McKinley over Bryan 1904-Parker over Roosevelt 1908-Taft over Bryan 1912-Taft over Roosevelt and Wilson; boy would I have been pissed on Election Night as Taft got crushed by two of my least favorite presidents 1916-Hughes over Wilson 1920-Harding over Cox 1924-Coolidge over Davis and LaFollette 1928-Smith over Hoover; Smith was arguably more of an economic conservative than Hoover, and at least he was a wet 1932-Roosevelt over Hoover; Hoover ruled himself out by signing tax increases and the Smoot-Hawley tariff in the middle of a Depression and trampled civil liberty by stomping the bonus marchers. Roosevelt, believe it or not, campaigned as a conservative. 1936-Landon over Roosevelt 1940-Willkie over Roosevelt 1944-Dewey over Roosevelt 1948-Dewey over Truman 1952-Eisenhower over Stevenson 1956-Eisenhower over Stevenson 1960-Kennedy over Nixon; Kennedy’s deification by liberals occurred after his death; in life he was very much a centrist and campaigned on tax cuts, and well Nixon was Nixon. 1964-Goldwater over Johnson 1968-Nixon over Humphrey in a nose-holder 1972-McGovern over Nixon; McGovern was an ultra-liberal and anathema to everything I believe, but Nixon had grown domestic spending faster than any Democrat, signed wage and price controls (gag), and treated civil liberties like a dishrag. At least McGovern was honest, and Congress might have restrained his worst spending impulses. 1976-Ford over Carter 1980-Reagan over Carter 1984-Reagan over Mondale 1988-Bush over Dukakis 1992-Bush over Clinton 1996-Dole over Clinton 2000-Bush over Gore 2004-Bush over Kerry but a much tougher call after Bush grew spending, expanded entitlements, and started a hugely expensive and unnecessary war 2008-McCain over Obama ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/42 "2010-10-11T18:49:12Z")
Hey **Curtis** -what is the topic of this thread again? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/43 "2010-10-11T23:15:26Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > > Because…? What haven’t the Irish the right to rule themselves? > > The Liberals at that time wanted Home Rule for Ulster too. So what? I was asking YOU why you opposed Irish Home Rule. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Hey **Curtis** -what is the topic of this thread again? Threads with discernable topics are for cowards & Welshmen. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/44 "2010-10-12T01:07:49Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > > The Liberals at that time wanted Home Rule for Ulster too. > > So what? I was asking YOU why you opposed Irish Home Rule. For exactly that reason. Ulster did not want Irish Home Rule. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Hey **Curtis** -what is the topic of this thread again? Threads with discernable topics are for cowards & Welshmen. [/QUOTE] How would you have voted in historical elections? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/45 "2010-10-12T01:11:14Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > Hey **Curtis** -what is the topic of this thread again? > > How would you have voted in historical elections? There have been thousands of historical elections-how about narrowing it down some? Or is the only way to keep you involved in your own threads is to change the topic every ten posts or so? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/46 "2010-10-12T01:12:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > > For exactly that reason. Ulster did not want Irish Home Rule. > > > > Threads with discernable topics are for cowards & Welshmen. > > How would you have voted in historical elections? There have been thousands of historical election-how about narrowing it down some? Or is the only way to keep you involved in your own threads is to change the topic every ten posts or so? [/QUOTE] Any historical election you will like posting on. Which is why I posted it in IMHO first. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/47 "2010-10-12T02:29:23Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > 1964-Goldwater over Johnson How much would the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have influenced your vote? Goldwater voted against it in the Senate, Johnson signed it into law, and it became a campaign issue. Goldwater wasn’t racist from what I can see (he supported earlier Civil Rights legislation) and he opposed it on what seems to be honest states’ rights grounds, but… that was the bill that ended segregated public facilities. That was the bill that outlawed making hiring decisions based on race or national origin, unless there’s a damn good reason. That was the bill that allowed civil rights cases to be heard in Federal courts instead of corrupt state courts. Opposing a good bill for good reasons still means opposing a good bill. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/48 "2010-10-12T02:30:26Z")
France this time. 1791: Girondins 1792: Girondins 1795: Republicans 1798: Directory 1815: Republicans 1816: Republicans and Bonapartists 1820: Liberal left 1824: Liberals 1827: Left 1830: Left 1831: Liberals 1834: Conservatives 1837: Conservatives 1839: Republicans 1842: Opposition 1846: Opposition 1848: Moderate republicans 1849: Moderate republicans 1852: Republicans 1857: Republicans 1863: Republicans 1869: Republicans 1871 (Feb): Moderate Republicans 1871 (Jul): Moderate Republicans 1876: Centre-right 1877: Republican Union 1881: Republican Union 1885: Opportunist Republicans 1889: Republicans 1893: Moderate Republicans 1898: Progressive Republicans 1902: Progressive Republicans 1906: Republicans of the Left 1910: Republicans of the Left 1914: French Section of the Worker’s International (To prevent World War I) 1919: Bloc National 1924: Republicans of the Left 1928: Republicans of the Left 1932: Republicans of the Left 1936: Democratic Alliance 1945: Popular Republican Movement 1946 (June): Moderates 1946 (November): Republican Party of Liberty 1951: Rally of the French People 1956: National Center of Social