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Originally posted by Mayerling
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The only President who ever lived up to that particular viewpoint was James Knox Polk. He had four goals when elected President (he was our first "Dark Horse" candidate, as he was not even thought of as the choice originally): 1) An independent treasury (we still depended on banks in 1845!); 2) a reduced and fair tariff (we got the Walker Tariff in 1846, named for the Secretary of the Treasury, Robert Walker); 3) a settlement of the Oregon territory dispute with Great Britain (in the election there was a slogan, "54'40" or Fight" meaning we should have the whole territory (which would include British Columbia!) - Polk and the British divided it along the 49th Parallel, which was sensible; 4) acquiring California and the South West from Mexico by purchase (here Polk found problems with a Mexico still angry at the annexation of Texas - eventually we had the Mexican War, and won it, but Polk insisted on paying the Mexicans $15, 000,000.00 in the Treaty of Guadalupe - Hidalgo for the land, so technically we did purchase it). Also, with the aid of his first Secretary of the Navy, George Bancroft, Polk founded the Naval Academy at Annapolis. All was accomplished by Polk (a work-a-holic President) who decided to only seek one term. But it knocked the stuffings out of his delicate health. He left the Presidency in March 1849, and travelled by sea to New Orleans, and then up the Mississippi River by steamboat to his home in Tennessee. He died of cholera on June 8, 1849 after only three months of a post-Presidential career. It is the shortest post-Presidential career of all the Presidents who survived their terms.
There were discussions by other Presidents to push a one term tradition, but in time it became obvious that if you wanted proof from the public that you were actually doing well you needed a second term (if you succeeded to the Presidency a term on your own was required). None of the 19th Century "Accidental" Presidents (Tyler, Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Arthur) got renominated by their parties for a second term, although Fillmore tried to get the 1852 Whig nomination and Arthur allowed his name to be put up in 1884. Fillmore was stymied by supporters of his Secretary of State, Daniel Webster, and the nomination went to General Winfield Scott (who lost to Franklin Pierce). Arthur would have liked a term under his own name, but he knew he was dying of Bright's disease, and decided not to push it, figuring that having two Presidents who died in office in a row (Garfield, and theoretically himself) would demoralize the country. He retired back to his townhouse in New York City, and died in November 1886, a year and a half after his term ended (thus having the second shortest post-Presidential career). Fillmore did get a major party nomination in 1856 from the then important "American" / "Know Nothing" Party which was nativistic, against Catholic immigrants. He actually carried the state of Maryland (8 electoral votes) which was a record of sorts.
It is not until the present century that "Accidental Presidents" get nominated in their own right, and usually elected (Theodore Roosevelt in 1904; Calvin Coolidge in 1924; Harry Truman in 1948; Lyndon Johnson in 1964; and Gerald Ford in 1976, but he was not re-elected). In the 20th Century every incumbent was re-nominated for the Presidency (except those who died in office - although FDR was re-nominated three times and won three times). All but five did not get re-elected: Taft in 1912; Herbert Hoover in 1932; Gerald Ford in 1976; Jimmy Carter in 1980; and George H. W. Bush in 1992). Since then all the Presidents elected in the 21st century won re-election (George W. Bush, Barak Obama).
Some of the 19th Century Presidents did rule out a second term from the start. William Henry Harrison pledged himself to one term in 1840 (not realizing he would die one month into his one term). Tyler considered running in 1844, but neither party wanted him. Polk pledged himself to one term - and we saw he produced the only totally successful Presidency, but at the cost of his life. Franklin Pierce's dreadful one term Presidency led to the only time in our history that the ruling party (the Democrats) basically told the President to forget trying even to get a second nomination! James Buchanan, ineptly allowing the U.S. to slip into the American Civil War, was so heartily sick of the office he had sought on at least three prior occasions before getting it (1844, 1848, 1852) that he did not seek a second term. Rutherford Hayes actually showed great competence as President (1877 - 1881), but after all the corrupt shenanigans of the 1876-77 election imbroglio he thoroughly hated the thought of a second go around, and gave up any desire for a second term. Except for the assassinated Garfield, and poor Arthur, all the remaining Presidents of the 19th Century (Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley) were re - nominated (Cleveland twice!!), and Cleveland and McKinley served two terms (though the latter would die in 1901 from an assassin's bullet).
Only one President in the 20th Century would have liked one term: William Howard Taft (1909 - 1913). He had been talked into accepting the Presidency by his wife Helen and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, but hated the job (which he actually handled well). A series of misunderstandings between him and the hyper-active TR led to their break in 1912. Taft got re - nominated over TR. Actually he hoped to return to Yale University (his alma mater) to teach law (which he eventually did). But TR was promising all kinds of radical reforms, one of which was direct recall of justices from the Federal benches. Taft was a born jurist and hated that, and was determined to run to prevent TR from accomplishing that. So both men ran, the Republican vote was split down the center, and Woodrow Wilson became President. Taft was quite happy (even though he came in, in third place, after Wilson and TR, but ahead of Gene Debs - who was happy because his Socialist got 900,000 votes!). Taft taught at Yale, and then (in 1921) got the job he always dreamed of: Chief Justice of the United State. Accredited as a near-Great Chief Justice, the current judiciary we have was due to the reforms he pushed through Congress while on the Court, not as President. In fact he always called the White House, "the big White Jail!".
