Summary: Running For Presidency

Running for Presidency In his book Minority Victory: Gilded Age Politics and the Front Porch Campaign of 1888, Charles W. Calhoun argues that the beginning of modern presidency and campaigning began in 1888 between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. He illustrates his points by describing how Cleveland and Harrison’s individual personalities and actions play into the transformation. He also discusses the economic issues that hindered and helped the candidates during their campaigning period and also what made Harrison’s campaign different from previous nineteenth-century Gilded Age presidential politics. President Grover Cleveland, who was running for presidency from the Democratic Party, is described in the book as an indecisive candidate
Calhoun describes Cleveland and his committee as having the upper hand during the campaigning period, financially speaking. “Republicans could not count on filling their campaign coffers with contributions from the army of federal officeholders. That advantage in 1888 would go to the Democrats”10. Cleveland also implemented patronage and civil service during his campaign which assisted his team financially11. However, even without this resource, Harrison’s campaigning committee did an excellent job in raising money for their cause. The Republican team worked hard, donating their own money, fundraising, tapping industrial and commercial interests and forming relationships between themselves and the nation’s industries. Senator Matthew S. Quay, chairman of the Republican team, lent $50,000 toward the campaign and vice presidential nominee Levi P. Morton donated $20,00012. Aside from giving from their own funds, the Republican committee also “engaged in some fund-raising, but soon accepted the argument of other party leaders that the best way to tap industrial and commercial interests for contributions was to create a special advisory committee of economic leaders who had the trust of their colleagues in the business world”13. Harrison’s additions to the team included John Wanamaker, Thomas Dolan, and Herman Armour; and these men collected over
Harrison’s modern ideas of running for presidency included a more personal approach to his constituency, a wise use of media resources, and also the importance of committee workers who actively participate in campaigning publicly and also within the conventions. Benjamin Harrison was the first nominee to give speeches to the people who would be voting, along with publishing his platform to the public through use of political text books and newspapers15. Also his front porch campaign allowed Harrison to answer questions and state his position on the issues effectively16. Another important aspect of Harrison’s campaigning and election is due to the effort that his Republican team put into their jobs and the support he gained from other people. William W. Dudley wrote Harrison “I love you as a brother and will stand by you as long as I live”17. Other supporters include Michner and Elkins. Michner said during the convention “New York is standing by us firmly and will continue. I believe our man will be nominated”, and somehow Platt was under the impression that if Harrison gained New York’s full support he would be appointed as secretary of the treasury in a Harrison administration. Later on some accounts showed that “Elkins made the promise to Platt in exchange for New York’s full support for Harrison”18. The undying support and