tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1934313418859465616.post4530411754287590434..comments2023-10-30T06:56:16.806-04:00Comments on The Soap Box: 10 People who never stood a chance at becoming President, Part 1: 1800 to 1900The Lockehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13593240704921333636noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1934313418859465616.post-71269436931287881992013-02-10T15:11:40.324-05:002013-02-10T15:11:40.324-05:00Wow! I didn't know that the Federalist Party w...Wow! I didn't know that the Federalist Party was falling apart by then, but didn't know they were that bad off. Thank you for the info, Sean!The Lockehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593240704921333636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1934313418859465616.post-52880365452455119992013-02-10T12:24:32.618-05:002013-02-10T12:24:32.618-05:00This is a great post, but your entry on Rufus King...This is a great post, but your entry on Rufus King might need some clarification.<br /><br />Rufus King did not really "run" for President. No one did, from the Federalist party, in 1816. He made no attempt to gain votes, did not campaign, issued no platform, and denied he wanted the job. The Federalists in 1816 were already crumbling after their disastrous missteps during the War of 1812 (for instance, trying to split New England off from the Union). In 1816 they did not even have any sort of national organization.<br /><br />Years before the election it was clear that the Democratic-Republicans were going to win, and more than a year before it seemed likely that Monroe would be their candidate. A few die-hard Federalists in some northeastern states basically said, "Well, this sucks, another Democratic president, but shouldn't we at least put up some token resistance?" So the state leaders tried to find a candidate who would not forbid them from floating his name as a protest vote. They had a tough time doing so, because nobody wanted to be on the sinking ship of the Federalist Party, but Rufus King, being at the end of his career and a little dotty to begin with, at least didn't object to his name being mentioned at Federalist state-level caucuses as a pseudo-candidate.<br /><br />It might be more accurate to say that Monroe ran essentially unopposed in 1816, but some people did vote for Rufus King instead. 1816 was one of those weird elections that bears little resemblance to the way Presidential elections are conducted today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com