Archive for politics
The Chaos of Early U.S. Presidential Elections
Posted by: | CommentsThe elections of 2000 and 2004 were nothing short of amazing considering how hotly contested they were. Unfortunately, that’s more of the rule than the exception. Here are a few scenarios which will make you question the American electoral system.
1796: John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson
In 1776, the mutual respect of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson was so strong, that each thought the other should write the Declaration of Independence. Ultimately, Jefferson wrote it, but it was Adams who defended the document in front of the Continental Congress. During the American Revolution, the two men shared a common purpose; to free America from the tyranny of Great Britain. Sadly, it would be political exploits during George Washington’s presidency which would ultimately drive these two into one of the most bitter political rivalries in American history. Once the nation was established, Adams and Jefferson had opposing views on the role of the federal government and foreign policy, with Jefferson opting for states’ rights and an alliance with France, while Adams supported a strong central government and an alliance with Britain. It also didn’t help that Jefferson was George Washington’s first Secretary of State, while Adams was Washington’s Vice President. So, the stage was set for a showdown when Washington decided that he would not seek a third term in 1796. In the first contested election in U.S. history, John Adams won by only by three electoral votes! Strangely, election rules at the time stipulated that each member of the Electoral College got two votes, but they had to cast them for separate people. Thus, whoever received the 2nd-highest number of votes would be Vice President. Jefferson, being the 2nd-place vote getter ended up becoming Adams’ VP, which didn’t bode well for the Adams Presidency.
1800: John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson (Part II)
For four years, Mr. Adams set about strengthening the federal government, as well as ties with Great Britain, much to the chagrin of Mr. Jefferson. One major point of contention was the Alien and Sedition Acts, which greatly expanded the power of the federal government. So great was Jefferson’s opposition to this legislation, that despite being Adams’ Vice President, he set out to undermine him by co-writing the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. These resolutions stated the opposition to a strong federal government and laid the groundwork for future states’ rights arguments. After four years of undermining the President, Jefferson decided to run again, but this time his political party was better organized. While jockeying for electoral votes, he asked that any elector who cast a vote for him, cast a vote for his running mate, Aaron Burr, with one elector abstaining. This was to prevent what would have likely been a Jefferson presidency with Adams as VP. However, due to miscommunication, every elector who voted for Jefferson also voted for Burr, creating the only tie in U.S. history. Ultimately, the House of Representatives had to resolve the debate, and they chose Jefferson as president. This debacle led to the creation of the 12th amendment, which stipulated that each elector had to cast a distinct vote for President and VP. It was also the pinnacle of the Jefferson-Adams rivalry, which was so strong that Adams didn’t even attend Jefferson’s Inauguration.
1824: John Quincy Adams vs. Andrew Jackson
The Era of Good Feelings was a time of strong national unity and little to no partisanship in government. In fact, James Monroe ran effectively unopposed in 1820 and got all but 1 electoral vote. Four years later, though, it would be a different story, as four men, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford would jockey for the presidency. When the dust settled, Andrew Jackson had won a plurality of the popular vote, as well as the electoral vote, but he had not won the majority, which was necessary to assume the presidency. Per the rules of the 12th amendment, the vote goes to the House of Representatives, but they could only choose between the top 3 vote-getters, which left out Clay. Conveniently for Adams, though, Henry Clay was a bitter enemy of Andrew Jackson, in addition to being Speaker of the House. Clay threw all of his support behind Adams, who would win the presidency in just one round of voting. Adams subsequently made Clay his Secretary of State, prompting Jackson supporters to accuse the two of a corrupt bargain, which would cast a pall over Adams’ entire presidency. The Era of Good Feelings was officially over.
1828 Andrew Jackson campaign poster
1860: Abraham Lincoln vs. Everyone Else
The 1850s saw the deterioration of U.S. politics, as the country become increasingly partisan, with many regional rivalries. It also didn’t help that the 14th and 15th Presidents, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, respectively, did very little to try to prevent the slide into civil war. Thus, the stage was set in 1860, as the upstart Republican party, led by Abraham Lincoln, took on the fractured Democratic Party, which presented three separate candidates. Needless to say, the lack of unity among the Democrats was their downfall, as Lincoln was able to take a majority of the electoral votes despite winning only 39.8% of the popular vote. Southern states quickly cried foul, as Lincoln had no support in the south, and won by carrying the northeast and upper midwest, which had the majority of the electoral votes. Sadly, barely six weeks after the election, South Carolina seceded from the Union, leaving Lincoln to preside over the most difficult period in American history.
