Myth Destroyed About Third Term Of Same Party In White House Being Historically Unlikely! How About 7 Times And 120 Years Of Our History?

This blogger keeps on hearing that it is highly unlikely for a political party to hold the White House for more than two terms. Most recently, Chris Matthews said this on MSNBC on HARDBALL!

This is totally untrue, as witness the facts, a total of 7 times:

1800-1824—Democratic Republicans Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe–Six terms, 24 years

1828-1840–Democrats Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren–Three terms, 12 years

1860-1884–Republicans Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester Alan Arthur (Andrew Johnson elected with Lincoln on “Union” ticket in 1864 was a Southern Democrat, but was never elected)–Six terms, 24 years

1896-1912–Republicans William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft–Four terms, 16 years

1920-1932–Republicans Warren G. Harding. Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover–Three terms, 12 years

1932-1952–Democrats Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman–Five terms, 20 years

1980-1992–Republicans Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush–Three terms, 12 years

This adds up to 30 terms and 120 years from 1789-2008. So that means 30 terms out of 55 terms, more than half the time and 120 years out of 220 years, more than half the time!

And now in 2016, an 8th time, this time the Democrats with Barack Obama and, likely, Hillary Clinton, will add to the record, making it 33 terms out of 58, and 132 years out of 232 years!

3 comments on “Myth Destroyed About Third Term Of Same Party In White House Being Historically Unlikely! How About 7 Times And 120 Years Of Our History?

  1. D April 14, 2016 5:49 am

    Ronald,

    The 1800 to 1824 Democratic-Republican Party consecutive-winning election cycles numbers seven.

    With 2016, the Republicans have to win a pickup of the White House. If they don’t, then not one of them can deny that 2008 started a new presidential realigning period for the Democrats (with the first-term election of Barack Obama).

    (Here is a favorite article of mine, from 2008, denying that 2008 was a presidential realigning election: @ http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122645275150719429 .)

  2. Ronald April 14, 2016 6:21 am

    D, it is semantics involved since many see JQ Adams’s election as the beginning of the National Republicans, who became the Whigs in the 1830s.

    The article you cite is from the American Enterprise Institute, so of course it will twist the effect of 2008! LOL

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