The U.S. Presidential election is one of the most iconic and controversial events in American history. For those that are aspiring to the highest office in the nation, a campaign can be grueling and exhausting. However, it is only when defeat is certain that a presidential campaign is considered a “collapse.” Highlighting some of the most storied of these collapses, this article will explore the historic presidential campaign collapses of many U.S. hopefuls.
What is a Presidential Campaign Collapse?
A presidential campaign collapse is when a candidate that was once considered a legitimate contender for the highest office, suddenly experiences a sharp plunge in favorability. This is primarily caused by factors such as extreme criticism, poor organization, failed messaging, failed strategy, or negative publicity.
Theodore Roosevelt and the Election of 1912
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, was the first major presidential candidate to experience a collapse. After winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Roosevelt chose to run for a third term in the 1912 U.S. Presidential election. By entering the race, Roosevelt ignited a fierce civil war within the Republican party. He eventually lost the Republican nomination to William Howard Taft, whom he had initially supported. In a last-ditch effort to remain in the election, Roosevelt then formed the short-lived Progressive Party, otherwise known as the Bull Moose Party. This eventually led to a split in the Republican vote, aiding incumbent President Woodrow Wilson in his reelection bid against both Taft and Roosevelt.
Marie Equi and the Election of 1920
The first female presidential candidate to experience a collapse was Marie Equi. A well-known radical activist and early women’s rights advocate, Equi ran for President in 1920 on the Socialist Party ticket. Before she ran for president, Equi had been the first woman to register to vote in Multnomah County, Oregon and she had helped found the radical publication The Firebrand. Her views on women’s suffrage and labor rights were considered very progressive in the early 20th century. However, her message of radical change failed to inspire the country at large and her campaign began to fizzle as the election approached.
George McGovern and the Election of 1972
Endorsed by the very popular Robert Kennedy, George McGovern’s campaign was initially viewed very favorably in the 1972 U.S. Presidential election. McGovern’s campaign centered around strengthening the civil rights of all American citizens, particularly regarding the Vietnam War. However, an unfavorable news story that haunted McGovern during the campaign was the most damaging blow he could have suffered. Known as the “Eagleton Affair,” this incident involved McGovern’s original vice president pick, Thomas Eagleton. Eagleton was a senator from Missouri who was revealed to have had a psychological condition that he had failed to disclose to McGovern and his team. McGovern responded by dropping Eagleton from his ticket, which caused great backlash in the public eye. This public opinion led to McGovern’s eventual elimination from the election.
Edmund Muskie and the Election of 1972
The election of 1972 again saw a candidate suffer a campaign collapse, this time in the form of Senator Edmund Muskie. Muskie was the favorite to win the Democratic nomination until he suffered a tremendous slip-up during his campaign appearances. During a speech in front of the Nelson Rockefeller Center in New Hampshire, Muskie was shown to be on the verge of tears over the character assassination tactics of opponents in the press. This gaffe was detrimental to Muskie’s election chances as it signaled weak character and inexperienced leadership to voters. As a result of the incident, Muskie lost his status as the front-runner in the Democratic Party, enabling George McGovern to take the nomination.
Alfred Smith and the Election of 1928
Alfred Smith, a former Governor of New York, was a favorite to win the 1928 presidential election before experiencing a total collapse of his campaign. Smith had previously been popular for his progressive policies and his championing of the rights of the working-class. However, his campaign controversies and mistakes far outnumbered the successes. The most notable mistakes of Smith’s campaign included the nomination of U.S. Senator Joseph Robinson as his Vice President, the endorsement of bootlegging, and the alleged acceptance of a bribe from a business tycoon. All of these factors combined with the anti-Catholic sentiment at the time, sealed Smith’s fate as a losing presidential candidate.
George H.W. Bush and the Election of 1992
George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, held the highest office in the country before experiencing a total collapse in the 1992 election. Bush was generally believed to be an effective and successful president, with high approval ratings early in his term. However, towards the end of his presidency, Bush made several decisions that greatly hurt his reputation and cost him his reelection. These decisions included Bush’s failure to address the country’s growing budget deficit, his support for a controversial tax increase, and his unpopular stances on immigration and defense policies.
Mitt Romney and the Election of 2012
Mitt Romney ran for president in 2012, hoping to build on the success of his first campaign in 2008. However, during the primary season, Romney made several strategic mistakes that weakened his message and caused voters to question his candidacy. Some of these mistakes included Romney’s refusal to release multiple years of tax returns and his controversial policy positions, such as his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act. These factors, combined with Romney’s possible disconnect from most of the voting public, caused his campaign to slowly spiral downwards in the 2012 election.
Hillary Clinton and the Election of 2016
Despite receiving higher public favorability than Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, Hillary Clinton still found herself dealing with the effects of her own campaign collapse. One of the primary reasons that caused Clinton’s defeat was her own failure to connect with traditional Democratic voting blocs. She also struggled to create a distinct message for her campaign, allowing Donald Trump to appeal to the public with his strong narrative. Additionally, she failed to respond to Trump’s attacks on her character, her emails scandal, and her connections to the Democratic establishment. In the end, these factors caused Clinton’s once-invincible campaign to slip out of the running during the election.
As the history of American politics has demonstrated, a presidential campaign can end in many ways. While some candidates may experience extreme highs, others may face almost immediate lows. The history of political campaigning contains a pantheon of unsuccessful candidates that were unable to stay the course. These collapses, while sometimes painful, provide an important lesson to all American hopefuls: anything can happen in the course of a presidential campaign.