[There has been talk of a single six year term for the President, but only once has it been seriously considered: the government of the Confederate States of American put a solitary six year term for the President in their constitution, and Jefferson Davis got to serve that term, but only for a bit over four years. The Republic of Texas (1836 to 1845) had four Presidents (Stephen Austin, Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar; and Anson Jones). A term in office was two years, and you could not have consecutive terms. Houston served two terms around Lamar.]
There were discussions by other Presidents to push a one term tradition, but in time it became obvious that if you wanted proof from the public that you were actually doing well you needed a second term (if you succeeded to the Presidency a term on your own was required). None of the 19th Century "Accidental" Presidents (Tyler, Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Arthur) got renominated by their parties for a second term, although Fillmore tried to get the 1852 Whig nomination and Arthur allowed his name to be put up in 1884. Fillmore was stymied by supporters of his Secretary of State, Daniel Webster, and the nomination went to General Winfield Scott (who lost to Franklin Pierce). Arthur would have liked a term under his own name, but he knew he was dying of Bright's disease, and decided not to push it, figuring that having two Presidents who died in office in a row (Garfield, and theoretically himself) would demoralize the country. He retired back to his townhouse in New York City, and died in November 1886, a year and a half after his term ended (thus having the second shortest post-Presidential career). Fillmore did get a major party nomination in 1856 from the then important "American" / "Know Nothing" Party which was nativistic, against Catholic immigrants. He actually carried the state of Maryland (8 electoral votes) which was a record of sorts.
It is not until the present century that "Accidental Presidents" get nominated in their own right, and usually elected (Theodore Roosevelt in 1904; Calvin Coolidge in 1924; Harry Truman in 1948; Lyndon Johnson in 1964; and Gerald Ford in 1976, but he was not re-elected). In the 20th Century every incumbent was re-nominated for the Presidency (except those who died in office - although FDR was re-nominated three times and won three times). All but five did not get re-elected: Taft in 1912; Herbert Hoover in 1932; Gerald Ford in 1976; Jimmy Carter in 1980; and George H. W. Bush in 1992). Since then all the Presidents elected in the 21st century won re-election (George W. Bush, Barak Obama).
Some of the 19th Century Presidents did rule out a second term from the start. William Henry Harrison pledged himself to one term in 1840 (not realizing he would die one month into his one term). Tyler considered running in 1844, but neither party wanted him. Polk pledged himself to one term - and we saw he produced the only totally successful Presidency, but at the cost of his life. Franklin Pierce's dreadful one term Presidency led to the only time in our history that the ruling party (the Democrats) basically told the President to forget trying even to get a second nomination! James Buchanan, ineptly allowing the U.S. to slip into the American Civil War, was so heartily sick of the office he had sought on at least three prior occasions before getting it (1844, 1848, 1852) that he did not seek a second term. Rutherford Hayes actually showed great competence as President (1877 - 1881), but after all the corrupt shenanigans of the 1876-77 election imbroglio he thoroughly hated the thought of a second go around, and gave up any desire for a second term. Except for the assassinated Garfield, and poor Arthur, all the remaining Presidents of the 19th Century (Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley) were re - nominated (Cleveland twice!!), and Cleveland and McKinley served two terms (though the latter would die in 1901 from an assassin's bullet).
Only one President in the 20th Century would have liked one term: William Howard Taft (1909 - 1913). He had been talked into accepting the Presidency by his wife Helen and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, but hated the job (which he actually handled well). A series of misunderstandings between him and the hyper-active TR led to their break in 1912. Taft got re - nominated over TR. Actually he hoped to return to Yale University (his alma mater) to teach law (which he eventually did). But TR was promising all kinds of radical reforms, one of which was direct recall of justices from the Federal benches. Taft was a born jurist and hated that, and was determined to run to prevent TR from accomplishing that. So both men ran, the Republican vote was split down the center, and Woodrow Wilson became President. Taft was quite happy (even though he came in, in third place, after Wilson and TR, but ahead of Gene Debs - who was happy because his Socialist got 900,000 votes!). Taft taught at Yale, and then (in 1921) got the job he always dreamed of: Chief Justice of the United State. Accredited as a near-Great Chief Justice, the current judiciary we have was due to the reforms he pushed through Congress while on the Court, not as President. In fact he always called the White House, "the big White Jail!".
[There has been talk of a single six year term for the President, but only once has it been seriously considered: the government of the Confederate States of American put a solitary six year term for the President in their constitution, and Jefferson Davis got to serve that term, but only for a bit over four years. The Republic of Texas (1836 to 1845) had four Presidents (Stephen Austin, Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar; and Anson Jones). A term in office was two years, and you could not have consecutive terms. Houston served two terms around Lamar.]
Very interesting, I confess that I hadn't heard of Polk before.
Thanks for the interesting article.
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