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Thursday 29 augusT 2024
Kamala Harris’ election would defy history.

Just 1 sitting VP has been elected president since 1836

idated Democratic support
Continued from Front and accepted her party’s
nomination at an uplifting
“You really do want those convention that conclud-
elements to come to- ed without significant dam-
gether,” says Julian Zelizer, age from protests, unlike
a professor of history and the violence-marred 1968
public affairs at Princeton event in the same city, Chi-
University. “If the person the cago.
vice president is working In an AP-NORC survey con-
for is popular, that means ducted in July, after Biden
people like what he’s do- dropped out of the race,
ing and you can gain from about 4 in 10 Americans
that. And you need to have approved of his perform-
the two principals working ance as president, roughly
together.” where his approval num-
In 1988, Bush easily de- bers have stood since the
feated Democrat Michael summer of 2021 and com-
Dukakis, the Massachusetts parable to those of the Re-
governor whom Republi- publican nominee, Donald
cans labeled as ineffec- Trump. Eisenhower, Rea-
tual and out of touch. Bush gan and Clinton frequently
was otherwise helped by a held higher approval rat-
solid economy, the easing Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic ings than Biden, although
of Cold War tensions and National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. all served in less polarized
some rare luck for a vice Associated Press eras.
president. President Ronald Harris wants to succeed
Reagan’s approval ratings tensions between them. He funds donated by political Johnson decided not to a president who himself
rose through much of the minimized the president’s backers. seek reelection. served as vice president
year after falling sharply in presence during the cam- Nixon was more than 20 Humphrey faced challeng- and ran for president,
the wake of the 1986-87 paign and pronounced years younger than Eisen- es within the party from the four years later. President
Iran-Contra scandal, and himself “my own man” dur- hower, the victorious World anti-war candidates Eu- Barack Obama discour-
Reagan and Bush worked ing his acceptance speech War II commander who gene McCarthy and Rob- aged Biden from seeking
well together during the at the Democratic National often looked upon his vice ert F. Kennedy (who was election in 2016 and wait-
campaign. Reagan openly Convention. Commenta- president as a junior of- assassinated in June 1968 ed to endorse Biden in 2020
backed his vice president, tors would cite his distance ficer, according to Nixon after winning the California until the crowded Demo-
who had run against him from Clinton as a setback biographer John A. Farrell. primary) and was tied to cratic primary field was
in the 1980 primaries. He in a historically close race, At the end of a summer Johnson’s divisive, hawkish clear.
praised Bush at the Re- decided by a margin of press conference in 1960, stance. “Obama became an en-
publican convention as fewer than 1,000 votes in Eisenhower was asked if he Humphrey privately ad- thusiastic backer, which
an engaged and invalu- Florida. “Instead of finding could cite Nixon’s influence vocated a less hardline helped unify the party at a
able partner, appeared a way to embrace the ac- on any important decision. approach to the war, but time when Biden’s record
with him at a California rally complishments of the Clin- He answered, “If you give Johnson intimidated him on race in the 1990s, in-
and spoke at gatherings in ton administration, Gore me a week, I might think into silence and he trailed cluding his support for
Michigan, New Jersey and ran away from Clinton as of one.” Meanwhile, Nixon Nixon badly in many polls. the crime bill, was fueling
Missouri. fast as his legs could carry was reluctant to have Ei- Only in the fall did Hum- doubts among young pro-
“Reagan was not a man him,” Slate’s Jacob Weis- senhower campaign, out phrey diverge and call for gressive voters,” Biden bi-
to hold grudges,” said his- berg wrote soon after the of a desire to forge his own a bombing halt with North ographer Evan Osnos says.
torian-journalist Jonathan election. path, and, allegedly, out of Vietnam. The vice presi- “Obama’s endorsement
Darman. “And Bush did a Like Gore, Nixon could not concern for the 70-year-old dent rallied, but ended up of Biden was about more
good job of navigating the — or would not — capi- president. losing the popular vote by than his candidacy; it was
complexity of their relation- talize on the incumbent “Nixon very much wanted less than a percentage about his character, and
ship while he was vice pres- Dwight Eisenhower’s popu- to be his own man,” says point while falling short that proved to be impor-
ident.” larity. In 1960, Eisenhower Farrell, whose prize-winning more decisively in the Elec- tant.”
Past vice presidents who was still so admired as he “Richard Nixon” was pub- toral College. As president, Biden has
ran When Gore ran in 2000, neared the end of his sec- lished in 2017. “He always “Johnson did catastrophic worked to include Harris on
his advantages were simi- ond term that Nixon’s op- said he was worried about damage to Humphrey, in his major policy calls and
lar to those enjoyed by ponent, Democrat John Eisenhower’s health, but my opinion,” says Boston conversations with foreign
George H.W. Bush. The F. Kennedy, feared the there are also anecdotes Globe columnist Michael leaders. He’s pledged to
economy was strong, the president’s active support that Eisenhower was chaf- Cohen, author of a book on be Harris’ top campaign
country was at peace and would prove critical. But ing at the bit. Both could the 1968 election, “Ameri- volunteer and to do what-
the president, Bill Clinton, Eisenhower and Nixon had be true.” can Carnage.” ever she asks of him for her
had high approval rat- a complicated relationship Nixon’s luck changed when How does Harris fare? election, though aides are
ings despite his recent im- dating back to when Eisen- he ran eight years later Like Johnson, President Joe still determining where the
peachment over his affair hower ran eight years earli- against Lyndon B. John- Biden declared he wouldn’t still-unpopular president
with White House intern er. He had chosen Nixon as son’s vice president. No seek a new term less than a would best be utilized. On
Monica Lewinsky. his running mate, but near- vice president was more year before Election Day, Labor Day, Biden and Har-
Gore had worked closely ly dropped him because entrapped by his pred- though he waited much ris will appear together in
with Clinton over the pre- of the so-called Checkers ecessor than Hubert Hum- longer in the cycle than Pittsburgh for a campaign
vious eight years, but the scandal, in which Nixon phrey, whose candidacy Johnson did. Unlike Hum- event in a key swing state,
scandal led to enduring was accused of misusing was only possible because phrey, Harris quickly consol- Pennsylvania.q