New in PJ Media:
Throughout the evening Tuesday, Fox News commentators made repeated references to the possibility that Donald Trump was going to pull off “the biggest comeback in American politics since Grover Cleveland,” which showed a fine awareness of history but probably left many viewers puzzled, since ol’ Grover is not exactly in the first tier of American presidents who shine brightly in our miseducated and distracted national historical memory.
Still, it is true that Donald Trump and Grover Cleveland are now the only two presidents in American history to have been reelected president after losing their first bid for reelection. And contrary to the Fox talking heads, Trump’s comeback is even more comprehensive and astonishing than that of his nineteenth-century counterpart.
As “Rating America’s Presidents” explains, in Grover Cleveland’s day, the biggest — and only — swing state was New York. In 1880, 1884, and 1888, if New York had gone for the other candidate, it would have changed the outcome of the election. 21,000 New York votes made the Republican James A. Garfield president in 1880 instead of the Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock, and in 1884, Cleveland was elected president for the first time because he won New York by the nail-biting margin of 1,149 votes over James G. Blaine, “the continental liar from the state of Maine.” The powerbrokers of the day were well aware of New York’s power: Cleveland was the Democrats’ fourth presidential candidate from New York in five elections.
When Cleveland was running for reelection in 1888 against the Republican Benjamin Harrison, New York once again effectively chose the president, swinging back to the Republicans by a margin of just over 14,000 votes and sweeping Grover and his glamorous young bride Frances (the proto-Melania Trump), whom Cleveland had married in the White House, back to private life.
Still, Cleveland won the popular vote and remained the leader of the Democrat party. Harrison was not a popular or particularly successful president, and when Cleveland challenged him to a rematch in 1892, he looked stronger than he had in 1888. As in 2024, the economy was a big issue. The Republican platform reaffirmed the party’s commitment to “the American doctrine of protectionism” and stated that “the prosperous condition of our country” was due to their “wise revenue legislation.” The Democrats countered this America-first message by charging in their own platform that “Republican protection” was “a fraud, a robbery, of the great majority of the American people for the benefit of the few.”
Cleveland won by a comfortable margin and became the only president to return to the White House after leaving it — until Jan. 20, 2025, that is, barring an act of God or some nefarious act of Democrat chicanery. Cleveland did indeed pull off a remarkable comeback, but Donald Trump’s was much greater and more impressive.
There is more. Read the rest here.
Walter Sieruk says
It really should and needs to be reiterated that the election results are not only a victory for Donald Trump but also a victory for America and a victory for the American people. Furthermore, that Trump will on January 20th become President Trump, once again, is likewise a triumph for Israel and all the other civilized countries of the world.
In contrast, about that loser, Kamala Harris, with her Marxist-Islamic alliance, known as the Red /Green alliance, means a devastating loss for the powers and forces and darkness and wickedness.
Just to mention only two examples of this is that the United States will no longer be having international policies that are a reflection of that the Communist dictators of China want to be installed.
The other example, is that the person who be the US President, Trump , on 1/20/25 will no longer have a polices of appeasement towards those hostile anti –America and anti- Israel Muslim despots of that tyrannical Islamic regime of Iran. As by contrast to treacherous and traitorous , Joe Biden, who was always giving in, as in “caving in” to those in power in Islamic tyranny of Iran, granting them everything that they demand.
gravenimage says
Move Over, Grover: Trump Just Pulled Off the Biggest Comeback in American History
…………………………………………
A *very* decisive victory.
Walter Sieruk says
The victory of Donald Trump of the results of the November 5th 2024 Presidential election is likewise a triumph for America and the American people.
Therefore, in the future, in American history books, all genuine historians will recognize Donald Trump as a Great Patriotic American President.
In contrast, the name of Kamala Harris will rot in American history.
As the Bible informs its reader “The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.” Proverbs 11:7. [K.J.V.]
tunde says
Robert, I don’t know if you see these comments. But I just want to say that you’re Rating America’s Presidents book is one of the best I’ve read in any category. I recommend it everywhere I go and wish it came out in 2028 so it covered all the craziness we’ve been seeing and will see.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
After the next 4 years, I hope Robert does an update to it to include both Biden and Trump 47. Or after 12 years, update it to include JD Vance or whoever succeeds Trump
FYI says
Humor works.
After Biden called Trump supporters “Garbage” it was a good trick to show Trump …in a Garbage collecting van.
Hillary Clinton used the term “Basket of deplorables”
It is extremely unwise to insult the Electorate.
The political elites, by their behavior, are showing themselves to be what i call…
“Deplorable Basketcases”
Lefties don’t like humor:parody,satire.They like to fiddle words.But humor always defeats that.We can use words too.
Two examples
I asked the mechanic in an auto shop for a bottle of Gender Fluid.Lefties say that might offend Trans folk.Trans folk?Like the Auto workers in the Trans{port] industry?
When i see protests from a particular lefty group-i like to whistle “Raindrops keep falling on my head”
but sometimes it becomes Rainbows..
Down with WOKE…
somehistory says
Those who promoted the hyena, were insulting people…esp Black men,…left and right Having some putrid White guys proclaiming their devotion to her, was hardly effective and telling women (of all colors, even White) that if they voted for Mr. Trump, they are anti-women and anti-American.
It’s akin to some old ads which showed the possible buyers were incredibly stupid. Normal people don’t appreciate being insulted.
When I was a school student in 8 th grade, we had to learn, in order, all of the president’s names. I often wondered why grover was there twice with harrison in between. Now, I know, Mr. Spencer, so thank you. New York, New York.
the democrats are blaming biden for the loss. some in the media are blaming the ‘;campaign,’ None seem to be blaming the hyena, the shell of a person who had nothing to offer for all her confusing blather.
Curiously, harris had more to say which sounded *normal* in her concession speech.
James Lincoln says
somehistory says,
“When I was a school student in 8 th grade, we had to learn, in order, all of the president’s names.”
So did I.
Lucky if today’s eighth-graders can name the last three…
somehistory says
James, I recall that our history teacher made up a poem using the initials of the names so we could have a ‘crutch’ to make it easier. I still remember the first part of that poem.
“Washington and Jefferson made many a joke.”
It would need to be somewhat longer now.
And I think you may be right about today’s students.