This is a rare election.
In a dramatic political saga that seems to pull the American public back into the fray just when they thought they were moving on, Joe Biden and Donald Trump have emerged as the protagonists, setting the stage for a sequel to the tumultuous 2020 election. This showdown between the current president and his immediate predecessor echoes historical precedents, resonating with the nation’s past electoral contests, some of which date back to the country’s inception.
The prospect of a Biden-Trump rematch conjures up images of cinematic sequels, with enthusiasts of both politics and film hoping for an outcome akin to the revered “The Godfather II” rather than the less successful “The Godfather III.” However, this electoral encore is not without precedence, as history reveals.
The last presidential rematch occurred sixty-eight years ago when Dwight D. Eisenhower secured a landslide victory against Adlai Stevenson in both the 1952 and 1956 elections. While examples of electoral rematches abound further back in history, such as William McKinley’s consecutive triumphs over William Jennings Bryan in 1896 and 1900, or Martin Van Buren’s loss to William Henry Harrison in 1836 followed by Harrison’s defeat in 1840, it’s the rare occurrence in modern politics.
Only one ex-president, Grover Cleveland, has successfully reclaimed the White House after losing it. His feat, reminiscent of Trump’s aspirations, saw him win non-consecutive terms by defeating his opponent in a rematch in 1892 after losing to him in 1888. Others, like Ulysses S. Grant, attempted but failed to secure a return to power after leaving office.
The pursuit of the presidency has led some former commanders-in-chief down unconventional paths, such as Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party bid in 1912, where he secured the second-highest number of electoral votes. Similarly, Millard Fillmore’s attempts with the Know-Nothing Party in 1856 and Martin Van Buren’s Free Soil Party endeavor in 1848 ended in disappointment.
As the nation braces for another electoral showdown between familiar faces, the Biden-Trump rematch becomes not just a political event but a chapter in the ongoing narrative of American democracy, echoing the cyclical nature of power struggles throughout its history.