Discussion of the 1888 election is dominated by the age-old political debate on tariff policy.
Grandson of President William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison seems almost pre-ordained to become President. The refusal of James G. Blaine to seek the nomination at the Republican National Convention has resulted in Harrison's nomination on the eighth ballot.
A key advantage he has in the upcoming campaign is that he is running against Grover Cleveland. A key shortcoming, however, is also that he is running against Grover Cleveland. This election is dominated by the tariff issue, and the ethnic vote will be hotly contested as a result.
", "color_hex": "#be1631", "secondary_color_hex": "#FFA0A0", "is_active": 1, "image_url": "https://i.imgur.com/hdf9Z6b.png", "electoral_victory_message": "Well done! Cleveland was a strong opponent, but you have ran a fantastic campaign over the past several months. You have proven to the nation that the election of 1884 was a fluke, and that the Republican Party is still the natural party of governance. Now it's up to you to restore a sensible tariff policy, and maybe even pursue the limited coinage of silver.
Should you perform anywhere near as well during your Presidency as you have over the past four months, you should be in prime position to win a second term and cement yourself in the history books. Will the Silver Democrats take control now that Cleveland is out of the picture? Who knows? Whatever happens, best of luck!
", "electoral_loss_message": "Some thought Cleveland to be vulnerable, but he was a skilled opponent, and it was simply not to be this time. He has proven that his 1884 victory was more than a fluke — it was a real mandate for lasting Democratic leadership.
So where does this leave you? It's hard to say. You put up a strong showing, and you remain popular within the Republican Party, so it's entirely possible that you could make another go at it sometime in the future. But that's not guaranteed. It's not even guaranteed that the same faction of the Republican Party will be in power in 1892, after two successive losses. Whatever you do end up doing, good luck!
", "no_electoral_majority_message": "''", "description_as_running_mate": null, "candidate_score": 1, "running_mate": false } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.candidate", "pk": 21, "fields": { "first_name": "Grover", "last_name": "Cleveland", "election": 5, "party": "Democratic", "state": "New York", "priority": 2, "description": "There are times when Grover Cleveland seems like a one-man army. In 1884, he upset the postbellum order, seizing the presidency as a reformist and a Bourbon Democrat. He has achieved mixed results. His liberal use of the veto, especially for Civil War pensions and the Texas Seed Bill, has frustrated some. Elsewhere, he is a committed sound money man and a foreign policy non-interventionist.
The issue dominating this election is tariff policy. Cleveland is an aggressive opponent of tariffs, dedicating his December 1887 State of the Union written address entirely to tariff reform. This comes with upsides and downsides, especially considering the ethnic dimension of this issue.", "color_hex": "#0042aa", "secondary_color_hex": "#90C0FF", "is_active": 1, "image_url": "https://i.imgur.com/iFsCEey.png", "electoral_victory_message": "
Most impressive! It was a little iffy there for a bit, but you have pulled through to become the first two-term Democrat since Andrew Jackson. You have proven to the nation that your 1884 victory was more than just a fluke — it was a real mandate for lasting Democratic leadership.
What's on the plate for your second term? Hopefully you can keep a lid on the Congress's wasteful spending, and continue your crusade for lower tariffs. If all goes well, you can pass the torch to another Bourbon Democrat in 1892 — although it probably won't be poor Allen Thurman. But for now, forget all that. Sit back in the White House with Frances and relax. You've earned it.
", "electoral_loss_message": "This comes as a surprise to few. Harrison was a strong candidate, and his campaign was expertly managed. It seems like your fluke victory in 1884 was just that — a fluke. Harrison will no doubt try to hike up those tariffs, and maybe even pursue a bimetallist monetary policy.
So where does this leave you? It's hard to say. At 51 years old, you are the youngest ex-president in American history. You settle nicely into private life and prepare to start a family. But unbeknownst to you, as you prepare to leave the White House for the last time, your wife Frances tells a servant, “We are coming back just four years from today.”
", "no_electoral_majority_message": "''", "description_as_running_mate": null, "candidate_score": 1, "running_mate": false } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.candidate", "pk": 22, "fields": { "first_name": "Clinton B.", "last_name": "Fisk/Others", "election": 5, "party": "Various", "state": "New Jersey", "priority": 3, "description": "Prohibition candidate. His views aren't mainstream. Yet.
", "color_hex": "#929292", "secondary_color_hex": "#FFFFC0", "is_active": 0, "image_url": null, "electoral_victory_message": "''", "electoral_loss_message": "''", "no_electoral_majority_message": "''", "description_as_running_mate": null, "candidate_score": 1, "running_mate": false } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.candidate", "pk": 45, "fields": { "first_name": "Levi P.", "last_name": "Morton", "election": 5, "party": "Republican", "state": "New York", "priority": 20, "description": "n/a", "color_hex": "#FF0000", "secondary_color_hex": "#FFA0A0", "is_active": 0, "image_url": "https://i.imgur.com/C6VHZK8.png", "electoral_victory_message": "n/a", "electoral_loss_message": "n/a", "no_electoral_majority_message": "n/a", "description_as_running_mate": "Levi P. Morton is a former Congressman and ambassador to France. He declined overtures from James Garfield to serve as his running mate in 1880 on the advice of political ally Roscoe Conkling. This time, he is willing to accept the position. He is supported by Stalwart Tom Platt and the rest of the New York delegation.
