Bill Clinton's campaign team had engineered an amazing victory over a once-popular incumbent in 1992, labeling the controversial former Arkansas Governor "the Comeback Kid". For the second election in a row it would be a contest between a Democrat, a Republican and a third party candidate in the form of Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot, although ( Read more... )

History has shown that while no third party candidate has ever won a Presidential election, these candidacies can affect the electoral calculus, though no one can ever be certain precisely how, since it is unclear who each of those casting a ballot for a third party candidate would have voted for if their candidate of choice was not in the race, or ( Read more... )

Bill Clinton's campaign team had engineered an amazing victory over a once-popular incumbent in 1992, labeling the controversial former Arkansas Governor "the Comeback Kid". For the second election in a row it would be a contest between a Democrat, a Republican and a third party candidate in the form of Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot, although ( Read more... )

In his book The Keys to the White House, Professor Alan J. Lichtman lists the presence of a strong third party candidate as one of the factors predictive of the defeat of the incumbent party. A good example of this can be seen in the Presidential Election of 1992 in which a little-known Governor from a southern state was able to upset a popular ( Read more... )

Bill Clinton's path to the Presidency is another story of a journey from humble beginnings to the big chair in the White House. Clinton was born with the name William Jefferson Blythe III in Hope, Arkansas.His father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., was a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before the future president ( Read more... )

Over the years Republicans and Democrats alike have looked to congressional leaders to find their candidates for the presidency, especially in years where it looked like they were up against a strong incumbent. (Recent examples are John McCain, Barry Goldwater and John Kerry.) They have also looked for candidates who served in combat (such as Harry ( Read more... )

When he was running for President in 1988, then Vice-President George H. W. Bush made a statement at the Republican Nominating Convention that would come back to haunt him. Bush, who had sometimes been criticized for his lack of eloquence in the past, (especially when compared to his predecessor Ronald Reagan), delivered a very well received ( Read more... )

In 1991, George H. W. Bush enjoyed an approval rating at an unprecedented 89%. It seemed unthinkable at the time the Bush would not win four more years in office the following year. But political popularity can be fickle and after the next presidential election, the nation found itself with a new President. How did that happen? Did anyone see it ( Read more... )

When he was running for President in 1988, then Vice-President George H. W. Bush made a statement at the Republican Nominating Convention that would come back to haunt him. Bush, who had sometimes been criticized for his lack of eloquence in the past, especially when compared to his predecessor Ronald Reagan, delivered a very well received speech ( Read more... )

1993 was a transitional year in Presidential history as it ushered in the start of the nation's first Democratic Presidency in 12 years. William Jefferson Clinton defied the odds and was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993. He began his presidency in decisive fashion as just two days after taking office, ( Read more... )