A political cartoon depicting the Democrats trying to keep Lincoln out of the White House (click to enlarge)
1876: Rutherford B. Hayes vs. Samuel Tilden
This was the most disputed election in U.S. history, and the first election in which the winner of the popular vote did not win the electoral vote. With all but 20 electoral votes counted, Tilden held the lead 184-165, but the count was delayed in South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida due to allegations of fraud and voter intimidation. The vote ultimately had to go to the Electoral Commission, which was made up of 5 representatives, 5 senators, and 5 Supreme Court Justices, 8 of whom were Republican, and 7 of whom were Democrat. Voting along party lines, the commission determined that the 20 disputed votes should go to Hayes, and in exchange, Hayes ended Reconstruction. By the way, this election wasn’t settled until 2 days before the Presidential Inauguration, the closest call in U.S. history.
"A truce - not a compromise, but a chance for high-toned gentlemen to retire gracefully from their very civil declarations of war" -Thomas Nast
1884, 1888, & 1892: The Elections of Grover Cleveland
In 1884, a young, Democratic upstart from upstate New York shocked the country when he defeated Maine Senator James Blaine for the presidency. Cleveland’s political career was more of a rapid rise to political stardom, as he didn’t get started until 1882, when he was elected Mayor of Buffalo. Then, in 1883, he was elected Governor of New York, before being elected President of the United States in 1884. What’s also amazing about Grover Cleveland is that he was the first Democrat elected after the Civil War, and the only one between 1860-1912. Unfortunately, he could not parlay that early success into another victory in 1888, and he was voted out after just one term, despite the fact that he had won a plurality of the popular vote. Nevertheless, he didn’t give up, and ran again in 1892, this time winning both the popular and electoral vote. This makes Cleveland the only president to serve split terms. He also holds the distinction of being one of only three people (the others being Andrew Jackson and Franklin Roosevelt) to win the popular vote 3 times. Interestingly, though, Cleveland never won a majority of the popular vote, ironically coming the closest in 1888, when he lost the presidency.
"Who Dares Give Battle With Me?"
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Links of Interest Vol. 5
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I lost power this weekend because of a blizzard, so I didn’t get a chance to post the weekend reading links. I didn’t want to leave you without your weekly dose of what’s up around the web, so here they are. Better late than never, right?
- “You’re an Idiot of the 33rd Degree”: Mark Twain hates telemarketers as much as you do.
- Every Get-a-Mac ad ever made: If you just can’t get enough of Justin Long pretending to be a fruity computer, then this site is for you.
- Smile, You’re in Politics: Funny candid and ’shopped pics of international politicians.
- Sleazy Drive-In Movie Posters
- Animals “Rafted” to Madagascar: The ancestors of the islands current non-human inhabitants got there by “boat.”
- 15 greatest silent films of all-time
- 10 Television Firsts
- The State of the Union is…: What have presidents past said about the state of the Union?
Finally, in case you missed President Obama’s first State of the Union Address, here it is in full:
On This Day: The Democrats Become Donkeys
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"A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion"
On January 15, 1870, the unofficial symbol of the Democratic Party was born in the form of a Thomas Nast political cartoon in Harper’s Weekly. The cartoon depicted a donkey kicking a dead lion; the donkey representing the “Copperhead Press,” and the lion representing Abraham Lincoln’s recently deceased Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. If you remember from history class, the Copperheads were the faction of northern Democrats who disagreed with Civil War and were ready to sue for immediate peace at any cost. As you can tell, Nast disagreed with the viewpoint of the Copperheads, and also their treatment of Stanton’s death.
Just a coincidence…
Andrew Jackson, who was a Democrat, was called a jackass by his opponents because of his political views. In an effort to turn lemons into lemonade, Jackson used the symbol of the donkey in his political campaign and subsequently won the 1828 election. Nast, who was born in Germany and emigrated to the U.S. as a young boy, was unaware of this fact when he created the cartoon.
Trivia
Thomas Nast also created the Republican Party symbol, the elephant, in an 1874 Harper’s Weekly political cartoon.
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Are We Living in a New Gilded Age?
Posted by: | CommentsThe late 19th century was a pivotal time in American history, and is remembered as a time of prosperity and expansion despite the fact that the Civil War had just devastated the country. On the contrary, it was a contentious time period, with struggles between the rich and the poor, European “natives” vs. minorities and immigrants, and overall struggles for power and wealth. Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner gave the time period it’s name in their 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, which is a story of greed, power, and corruption.They chose the term “Gilded Age” as gilding is the technique of applying gold leaf to wood, stone, or another, less valuable metal in order to give it a golden appearance. Twain and Warner felt that on the surface, the late 19th century appeared to be a golden age in America, but the truth was hidden just below the surface. So, in what ways were the late 19th century similar to the late 20th/early 21st century?
