National Politics: The 1920 Democratic Nomination Race

Incumbency Blues.

The Democrats' greatest liability in 1920 was their two-term sitting president, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson's public support had dwindled with the conclusion of World War I and the ensuing chaos that enveloped Europe. The ongoing bitter struggle between Wilson and the Senate over the League of Nations heightened public dissatisfaction with the president and minimized the Democrats' opportunity for victory in November 1920. Furthermore, Wilson's ambivalence about seeking an unprecedented third term for himself complicated other candidates' decisions to pursue the office. Despite candid advice from close political friends who urged him not to seek reelection, Wilson refused to renounce the possibility. Thus, potential candidates, reluctant to challenge a sitting president from their own party, muddled through the nomination process, which produced little more than weak candidates with a small core of committed...

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