He could come in handy in New York, the largest state in the Union. Harrison's electoral math becomes very difficult without New York in his column.
", "candidate_score": 0, "running_mate": true } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.candidate", "pk": 47, "fields": { "first_name": "William Walter", "last_name": "Phelps", "election": 5, "party": "Republican", "state": "New Jersey", "priority": 22, "description": "n/a", "color_hex": "#FF0000", "secondary_color_hex": "#FFA0A0", "is_active": 0, "image_url": "https://i.imgur.com/DHDu21Q.png", "electoral_victory_message": "n/a", "electoral_loss_message": "n/a", "no_electoral_majority_message": "n/a", "description_as_running_mate": "William Walter Phelps is a Congressman from New Jersey, and the preferred choice of James G. Blaine. However, the New York delegation is flatly refusing to consider him.
If Harrison cared strongly about it, he could probably intervene on Phelps' behalf and weasel him onto the ticket. He may come in handy in New Jersey, another major swing state, although that is not nearly as crucial as New York.
", "candidate_score": 0, "running_mate": true } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.candidate", "pk": 49, "fields": { "first_name": "Allen G.", "last_name": "Thurman", "election": 5, "party": "Democrat", "state": "Ohio", "priority": 24, "description": "n/a", "color_hex": "#0000FF", "secondary_color_hex": "#90C0FF", "is_active": 0, "image_url": "https://i.imgur.com/XU7xx0k.png", "electoral_victory_message": "n/a", "electoral_loss_message": "n/a", "no_electoral_majority_message": "n/a", "description_as_running_mate": "In 1885, Vice President Thomas Hendricks died in office. Since there is no procedure to fill a vacancy in the Vice Presidency (yet), the office has remained empty since then. This vacancy could be potentially filled by Allen Thurman.
On one hand, Thurman is a true old school Democrat, and could help placate those skeptical of Cleveland's liberalism. His extensive history of elected office in Ohio also may come in handy, since Ohio is a crucial swing state in any election. On the other hand, he is a retired, elderly politician who may be unable to campaign very aggressively or dynamically.
", "candidate_score": 0, "running_mate": true } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.candidate", "pk": 50, "fields": { "first_name": "Isaac P.", "last_name": "Gray", "election": 5, "party": "Democrat", "state": "Indiana", "priority": 25, "description": "n/a", "color_hex": "#0000FF", "secondary_color_hex": "#90C0FF", "is_active": 0, "image_url": "https://i.imgur.com/2rwWFVH.png", "electoral_victory_message": "n/a", "electoral_loss_message": "n/a", "no_electoral_majority_message": "n/a", "description_as_running_mate": "Another possibility for Vice President is Isaac P. Gray. Not only was he a Union cavalry commander in the Civil War, but he even pushed the hated postwar amendments through the Indiana Senate as a state senator. He switched to the Democratic Party in 1876 over the Grant administration's rampant corruption. He has since had a career in Democratic politics, serving as Governor of Indiana.
There is a chance that his selection might not go over well with the convention because of his past actions as a Republican. However, he could make for an unorthodox presence on the campaign trail, and maybe even woo disaffected Republicans away from Harrison. Picking him would basically be a giant gamble.", "candidate_score": 0, "running_mate": true } } ] campaignTrail_temp.running_mate_json = [ { "model": "campaign_trail.running_mate", "pk": 22, "fields": { "candidate": 20, "running_mate": 45 } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.running_mate", "pk": 26, "fields": { "candidate": 21, "running_mate": 49 } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.running_mate", "pk": 28, "fields": { "candidate": 21, "running_mate": 50 } }, { "model": "campaign_trail.running_mate", "pk": 24, "fields": { "candidate": 20, "running_mate": 47 } } ] campaignTrail_temp.credits = "/u/ConjunctionJunction3 and /u/Martha_306" campaignTrail_temp.opponents_default_json = [ { "election": 5, "candidates": [ 20, 21, 22 ] } ] campaignTrail_temp.opponents_weighted_json = [ { "election": 5, "candidates": [ 20, 21, 22 ] } ] campaignTrail_temp.temp_election_list = [ { "id": 5, "year": 1888, "is_premium": 0, "display_year": "1888" } ] jet_data = { "headerColor": "#700016", "windowColor": "#BFE6FF", "containerColor": "#FFFFFF", "innerWindowColor": "#E8FBFF", "bannerImageUrl": "https://i.imgur.com/S1Xze7t.png", "backgroundImageUrl": "https://i.imgur.com/Ciev2mn.png", "endingTextColor": "#000000", "customQuote": "", "gameTitle": "The Campaign Trail" } //#startcode corrr = '\n