One-term presidents

jopatmc · Nov 2, 2012

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/tp/One-Term-Presidents.htm

There have been nearly a dozen one term presidents who ran for second terms but were denied by voters, but only three one term presidents since World War II. The most recent one term president who lost his bid re-election was George H.W. Bush, a Republican who lost to Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992.

Who are the other one term presidents in the history of the United States? Who are the other modern one term presidents? Why did voters turn their backs on them? Here's a look at America's one term presidents - those who ran for, but lost, re-election - through history.

1. George H.W. Bush

Republican George H.W. Bush was the 41st president of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. He lost a campaign for re-election in 1992 to Democrat William Jefferson Clinton, who went on to serve two full terms.

Bush's official White House biography describes his re-election loss this way: "Despite unprecedented popularity from this military and diplomatic triumph, Bush was unable to withstand discontent at home from a faltering economy, rising violence in inner cities, and continued high deficit spending. In 1992 he lost his bid for reelection to Democrat William Clinton."

2. Jimmy Carter

Democrat Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981. He lost a campaign for re-election in 1980 to Republican Ronald Reagan, who went on to serve two full terms.

Carter's White House biography blames several factors for his defeat, not the least of which was the hostage-taking of U. S. embassy staff in Iran, which dominated the news during the last 14 months of Carter's administration. "The consequences of Iran's holding Americans captive, together with continuing inflation at home, contributed to Carter's defeat in 1980. Even then, he continued the difficult negotiations over the hostages."

Iran released the 52 Americans the same day Carter left office.

3. Gerald Ford

Republican Gerald R. Ford was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He lost a campaign for re-election in 1976 to Democrat Jimmy Carter, who went on to serve one term.

"Ford was confronted with almost insuperable tasks," his White House biography states. "There were the challenges of mastering inflation, reviving a depressed economy, solving chronic energy shortages, and trying to ensure world peace." In the end he could not overcome those challenges.

4. Herbert Hover

Republican Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. He lost a campaign for re-election in 1932 to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, who went on to serve three full terms.

The stock market crashed within months of Hoover's first election in 1928, and the United States plunged into The Great Depression. Hoover became he scapegoat four years later.

"At the same time he reiterated his view that while people must not suffer from hunger and cold, caring for them must be primarily a local and voluntary responsibility," his biography reads. "His opponents in Congress, who he felt were sabotaging his program for their own political gain, unfairly painted him as a callous and cruel President."

5. William Howard Taft

Republican William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States, serving from 1909 to 1913. He lost a campaign for re-election in 1912 to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, who went on to serve two full terms.

"Taft alienated many liberal Republicans who later formed the Progressive Party, by defending the Payne-Aldrich Act which unexpectedly continued high tariff rates," Taft's White House biography reads. "He further antagonized progressives by upholding his secretary of the interior, accused of failing to carry out [former President Theodore] Roosevelt's conservation policies."

When the Republicans nominated Taft for a second term, Roosevelt left the GOP and lead the Progressives, guaranteeing the election of Woodrow Wilson.

6. Benjamin Harrison

Republican Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He lost a campaign for re-election in 1892 to Democrat Grover Cleveland, who went on to serve two full terms, though not consecutively.

Harrison's administration suffered politically after a substantial Treasury surplus evaporated, and prosperity seemed about to disappear as well. The 1890 congressional elections swept in Democrats, and Republican leaders decided to abandon Harrison even though he had cooperated with Congress on party legislation, according to his White House biography. His party renominated him in 1892, but he was defeated by Cleveland.

7. Grover Cleveland

*Democrat Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, having served from 1885 to 1889, and 1893 to 1897. So he doesn't technically qualify as a one term president. But because Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive four-year terms, he holds an important place in U.S. history, having lost his initial bid for re-election in 1888 to Republican Benjamin Harrison.

"In December 1887 he called on Congress to reduce high protective tariffs," his bio reads. "Told that he had given Republicans an effective issue for the campaign of 1888, he retorted, 'What is the use of being elected or re-elected unless you stand for something?'"

8. Martin Van Buren

Democrat Martin Van Buren served as the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. He lost a campaign for re-election in 1840 to Whig William Henry Harrison, who died shortly after taking office.

"Van Buren devoted his inaugural address to a discourse upon the American experiment as an example to the rest of the world. The country was prosperous, but less than three months later the panic of 1837 punctured the prosperity," his White House biography reads.

"Declaring that the panic was due to recklessness in business and overexpansion of credit, Van Buren devoted himself to maintaining the solvency of the national Government." Still, he lost re-election.
Click to expand...

When a president breaks his promises and presides over economic and fiscal disaster...........he loses his re-election.

Cooooooooooold HARD FACTS

They'll be adding to this list next Wednesday.

But you liberals, take courage. Obama is eligible to run again in 2016 so far.

esteban · Nov 2, 2012

I hope Liar-in Chief will run in 2016, maybe this time we'll get to see his college transcripts and confirm what a dunce he really is.

