[EL] John Tyler and Andrew Johnson

[J. Morgan Kousser]

   I wonder whether proponents of bipartisan tickets really want to rely 
on the examples of John Tyler and Andrew Johnson, two of the three worst 
presidents in American history (Buchanan was the worst, in my view), who 
both turned Congress (controlled by the parties of the presidents with 
whom they shared a ticket, but not a party) bitterly against them within 
a few months of ascending to the presidency after the president's 
death.  Tyler's devotion to slavery helped precipitate a war to extend 
slavery's reach; Johnson's, to white supremacy, encouraged the 
ex-Confederates to pass Black Codes, murder ex-slaves, and instantly 
elevate former rebels to power.  Voters, who'd imagined they were 
putting into office a popular war hero (Harrison) and the greatest war 
leader in American history, both advocates of vigorous national 
governmental powers, instead got extreme states' rights Democrats.
   Imagine a Russ Feingold-Rand Paul ticket and you have the idea.  Lots 
of middle ground -- between them.
Morgan

-- 
Prof. of History and Social Science, Caltech
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   . . . without the clarity that makes doubt productive, historians will never be able to fulfill their highest moral responsibility, to build a better world . . .
                       -- from "The New Postmodern Southern Political History"
   Perfection . . . in any institution is a dangerous myth; there is only the repeated correction of imperfections.  As long as there is discrimination, there will always be more work to do.
                        -- from "The Strange, Ironic Career of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act"