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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: 3 key states that Hillary lost, which have been blue in recent presidential elections: PA, MI, WI [View all]frazzled
(18,402 posts)12. The something more is ...
It would be fairly unprecedented, historically, for another Democrat to be elected after two terms of a Democratic president, much less even after one term.* The public likes to sway:
The last Democrat elected to succeed a Democratic president was James Buchanan, the 15th president and the only one ever to come from Pennsylvania. Buchanan succeeded President Franklin Pierce.
You'd have to go back even further in history to find the most recent instance of a Democrat being elected to succeed a two-term president from the same party. The last time that happened was in 1836, when voters elected Martin Van Buren to follow Andrew Jackson.
http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidenc1/fl/The-Last-Time-Voters-Elected-Two-Consecutive-Democratic-Presidents.htm
We thought it could be different this time, because of the obvious idiocy and vulgarity of the Republican candidate. But, alas, a goodly number of Americans seem to like, or overlook, those kinds of things. Crudeness and hate are the new black.
Other things that contributed have been discussed endlessly here: people who didn't vote, people who voted for third parties, media equivalence, voter suppression, and on and on.
But face it: we were bucking history in the first place. History also tells us that the Democrats should do well in midterm elections during a Republican presidency. But then, there won't be as many seats open in the Senate, and that pesky gerrymandering in the House just might blow that chestnut apart, too.
*ON EDIT: We might like to say that Harry Truman is also an exception, coming after Roosevelt (who had four terms before term limits were enforced). But Truman ascended to the presidency when Roosevelt died shortly into his fourth term. He was, however, elected on his own in 1948.
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3 key states that Hillary lost, which have been blue in recent presidential elections: PA, MI, WI [View all]
Fast Walker 52
Nov 2016
OP
to be blunt, I think the middle part of the country had major Clinton fatigue.
geek tragedy
Nov 2016
#13
but that was the same state that elected a pro wrestler governor and sent a SNL alum to the senate
pstokely
Nov 2016
#23
True. The article said that the PA gov. was GOP. I thought it wasn't. That's all.
The Wielding Truth
Nov 2016
#7
True. The article said that the PA gov. was GOP. I thought it wasn't. That's all.
LenaBaby61
Nov 2016
#9
Appreciate the information in your OP, but if we're not going to do anything about it NOW,
politicaljunkie41910
Nov 2016
#18
I agree so much about the Dem party-- they never fight like they should. It's damned annoying.
Fast Walker 52
Nov 2016
#24