ROXTXIA · Nov 2, 2012

Keep padding that post count, jopatmc. You won't have much longer to do so.

jopatmc · Nov 2, 2012

ROXTXIA said: ↑

Keep padding that post count, jopatmc. You won't have much longer to do so.
Click to expand...

That's pretty good reverse psychology there, ROXTIA. I like it.

But it won't work. I'll be posting next Wednesday. That is, if I want to.

Johndoe804 · Nov 2, 2012

Our greatest President is on that list: Grover Cleveland.

DonnyMost · Nov 2, 2012

when did jopatmc totally lose his s**t Meowgi style?

RocketMan Tex · Nov 2, 2012

jopatmc said: ↑

But it won't work. I'll be posting next Wednesday. That is, if I want to.
Click to expand...

So what will you have to say after the President is re-elected?

Inquiring minds want to know!

:grin:

jopatmc · Nov 2, 2012

RocketMan Tex said: ↑

So what will you have to say after the President is re-elected?

Inquiring minds want to know!

:grin:
Click to expand...

I'll wake up and say, "Thank God it was just a bad dream."

RocketMan Tex · Nov 2, 2012

jopatmc said: ↑

I'll wake up and say, "Thank God it was just a bad dream."
Click to expand...

:grin:

I want to meet you. I believe you are holding some of the most powerful mar1juana on planet earth, and I would like to smoke it with you!

:grin:

jopatmc · Nov 2, 2012

RocketMan Tex said: ↑

:grin:

I want to meet you. I believe you are holding some of the most powerful mar1juana on planet earth, and I would like to smoke it with you!

:grin:
Click to expand...

The best mar1juana in the world dude, is when you come off that wacky weed and see the reality of a beautiful, balanced world. You oughta try going without.

Buck Turgidson · Nov 2, 2012

DonnyMost said: ↑

when did jopatmc totally lose his s**t Meowgi style?
Click to expand...

Intimidation.

ima_drummer2k · Nov 2, 2012

jopatmc, I'm not an Obama supporter. But dude...... He's going to win. And it's not going to be close.

jopatmc · Nov 2, 2012

ima_drummer2k said: ↑

jopatmc, I'm not an Obama supporter. But dude...... He's going to win. And it's not going to be close.
Click to expand...

Based on what, ima?

thegary · Nov 2, 2012

ima_drummer2k said: ↑

jopatmc, I'm not an Obama supporter. But dude...... He's going to win. And it's not going to be close.
Click to expand...

are you a romney supporter?

Space Ghost · Nov 2, 2012

ima_drummer2k said: ↑

jopatmc, I'm not an Obama supporter. But dude...... He's going to win. And it's not going to be close.
Click to expand...

If it comes down to one state, its close. He will not have the blow out like he did against McCain.

SacTown · Nov 2, 2012

Space Ghost said: ↑

If it comes down to one state, its close. He will not have the blow out like he did against McCain.
Click to expand...

Agree it won't be a blowout like in 2008. I remember in 2008 Fox News and their supporters honestly thought Mccain was going to win. They were shocked when he got blown out. smh

cwebbster · Nov 2, 2012

Hoping Obama's name is added to that list....

juicystream · Nov 2, 2012

Space Ghost said: ↑

If it comes down to one state, its close. He will not have the blow out like he did against McCain.
Click to expand...

It doesn't look like it will come down to one state. It won't be like McCain, he won't flip any red states.

Dairy Ashford · Nov 2, 2012

Johndoe804 said: ↑

Our greatest President is on that list: Grover Cleveland.
Click to expand...

Until Snuffleupagus Milwaukee comes along.

dandorotik · Nov 2, 2012

One thing you're missing about all those candidates:

Blah.

Reagan, Clinton, W Bush, Obama? Likeable.

Whether that's a good thing or not, that's how it is.

Plus, you forgot about Ross Perot in 1992.

Carter? That was LARGELY due to the hostage crisis and Reagan's likeability. Economy didn't matter as much to people at that point.

Ford? People really held the pardon of Nixon against him- really. And he was always seen, unfortunately, as somewhat of an awkward President.

The only times when a bad economy truly did in an incumbent in the 20th century was Hoover and, slightly, HW Bush.

Forums

One-term presidents

jopatmc Contributing Member

esteban Member

ROXTXIA Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

Johndoe804 Member

DonnyMost be kind. be brave.
Supporting Member

RocketMan Tex Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

RocketMan Tex Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

Buck Turgidson Member

ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

thegary Contributing Member

Space Ghost Contributing Member

SacTown Member

cwebbster Contributing Member

juicystream Contributing Member

Dairy Ashford Member

dandorotik Contributing Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!

One-term presidents

jopatmc Contributing Member

esteban Member

ROXTXIA Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

Johndoe804 Member

DonnyMost be kind. be brave. Supporting Member

RocketMan Tex Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

RocketMan Tex Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

Buck Turgidson Member

ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

jopatmc Contributing Member

thegary Contributing Member

Space Ghost Contributing Member

SacTown Member

cwebbster Contributing Member

juicystream Contributing Member

Dairy Ashford Member

dandorotik Contributing Member

Share This Page

DonnyMost be kind. be brave.
Supporting Member