After Donald Trump’s long, schizophrenic, rambling acceptance speech, one of the Fox News hosts on the convention floor, it doesn’t matter which one, said that earlier in the year Trump had asked him if his coming back to win the 2024 election would be the greatest political story in U.S. history. “Maybe in the top five or top three,” the Fox News talking head opined.
Nonsense. It wouldn’t make the top 10. In fact, it wouldn’t even be the top Trump-related political story: his upset win over Hillary Clinton completely upended both parties and all of American politics. A win next November would be an impressive comeback from the ruins of January 6, 2021 but still nowhere near as stunning as that first victory.
For the record, here are the top 17 in chronological order:
- George Washington becomes the first U.S. President by acclamation.
- The election mess of 1800, culminating in Aaron Burr shooting and killing Alexander Hamilton.
- Andrew Jackson becomes the first truly popularly elected President, destroying the old party system in the process.
- Abe Lincoln wins the Presidency, triggering the start of the Civil War.
- The Republicans steal the Presidential election in 1876.
- McKinley’s assassination makes progressive reformer and wild man Teddy Roosevelt President.
- Roosevelt splits the Republican Party and runs as a “Bull Moose,” against his old friend Taft, thus electing Woodrow Wilson.
- FDR wins in a landslide and radically overhauls the federal government in the midst of the Depression.
- FDR runs for and wins a third term, creating the specter of an American dictatorship.
- The assassination of President Kennedy.
- All of 1968: Just three years after winning in a landslide, LBJ announces he won’t run for re-election. Bobby Kennedy is assassinated. Martin Luther King is assassinated.The Democratic National Convention turns into a riot outside and a bitter conflict inside. Richard Nixon, pronounced politically dead in 1962, wins the Presidency.
- Watergate. Nixon resigns before he can be impeached.
- Ronald Reagan wins in a landslide and ushers in a transformative conservative revolution.
- Monica Madness.
- The election of 2000, hanging chads and the Supreme Court calls the election.
- Barack Obama is elected the first black President of the United States.
- Trump beats Hillary in the Electoral College.
Trump loves to engage in hyperbole, but I can’t let this one pass. Sure, if he wins it will be a big political story. But one of the biggest?
Not even close.
Ethics Alarms 
They’re all in chronological order! What would you say is number one out of all of them in terms of significance?
I would say 3 because of its impact on campaigning is still felt today with slogans, embellished biographies and appealing to low-information voters.
Followed by 8.
Almost any order would work. #3 and #8 are as good as any. 1968 seemed like everything was falling apart: William F. Buckley threatened to punch Gore Vidal in the face on national television! There are about five others I could justify having on the list.
I….did not know that about Buckley and Vidal. I learn something new every day.
Oh, it was amazing. I saw it live with my Dad: we both couldn’t believe it. Vidal got under Buckley’s skin, and he snapped. “Gentlemen, gentlemen!” Howard K. Smith said. “Less heat and more light!” This all occurred while the rioting was raging in Chicago.
18. Biden drops out of campaign, Harris gets the boot, and the DNC “selects” someone else.
jvb
One shocking item was omitted from this list, although it arguably could be folded into the first: Washington retiring after his second term.
It is too early to see. A Trump reelection could cause the Democratic Party as we know it to collapse.
The Democratic Party’s near complete abandon on ethics in pursuit of power has to be on par with the corruption of culture caused by the Monica scandal. A Trump election rebuking such madness may easily having lasting impacts.