Spread of Industry
- Then: The late 19th century was marked by a rapid expansion of industry. This expansion created the modern industrial economy and gave rise to the dominance of the corporation.
- Now: It’s the expansion of another “I” that has transformed the U.S. economy. This time it’s the Internet which has solidified the U.S. economy as a service-based economy. In addition, within the last ten years, mergers and acquisitions have created some of the largest corporations in history.
Wealth Polarization
Then: The rich got richer while the poor got poorer. With the expansion of industry came an expansion of wealth for the likes of Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan, while the poor wallowed in slums and worked to death for the robber barons. With this increase in wealth came great displays of opulence, such as the Biltmore Estate, which is still the largest private residence in America. As one would expect, the middle class was incredibly small. However, the time period did lend itself to great acts of philanthropy; Andrew Carnegie donated $350 million of his $400 million fortune in his lifetime.- Now: The super-rich have wealth in the billions of dollars, while the average American (not counting the super-rich) has a net worth in the negative due to debt obligations. As a result, the middle class is indeed shrinking. Similar to the Gilded Age, many wealthy businesspeople have donated large sums of money to charity. Bill Gates retired from Microsoft to head the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Warren Buffett has agreed to donate $40 billion to the Gates’ charity.
Labor Issues
- Then: American workers were taken advantage of in a manner that led to the rise of labor unions. Whether it was working long hours for little pay, or working in hazardous conditions, the workers of the Gilded Age were definitely oppressed. As a result, Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor in 1886, and the era was marked by a series of strikes, most notable of which being the 1894 Pullman Strike.
- Now: Labor unions have been pretty well marginalized by recent presidential administrations. As such, corporations again began taking advantage of the American worker, although not necessarily in such a hazardous fashion. For example, companies such as Electronic Arts and Microsoft forced their employees to work overtime without an overtime incentive; something which the former was sued for in 2004. Similar to the Gilded Age, only a small percentage of American workers are represented by labor unions, with only 7.6% represented in the private sector.
Politics
"It is a duty and a pleasure to vote"
Then: The Gilded Age was marred by corruption on both sides of the aisle, and a dominance of local politics by political machines. As a result, many of the elections were extremely close and often resulted in extremely high voter turnout. Additionally, the presentation of facts during political campaigns took a backseat to more sensationalistic mudslinging.
- Now: With the exception of George H.W. Bush, Sr., each of the last four presidencies has been marred by some sort of scandal. Also, we’ve witnessed an increase in voter turnout in addition to very close elections since 2000. Furthermore, there has been a dominance of local party political by national machines. If you’ve ever been to a precinct meeting, you know what I’m talking about. It seems that nothing at the local level reaches the national platform of either of the major political parties.
How it Ended
- Then: Most historians agree that the Gilded Age came to an end with the Panic of 1893, an economic depression that lasted for 4 years. This depression was caused by unsound monetary policy, overbuilding of the railroads, and questionable financing of the railroad companies. Thus, Americans were forced to be more thrifty as guarantees of wealth disintegrated. In fact, between 1893 and 1897 over 500 banks failed and the economy was in such bad shape that the Panic of 1893 was originally called the Great Depression!
- Now: The current economic crisis was marked by unsound monetary policy, overspeculation in real estate, and questionable financing of said real estate. As a result, Americans’ savings accounts have grown over the past year, while spending has decreased. And what have we been comparing this economic crisis to? The Great Depression.
You can definitely draw a parallel between the Gilded Age and the current era. One interesting thing to note is that the tumultuous end of the Gilded Age brought about the Progressive Era, which was very much a backlash against the Gilded Age. The Progressive Era saw the implementation of many reforms that were largely based on the events of the late 19th century, and were meant to counter some of the policies of the Gilded Age. The same can be said about the economic, environmental, and social reforms currently being sought by Congress. What do you think? Have we been living in a new Gilded Age, is the new Gilded Age drawing to a close, or am I totally off base?
Trivia: Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner’s wives actually dared them to write a better novel than what they were used to reading, and they came up with The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. Interestingly, it is Mark Twain’s only collaborative novel. If you have an Amazon Kindle, you can start reading it now for as little as 99 cents.
