Election nights are all the time simultaneous moments of triumph and tragedy. One group of voters’ goals are dashed, whereas one other set of voters see their hopes realized.
Each election can also be distinctive. America has had some essential presidential elections that reshaped the way in which People take into consideration politics. This Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, pitting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in opposition to Republican contender Donald Trump, has not had any notable occasions up to now. However nearly each election is value studying about sooner or later. There are some large wins, nail-biters and monumental losses that stand out.
Large winners
The 1964 and 1984 presidential elections stand out as fast, overwhelming wins.
President John F. Kennedy’s November 1963 assassination helped set the scene for the 1964 election. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson instantly ascended to the presidency – after which ran for president with lower than a full calendar yr because the sitting chief govt.
Johnson’s race in opposition to Arizona Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater was fierce. The nation confronted mounting political tensions with the Soviet Union. Johnson’s well-known “Daisy Lady” political advert all however accused Goldwater of probably launching a nuclear conflict. And Goldwater, in the meantime, criticized Johnson as being delicate on communism.
The New York Occasions known as the election for Johnson by 9 p.m. Jap Commonplace Time on election night time – although Goldwater waited till the subsequent day to concede.
Goldwater gained solely six states: his residence state of Arizona, in addition to Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia.
Twenty years later, President Ronald Reagan ran for reelection in 1984 in opposition to Walter Mondale, who beforehand served as vp to Jimmy Carter.
Reagan had survived an assassination try as president in March 1981 and was pretty widespread going into the 1984 election – with an added enhance from a robust financial system.
Reagan was additionally 73 years outdated in 1984, however his humorousness about his age served him nicely. He joked about it through the October 1984 presidential debate, saying he wouldn’t exploit Mondale’s “youth and inexperience.”
Reagan shortly gained practically each state, besides Mondale’s residence state of Minnesota and Washington, D.C.
Mondale conceded simply after 11 p.m. EST on election night time, whereas Reagan waited till after midnight to give his victory speech.
Diana Walker/Getty Pictures
A nail-biter
Alternatively, the election of 2000 was a nail-biter that got here right down to the outcomes of 1 county in Florida.
Republican George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, and Democrat Al Gore, who was the sitting vp, had been in a very tight race. Inexperienced Celebration politician Ralph Nader was additionally operating as a third-party candidate, drawing votes from the far left.
On election night time, Nov. 7, 2000, the vote tally in lots of states was shut – however the closest was in Florida.
The entire main information shops initially stated on the night time of the election that Gore had gained Florida’s 25 electoral votes, securing him the election.
However as extra county tallies got here in, the outcomes saved getting nearer – and the media shops shifted, saying that the Florida race was truly undecided.
The ultimate determination can be decided by the vote from Palm Seashore County, Florida. Palm Seashore County then missed the deadline for counties to certify their votes to the state, two weeks after the election.
This county used an older voting system, the butterfly poll, to conduct elections.
Voters punched out what regarded like a small piece of confetti, known as a chad, to point their alternative on paper ballots. Incomplete punches had been known as hanging chads, and voter intention turned an enormous query. There was a lot of authorized wrangling, and Republicans ultimately appealed to the U.S. Supreme Courtroom in December to halt the continuing recount.
The Supreme Courtroom, in a break up determination, decided that time had run out for added recounts and handed Florida to Bush, who gained the state by a margin of 537 votes on Dec. 12, 2000.
Robert King/Newsmakers
A wild card
Theodore Roosevelt out of the blue turned president in September 1901 when the sitting president, William McKinley, was assassinated. Roosevelt was reelected in 1904 however determined he wished to do different issues on the finish of that four-year time period, similar to go on a safari. He handpicked his secretary of conflict, William Howard Taft, as his successor, and Taft gained the presidential election in 1908.
However Taft had a really completely different imaginative and prescient of the presidency, leaving Roosevelt feeling deceived. Roosevelt determined he wished the presidency again.
A bit of the Republican Celebration broke off and created a separate political social gathering, known as the Progressive Celebration. Roosevelt ran on the Progressive Celebration ticket within the 1912 election, however dueling assist for Taft and Roosevelt break up the vote, permitting for Democratic Celebration candidate Woodrow Wilson to win.
Wilson obtained greater than 6 million widespread votes, Roosevelt bought about 4 million, and Taft gained about 3.5 million. Roosevelt gained an ethical victory by beating Taft, however his social gathering misplaced the presidency.
Nov. 5, 2024
Each election night time is completely different. Each has nuances, pleasure and surprises; historical past will decide how election night time 2024 is remembered. The one factor folks might be sure of is that they’ll get some issues improper, some issues proper, and everybody will both have fun or despair.
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