Losers in Brief: Election Fun Facts

Staring at all these election numbers, I couldn't help but notice a few patterns. Maybe someone will find these interesting.

-- The Democratic-Republican Party held the White House for 28 straight years (1800-1825). The Democratic Party held the White House for 20 straight years during just the FDR and Truman presidencies.

-- In the first 75 years of the modern popular election (1824-1899), only three incumbents won re-election: Jackson, Lincoln, and Grant (all three are now on money).

-- In the next 75 years (1900-1975), only two presidents LOST re-election: Taft (trampled by Teddy Roosevelt) and Hoover (blamed for the Great Depression).

-- In the last 30 years, the incumbent has failed to win only once. From 1936 to 1972 (36 years), the incumbent won every time he ran.

-- Since the Civil War, only two Democrats have failed to win re-election: Cleveland and Carter. Cleveland would eventually win a second term. Each were followed by back-to-back-to-back Republican wins.

-- Since 1900, when a non-incumbent Republican gets elected president immediately following another Republican, he is assured to lose re-election (Taft, Hoover, and Bush Sr.).

-- When a Republican follows a Democratic president, defeats a Democratic incumbent, or ascends from the Vice Presidency following a death (not resignation), he is guaranteed to win re-election.

-- In contrast, after 1900 we have no idea what happens when a Democrat follows another Democrat because (not including deaths) it hasn't happened since 1856, and that guy started the Civil War.

-- A Republican ticket has not won an election without a Nixon or a Bush on it since 1928, and that guy caused the Great Depression.