Round 1, Part 2

Next 7 matchups:
22 Grover Cleveland 37 Richard Nixon (Victor will be assigned number 9)

Richard Nixon was twice Vice President. Grover Cleveland had a bastard child and payed someone in order to dodge draft. I think Nixon is a clear winner here.

31 Herbert Hoover 44 Barack Obama (Victor will be assigned number 10)

Hoover provided vast amounts of aid overseas in World War I. His sheer amount of humanities experience shows a strong paternalistic foreign affairs agenda. There doesn't seem to be anything against him, except for no elected political experience.

Obama, on the other end, is an above average orator. He served as a senator. And he's black. We must be realistic. Black people, while generally Democratic anyway, are more likely to vote for a black candidate than a white one.

This could quite possibly be the closest election of this round. I have to say Hoover wins the popular vote, but Obama wins the election.

15 James Buchanan 27 William Taft (Victor will be assigned number 11)

I'll be completely honest. James Buchanan doesn't have a chance because while America is moving towards being homo-tolerant slowly, we're not far enough yet for a gay man to become president. Taft wins.

34 Dwight Eisenhower 13 Millard Fillmore (Victor will be assigned number 12)

Dwight Eisenhower was a military god, almost. He was courted by Republicans and Democrats alike to run for president. As much as I like Fillmore, he doesn't stand a chance. Eisenhower wins with a comfortable margin.

19 Rutherford Hayes 25 William McKinley (Victor will be assigned number 13)

The most interesting thing about this matchup is that Hayes and McKinley served together in the Civil War. Hayes was his superior, and twice promoted McKinley. They also both actively campaigned for the other politically at some point.

Their war service cancels out between the two. Hayes is best known for his ability to offend no one. McKinley is best known for high tariffs and siding with big business. In the current political atmosphere, McKinley's views just don't cut it. Hayes wins. And in a fair manner, with the popular vote on his side, no less.

38 Gerald Ford 7 Andrew Jackson (Victor will be assigned number 14)

This election almost has nothing to do with Gerald Ford. Andrew Jackson would shoot himself in the foot, just because he's a bit too extreme for the American people of today. He was a war hero, but he also seemed a bit too out on his own.

Gerald Ford wins by a large popular vote and small electoral vote.

29 Warren Harding 14 Franklin Pierce (Victor will be assigned number 15)

Warren Harding's greatest advantage is that he (under the opinion of many) just looks like a president. This appearance overcomes many shortcoming. (Think televised Nixon/Kennedy debates and how Nixon was said to have done better on radio than on television.) However, Harding was a real dark horse candidate and had only Ohio recognition. He also didn't put much effort into campaigning.

Pierce, another dark horse of his day, won his election mainly because he didn't take a strong stance on any issues. In today's world, this would never fly. People want to know what to expect.

Pierce is weaker than Harding, so Harding wins by a small margin. In fact, I think this matchup is the third party's best chance of winning a state.


Final matchups of Round 1 tomorrow.