Republicans 1958: Union for the New Republic 1962: Union for the New Republic-Democratic Union of Labour 1967: Union of Democrats for the Fifth Republic 1968: Union for the Defence of the Republic 1973: Union of Republicans for Progress 1978: Socialist Party (Protest/revenge vote for legalizing abortion) 1981: Rally for the Republic 1986: Rally for the Republic/Union for French Democracy 1988: Rally for the Republic 1993: Rally for the Republic 1997: Rally for the Republic 2002: Union for a Popular Movement 2007: Union for a Popular Movement Presidential Elections: 1852: Louis-Eugene Cavaignac (Independent) 1965: Charles de Gaulle (UNR) 1969: Georges Pompidou (UDR) 1974: First Round: Jacques Chaban –Delmas (UDR), Second Round: Valery Giscard d’Estaing (Independent Republicans) 1981: First Round: Jacques Chirac (RPR) Second Round: Valery Giscard d’Estaing (UDF) 1988: Jacques Chirac (RPR) 1995: Jacques Chirac (RPR) 2002: Jacques Chirac (RPR) 2007: Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP) Edit/Delete Message ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/49 "2010-10-12T02:41:56Z")
**Curtis LeMay** , I know you posted this in IMHO and not GD. But if you’re not going to explain the reasons for your choices (you posted none in the French and German elections), this is pointless. That kind of thing is better on a blog than a message board. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > > How would you have voted in historical elections? > > There have been thousands of historical elections-how about narrowing it down some? > Or is the only way to keep you involved in your own threads is to change the topic every ten posts or so? Please let us handle this. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/50 "2010-10-12T02:53:02Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > **Curtis LeMay** , I know you posted this in IMHO and not GD. But if you’re not going to explain the reasons for your choices (you posted none in the French and German elections), this is pointless. That kind of thing is better on a blog than a message board. Well in general I supported the moderate liberals until the mid 20th Century or so and then the conservative candidates with some exceptions which I noted. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/51 "2010-10-14T00:29:08Z")
1911: Liberal Coalition Party 1914 (March): General Electoral Union 1914 (September): General Electoral Union 1917: Liberal Coalition Party 1920: Liberal Coalition Party 1921: General Electoral League 1924: General Electoral League 1928: General Electoral League 1932: General Electoral League (Right-wing Party) 1936: Rightist Party 1940: Rightist Party 1944: Rightist Party 1948: Rightist Party 1952: Rightist Party 1956: Rightist Party 1958: Rightist Party 1960: Rightist Party 1964: Rightist Party 1968: Rightist Party 1970: Moderate Party 1973: Moderate Party 1976: Moderate Party 1979: Moderate Party 1982: Moderate Party 1985: Moderate Party 1988: Moderate Party 1991: New Democracy 1994: New Democracy 1998: Moderate Party 2002: Swedish Democrats 2006: Swedish Democrats 2010: Swedish Democrats Again even the most right-wing party in Sweden is pretty moderate by American standards. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/52 "2010-10-14T00:41:46Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Again even the most right-wing party in Sweden is pretty moderate by American standards. What country is next? Canada? Mexico? Italy? Grand Fenwick? Florin? I wait with bated breath. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/53 "2010-10-14T01:23:02Z")
He-who-was-once-Curtis: Why have you changed your user name to that of a Chinese emperor best known for burning books and burying alchemists? We already have a Doper who pretends to be evil. Don’t travel down his ridiculous path. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/54 "2010-10-14T02:27:39Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > > > Again even the most right-wing party in Sweden is pretty moderate by American standards. > > What country is next? Canada? Mexico? Italy? Grand Fenwick? Florin? > > I wait with bated breath. I vote Soviet Union. Or, possibly, Classical Greece. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/55 "2010-10-14T08:46:43Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > In the XIXth Century I would have been a liberal Why on earth do you write 19 as “XIX” in this case? And can you even combine “th” with roman numerals? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/56 "2010-10-14T09:23:44Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > We already have a Doper who pretends to be evil. Only one? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/57 "2010-10-14T09:29:34Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > > We already have a Doper who pretends to be evil. > > Only one? The others aren’t _pretending_… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/58 "2010-10-14T14:13:34Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > > > In the XIXth Century I would have been a liberal > > Why on earth do you write 19 as “XIX” in this case? And can you even combine “th” with roman numerals? Pierian spring, man! ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/59 "2010-10-14T14:46:55Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > He-who-was-once-Curtis: > > Why have you changed your user name to that of a Chinese emperor best known for burning books and burying alchemists? > > We already have a Doper who pretends to be evil. Don’t travel down his ridiculous path. We must consider that he was progressive for his time and he overall reduced longterm suffering by ending the civil wars that plagued China and bringing in a unified empire. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603/60 "2010-10-14T21:45:57Z")
So Lancaster or York- who would you have fought for in the Wars of the Roses? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-have-voted-in-the-past-redux/556603.md?page=4)