5 Famous Traitors Who Define the Word “Treason”
Posted by: | CommentsTreason is a very serious crime, which is often punishable by death. In fact, it is so serious that it is the only crime which is defined in the U.S. Consitution. However, the definition of treason does vary from country to country, and has changed over time. For example, back in the 14th century, it was considered an act of treason to “imagine the death of our lord the King, or of our lady his Queen or of their eldest son and heir.” In modern-day Palestine, it is considered an act of treason to sell land to Jews, even if they’re not Israeli citizens. Hell, I’ve even been called a traitor for for switching to a Mac despite the fact that all of my training is in Windows. With such varied definitions of treason, this list could have reached into the thousands, but I want to focus on people whose actions are treasonous without question. Thus, individuals like Nathan Hale and Gavrilo Princip were left off the list. Here’s my list of 5 famous traitors.
Philippe Pétain shaking hands with Adolf Hitler
Philippe Pétain: Pétain’s is a story of a fall from grace. The French hero of World War I, he achieved the rank of Marshal of France between the World Wars. This is similar to the ceremonial rank that Gen. John Pershing received in the U.S. With his success and popularity, Pétain was encouraged to enter politics, but initially was not interested. However, by 1940, the French were waging a war against Nazi Germany, and Pétain was elected Chief of the French State, with the hope that his military background would help France prevail. With high hopes, Pétain took office in the summer of 1940, and proceeded to surrender to Germany a few weeks later. Pétain then moved the capital to Vichy, rolled back many of the liberal reforms of the French Third Republic, and assisted Nazi Germany throughout World War II. After the war, Pétain was convicted of treason, stripped of his military rank, and sentenced to death. However, due to Pétain’s advanced age and role in World War I, French President Charles de Gaulle commuted his sentence to life in prison. Pétain died in 1951, at the age of 95.
Vidkun Quisling: This was another World War II Nazi collaborator, although this time, the story takes place in Norway. Unlike Pétain, though, Quisling’s role should come as no surprise as he was the founder of the fascist political party, Nasjonal Samling (National Gathering), which was modeled after Hitler’s Nazi party. When Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, Quisling attempted a coup to overthrow the Norwegian government. The coup failed, and Quisling had to wait until the German occupation, which began in 1942, to take power. However, that power was in name alone, as Quisling’s government was only a puppet government of the Nazis, and very unpopular with the Norwegian people. Quisling was eventually captured on May 9, 1945, and executed on October 24, 1945. Today, Quisling’s name is synonymous with treason and collaboration, as illustrated in Max Brooks’ zombie novel World War Z, in which human survivors who went insane and behaved like zombies were called “quislinqs.”
Marcus Junius Brutus: Before the rise of the Roman Empire, there was the Roman Republic, whose principles are the basis of almost every republic that has followed, including the United States. The Roman Republic was based on the separation of powers, checks and balances, and had a decentralized form of government. However, Julius Caesar put an end to this with his reign, as he aimed to centralize the government, by proclaiming himself dictator for life. The Senate, alarmed at the turn of events, formed a conspiracy led by Brutus in which they would assassinate Caesar in order to protect the republic. Despite the fact that Caesar and Brutus were friends, Brutus led the attack, which culminated in Julius Caesar’s assassination on March 15, 44 B.C. Although Caesar’s actual last words are unknown, an often quoted line from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is, “Et tu, Brute? (even you, Brutus?). The Roman Republic subsequently sank into a series of civil wars, which actually hastened the formation of the Roman Empire (talk about the law of unintended consequences!) “What happened to Brutus,” you ask? During one of the civil wars, Brutus raised an army to capture Rome but was defeated. Knowing his fate, Brutus committed suicide in October 42 B.C.
Judas Iscariot: Although Judas Iscariot did not actually betray a head of state or his country, the term Judas has come to be synonymous with traitor. Judas was friend of Jesus, and one of his twelve disciples. As Jesus spread his message, he lost favor with the Jewish high priests, who considered his teachings blasphemous. When they finally decided to arrest him, it was nearly Passover, which the high priests decided would be incredibly unpopular, so they decided he should be arrested the night before Passover. The priests, knowing Judas’ love of money, approached him and offered 30 pieces of silver if he would deliver Jesus to them. Judas obliged, and led the arresting soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus and the rest of the disciples were camped out. After the arrest, Judas was so riddled with guilt that he returned the money and then hanged himself. Judas’ legacy would live forever, though, as the word traitor literally means “one who delivers,” as Judas delivered Jesus.
