Category: History Publisher: Stairway Press
ISBN-10: 1941071406
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 322
Copyright: May 3, 2016
ISBN-13: 9781941071403
Price: $15.00 (eBook)
Allegations of election rigging are nothing new. Four presidential elections were not decided on Election Day but were litigated through Congress or the courts. Explore the what-if scenario if the election had turned out differently.
The almost-presidencies of Aaron Burr or Al Gore would have created a different world.
Four presidential elections were not decided on election day, but were rather decided by another branch of government. And in three cases, large segments of Americans viewed the president as illegitimately selected rather than legitimately elected.
The infant nation could have been ripped apart in 1800, when the election that began between Adams and Jefferson turned into the Jefferson and Burr.
The old order maintained its final grasp on power against Jacksonian democracy in 1824.
Barely a decade after recovering from the bloody Civil War, the country nearly went to war again over the 1876 contest.
And 2000 saw the Supreme Court essentially decide a deadlocked presidential race.
Tainted by Suspicion provides a White House correspondent’s perspective of these elections, taking a more reportorial than historical, including interviews with leading experts and politicos about the lasting consequences of the contests.
These experts give the reader insight into what-if scenarios, if the elections turned out differently, as they so easily could have.
Professional Reviews
Glynn Young
In “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections,” Fred Lucas reviews five presidential elections in depth – those of 1800, 1824, 1876, 1960, and 2000 – and two more briefly – 1888 and 2016. He provides the context for each, how the candidates were nominated, what happened during the elections, and the controversies that dominated the electoral college meetings and (occasionally) Congress itself.
Lucas writes in a highly readable style, and includes several pertinent anecdotes about each election. This isn’t a dry reading of history but an engaging, often funny (in hindsight only; it wasn’t funny when the elections happened), and informative review of some of the most controversial elections in American history.
In 1800, Federalist John Adams was seeking a second term while Thomas Jefferson was seeking a first. The mud was liberally flung by all sides. But because of how the electoral college counted votes at the time, Jefferson and his vice-presidential running mate Aaron Burr ended up with exactly the same number of votes. Intrigue followed, as the Federalists attempted to support Burr and so deny that radical Jefferson the presidency.
In 1824, it was Adams’s son, John Quincey Adams, battling Andrew Jackson. Henry Clay, who wanted the presidency himself, would end up denying it to Jackson. It was an ugly, mudslinging campaign (and would be repeated with different results in 1828).
The 1876 election, between Republican Rutherford Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden, was another electoral cliffhanger. Passions rose so high that newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer editorialized for the arming of 100,000 men to take Washington by force and put Tilden in the White House (yes, one might call that news media bias). A special commission of senators, congressmen, and Supreme Court justices was formed to make a decision – and a deal was cut between the Republicans and southern Democrats to give the White House to Hayes in return for the end of military occupation of four southern states in Reconstruction.
And Lucas goes on to include the 1960, 2000, and 2016 presidential campaigns.
The author makes or implies a number of summary points:
• In general, no election was “stolen.” America survived the controversies, although potential violence was close in both 1800 and 1876 (and remember that 1876 was the nation’s centennial celebration).
• It’s awful to go through one of these controversies, but it has happened before. Events can indeed appear to be heading for social and political convulsion. But, so far at least, the United States has gotten through its controversial and disputed elections.
• In a few cases, a different outcome would have made a significant difference – Al Gore would likely have nominated more liberal justices for the Supreme Court than George W. Bush did. But in many of these examples cited, the differences might have been surprisingly small.
Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal. He’s covered the White House for other publications for a number of years, and writes regularly on politics for Fox News, The Weekly Standard, and other publications. He received a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and a master’s degree from Columbia University.
“Tainted by Suspicion” allows us to look past today’s headlines and breaking news stories on television and keep some perspective. It’s also a fascinating account of many of the presidential election controversies the United States has experienced.
Cheryl Chumley
Perfect for Today's Political Watcher and History Buff, Watching the Democrat v. Donald Trump Face-Off With Interest, Alarm and/or Outrage ...
Peeling back the behind-scenes goings-on of one of America's most somber and crucial political functions -- the election of the president -- is what this book is about. And it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. As Democrats and George Soros-type activists continue to rebel against President Donald Trump, and accuse him of secret and shady dealings with Russia that helped orchestrate his White House win, it's good to know: This isn't the first presidential contest in the country that was "Tainted by Suspicion."
Want a deeper understanding about today's political fights? Want to see how the ongoing Democratic rebellion against President Donald Trump stands in comparison to other elections in U.S. history? Read "Tainted by Suspicion."
Author Fred Lucas does a marvelous job of taking the reader on a somewhat shocking and always eye-opening journey through U.S. history, casting a watchdog light in true journalistic form on the political bickering, backstabbing and shenanigans your history classes don't teach. On one hand disturbing -- who, after all, wants to look at some of our greatest government players of the past with newly shaded eyes? -- the other hand flashes optimism that goes like this: If America's come through all that, and still survived and flourished, then certainly today's Capitol Hill wheelings and dealings won't crumble our nation, either.
Author Lucas did a tremendous job with his research; his platform as a White House journalist only gives his work more credence. Lucas is at the forefront of the political battles heating up the White House every day, and that makes him the perfect person to tell the "Tainted by Suspicion" story with proper context.
Paul Brandus
Tainted by Suspicion reflects those skills -- this is really a terrific read. It's important for Americans to understand that election controversies are nothing new -- and go all the way back to the beginning. Fred covers a lot of ground and he covers it well. Jefferson-Adams in 1800, Jackson-John Quincy Adams in 1824, Hayes-Tilden in 1876 and Bush-Gore in 2000 - and more - these are great stories and Fred brings history to life. Great book and highly recommended.
