Presidential Nomination Races Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Presidential Nomination Races - Essay Example As the preferred son of Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes had much in his favor in the 1876 race. Both reform and regular Republicans liked him. This was because he was a war hero, who had supported Radical Reconstruction lawmaking and campaigned for Negro suffrage, and emanated from a big swing state (Rutland, 1996). His repute for honesty was exceptional, and his backing of bipartisan boards of state institutions commended him to reformers. Hayes understood that "availability" was his utmost strength. "Availability" worked for Hayes since James G. Blaine, the prime candidate and the preferred nominee for partisan Republicans, was blemished by accusations of corruption. Another contender, Oliver P. Morton, Radical’s favorite, was in ill health. Mr. Benjamin H. Bristow, the favorite nominee of reformers was a denunciation to Grant and Roscoe Conkling, the typical spoils politician, was undesirable to Blaine and to reformers. This meant that none of the contenders could assemble the vo tes of the mainstream convention. Through the fifth ballot, Hayes had collected votes, and by the seventh, he had finalized the nomination. By 1875, the Republican Party was in trouble. A severe economic dejection followed the Panic of 1873 and outrages in the Grant administration had smudged the party's reputation. This led to rising unemployment, falling crop prices and corruption in high places. This augured ill for the Republicans. Ohio Republicans turned to Hayes, their superlative vote-getter, to run against the inescapable Democratic governor.