presidential campaigns — Bunk History

Barack Obama holds up a baby on the campaign trail

Charm Offensive: Why Politicians Reach for ‘Relatable’

For American politicians, the obsession with appealing to the everyman dates back to the raucous campaign of 1840.

via Retro Report on September 15, 2024

A duel.

Mud-Slinging and Deadly Duels: How Negative Campaigning Evolved

The factionalized press was the site of campaigning in the U.S.'s first contested presidential elections.

via Retro Report on September 6, 2024

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz at a rally.

How Vice-Presidential Nominees Became 'Attack Dogs'

Vice presidential nominees weren't tasked with flinging mud until the last 40 years.

by Charles J. Holden via Made By History on August 7, 2024

President Joe Biden speaking at campaign event.

The Arguments for Biden 2024 Keep Getting Worse

No, "history" does not tell us that the Democrats shouldn't change their nominee.

by Eric Levitz via Vox on July 9, 2024

Then-Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton speaks at the Human Rights Campaign forum in Washington, July 15, 2003.

Remembrance of Ratf**ks Past

As Cornel West is receiving ballot access help from Republicans, 20 years ago Al Sharpton’s campaign for president was largely orchestrated by Roger Stone.

by Rick Perlstein via The American Prospect on June 12, 2024

A collage of the Eugene V. Debbs museum and advertisements for his presidential campaign from prison inside the museums collection.

‘Unless Jesus Christ Was Running’: In MAGA Country, Post-Verdict Trump is Still the Answer

Eugene Debs ran for president from prison. His former bellwether county — and museum — both hold lessons for Trump’s campaign.

by Adam Wren via Politico on June 3, 2024

A large crowd listening to Harry Truman give a speech on a train.

Harry Truman's Train Ride

A whistle-stop train tour, and some plain speaking spur Harry Truman's come from behind win in 1948 over Thomas Dewey.

by Michael Liss via 3 Quarks Daily on March 25, 2024

Engraving of President William Henry Harrison

This President was Widely Attacked for Being Too Old to Run — at 67

In 1840, William Henry Harrison was mocked for his presidential run at age 67 — 15 years younger than President Biden would be at the start of a second term.

by Ronald G. Shafer via Retropolis on November 12, 2023

Eugene V. Debs in prison garb holds bouquet of flowers and is flanked by political supporters.

The Presidential Campaign of Convict 9653

Can you run for president from a prison cell? One man did in the 1920 election and got almost a million votes.

by Thomas Doherty via The Conversation on April 18, 2023

Drawing of showing woman and man embracing.

The 19th Century Divorce That Seized the Nation and Sank a Presidential Candidate

When James G. Blaine went to war with his son's ex-wife in the national press, he had no idea that two could play that game.

by April White via Politico Magazine on June 17, 2022

Tiled pattern of 2020 presidential campaign signs.

How Candidate Diversity Impacts Color Diversity

We looked at 271 presidential candidate logos from 1968–2020 to find out how race and gender intersect with color choices.

by Champe Barton via The Pudding on August 1, 2020

Presidential candidates after a Democratic primary debate.

South Carolina May Well Determine Whether Democrats Can Win the Presidency

Winning the South Carolina primary requires exciting a crucial constituency.

by Robert Greene II via Made By History on February 28, 2020

Why the Iowa Caucuses May Elevate an Underdog

History shows that this blockbuster event is merely a test of organizational strength in one small state.

by Amber Roessner via Made By History on February 3, 2020

A Brief History of Mostly Terrible Campaign Biographies

“No harm if true; but, in fact, not true.”

by Jaime Fuller via Literary Hub on September 12, 2019

How Did the Presidential Campaign Get to Be So Long?

U.S. presidential elections didn't drag on so long before the late sixties.

by Rachel Caufield via The Conversation on July 30, 2019

Women’s Issues Within Political Party Platforms

Every four years, political parties document their positions in written platforms. How often do women's issues appear in the text?

by Jan Diehm, Russell Goldenberg via The Pudding on May 8, 2019

What Presidential Announcements Reveal About the Candidates

The speeches present the country’s condition as a puzzle that’s missing one piece, which the candidate can supply.

by John Dickerson via The Atlantic on February 18, 2019

'I'm Feeling Bad About America'

The sick history of the U.S. campaign song.

by J. W. McCormack via The Baffler on November 1, 2018

80 Days That Changed America

Fifty years later, Bobby Kennedy’s passionate, inspiring, and tragic presidential campaign still fascinates.

by Joan Walsh via The Nation on April 23, 2018

William Randolph Hearst for President

Another news cycle, another media mogul stirring up electoral buzz.

by Jonathan Zimmerman via Lapham’s Quarterly on January 22, 2018

Barry Goldwater with his finger to his lips sushing the audience.

Why the 'Goldwater Rule' Keeps Psychiatrists From Diagnosing at a Distance

Here's what to know about the man behind the longstanding rule.

by Olivia B. Waxman via TIME on July 27, 2017

1860 political cartoon depicting Lincoln as a "Wide-Awake"

A Posthumous Romance of White Male Reunion

The history of deriving political meaning from Abraham Lincoln’s sexuality.

by Andrew Donnelly via HNN on February 11, 2025

Political cartoon depicting 1856 presidential candidates

The First Punch

There are uncanny parallels between the elections of 2024 and 1856, with one big exception: in 1856, it was the political left that was on the offensive.

by Matthew Karp via Harper’s on December 5, 2024

Campaign signs.

The Long History of the 'October Surprise'

Last minute disclosures or revelations can play an outsized role in the last weeks before an election.

by Robert B. Mitchell via Made By History on October 24, 2024

Taylor Swift's Instagram post endorsing Kamala Harris. Swift is holding a cat and facing the camera, dressed in black.

Taylor Swift and the History of the Celebrity Endorsement

Do pop culture interventions in presidential elections make a difference?

by Addie Mahmassani via New Lines on October 23, 2024

Democratic donkey necktie.

The Consultants Who Lost Democrats the Working Class

The rivalry of two men tells the story of how Democrats fumbled with their traditional base—and how they can win again.

by Ben Metzner via The New Republic on October 15, 2024

Theodore Roosevelt giving a speech.

A Brief History of Former Presidents Running for Reelection: 3 Losses, 1 Win and 1 Still TBD

History illustrates that voters become galvanized and change their party allegiance when former US presidents run for a nonconsecutive term.

by Graeme Mack via The Conversation on September 24, 2024

Horace Greeley

This Presidential Candidate Died in a Sanatorium Less Than a Month After Losing the Election

Horace Greeley ran against incumbent Ulysses S. Grant in November 1872. Twenty-four days later, he died of unknown causes at a private mental health facility.

by Greg Daugherty via Smithsonian on September 19, 2024

Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun.

Picking a Partner: The V.P. Relationship

The relationship between presidents and vice presidents is unique and often personal. Sometimes, internal divisions spill out into public life.

via Retro Report on September 14, 2024

Kamala Harris stands in front of a crowd of voters holidng "Freedom" signs.

Kamala Harris’s “Freedom” Campaign

Democrats’ years-long efforts to reclaim the word are cresting in this year’s Presidential race.

by Peter Slevin via The New Yorker on August 23, 2024

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