Benedict Arnold, Inventor of Eggs and Treason (not really)
Benedict Arnold: What discussion of traitors would be complete without a mention of Benedict Arnold? The most notorious of American traitors, Arnold’s story actually begins with him as a Revolutionary War hero. As a colonel, he led the Connecticut militia, alongside Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, to the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. Eventually, Arnold achieved the rank of general and had a series of successes on the battlefield including the Battle of Saratoga. Unfortunately, he felt his accomplishments were overlooked by the Continental Congress, and that his contemporaries stole credit for his achievements. Fed up with how things were going, Arnold agreed to surrender West Point to the British in 1780, but the plot was exposed before it could be carried out. Arnold managed to elude capture, and was welcomed with open arms and given a commission of brigadier general by the British. He subsequently fought against the revolutionaries, and even had some successes against them, but his military career was cut short after the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781. After the war, Arnold moved to Canada, and later to London. When he died in 1801, Arnold was given a state funeral without military honors. For this reason, Arnold’s place in history is somewhat ambiguous; he is considered a hero in Britain, and the vilest of all traitors in America.
“I recognize in thieves, traitors and murderers, in the ruthless and the cunning, a deep beauty – a sunken beauty.” -Jean Genet
6 Books I Will Read in 2010 That You Should Read, Too
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One of my goals for the new year is to read more. While it would be nice to read at Teddy Roosevelt’s pace of one book per day, I’ll be content to achieve one book per week. But, I have to start somewhere, so I am aiming for one book every two weeks. As such, the following list of books should take me through the winter. Since I haven’t read these books, yet, don’t expect a review, but rather my rationale for wanting to read it.
- Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond - Despite its academic sounding title, it really is a fascinating book, in a “truth is stranger than fiction” sort of way. It examines the expansion of society in ways that are not often considered, and manages to do so without coming across as racist. I started it a while back, but I plan on finishing it by the end of the month so I can move on to another Jared Diamond book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.
- The Negro’s Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union, by James M. McPherson – The title speaks for itself. This is a book based on speeches, letters and books from the Civil War era. From what I’ve heard, I should expect to have my notions of the role of blacks in the Civil War shattered.
- A People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn – I finally got to watch The People Speak, which prompted me to place the book that the show was based on, onto my Christmas list. It’s supposed to be an interesting take on American history not from the point of view of the elite, but rather of the common, sometimes oppressed individual. I’m really excited to dive into this one.
- Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II, by William Blum – If you’re a regular reader of EiH, then you know that I have enjoy a good conspiracy. While fiction is nice (I must confess that I do enjoy Dan Brown), there’s nothing like a true story to really immerse you in its pages. I first read The CIA’s Greatest Hits a couple of years ago, and while it was interesting, it was lacking in depth. Hopefully, Killing Hope will provide the details to fill that void.
- A Man Without A Country, by Kurt Vonnegut – I’m not a huge Kurt Vonnegut fan. I never had to read his stuff in high school or college, so I didn’t get into his work. That all changed after I read the letter to his family that he wrote after being freed from a German POW camp. While most people would say, “start with Slaughterhouse-Five,” I’m going to start at the end; A Man Without A Country was the last book that Vonnegut wrote before he died.
- Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel – While I was somewhat hesitant to pick up the book due to its subject matter (another book about King Henry VIII?!) I changed my mind after reading a few reviews. As opposed to approaching it from Henry or one of his wives’ points of view, Mantel decides to approach the subject from Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s friend, turned chief advisor, turned enemy. Besides, thick books make you look smart, and this one was listed as one of Amazon’s best books of the month for October 2009.
Do you have any books that you would recommend? Tell us what they are in the comments.
Disclosure: I received Wolf Hall, A Man Without A Country, Killing Hope, and A People’s History of the United States for Christmas from my family. I received The Negro’s Civil War from my best friend for my birthday. Finally, I bought Guns, Germs, and Steel for myself back in 2008. If you would like more info, please read my disclosure policy.
Patriots or Politics?
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Ever since that fateful night in November 2008, conservatives have come out of the woodwork waving (or wearing) the flag, protesting the Obama administration, and professing their hatred for socialism. But what has gotten these folks so riled up? Obama has promised us an open, transparent administration, and so far has held up his end of the bargain. I’m all for individuals engaging in more political activity than in the past, but I have to ask, where were all these so-called patriots during the previous administration? These patriots were eerily silent while the Bush administration all but eliminated habeas corpus through the Military Commissions Act of 2006, illegally invaded the privacy of American citizens through the PATRIOT Act, and lied about Saddam Hussein’s connection to al Qaeda in order to gain support for invading Iraq, in addition to other criminal acts.
Isn’t it odd that these patriots decide to come out of the woodwork now, as opposed to when we had a president that was actually screwing us over?
