Minority Victory: Gilded Age Politics and the Front ... (ISBN 0700615962)

A Close Presidential Election in the Gilded Age:
The election of 1888 had an intense nomination battle at the Republican Convention, a close general election, and a set of issues and campaigning styles far outside of modern norms. These elements make Charles W. Calhoun's history of this election interesting and enjoyable. The book begins with a discussion of United States politics in the 1880s. The South was dependably Democratic, most of the North was reliably Republican, and Indiana, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey were the important swing states. He next describes Grover Cleveland's life, his accession from Buffalo city politics to the Presidency, and his decision to make tariff reform the defining issue of his reelection effort. Prof. Calhoun also details the Republican Convention and the personalities vying for the nomination. The 1884 nominee, James G. Blaine, was the frontrunner before signaling his reluctance. A slew of candidates eagerly filled the void; Prof. Calhoun provides biographical and political background on about a dozen candidates and strategists. Ohio governor John Sherman led in early ballots at the Convention, but the intrigue-filled assembly nominated Benjamin Harrison on the eighth ballot. The chapter on the Republican nomination contains the best writing of the book. The general election followed a bygone form. Benjamin Harrison spoke only from his front porch and a nearby park; Grover Cleveland rarely campaigned at all. The campaigns instead used proxy speakers and printed address. Both parties focused on trade policy; the Democrats advocated tariff reduction, the Republican resisted. Benjamin Harrison won in the Electoral College, but voting fraud in the South deprived him of the highest popular vote. The book has an underwhelming epilogue. A few pages discuss Harrison's Presidency. The rematch in 1892 is scarcely mentioned. The final paragraph makes claims about Pres. Harrison's influence on William McKinley and modern Presidency. The assertion in the preface that the book would make the significance of 1888 election clear is puzzling, but as a simple description of a routine election, the book succeeds.