Some presidential candidates who managed to leave a mark— however small— on American history
The name “Chase Oliver” might not ring a bell, but over half a million people thought this Libertarian was the man for the White House. Oliver joins a long list of candidates who’ve tried — and failed — to break the iron grip of America’s two-party system. There are, of course, better-known names, like Ross Perot or George Wallace, but others, though they never achieved similar fame, were bold souls who took up the seemingly hopeless battle to become “leader of the free world.”
But before you brush them off, remember the last time you tried convincing your family that going to the zoo on Chol Hamoed was a good idea? Not so easy, right? These people persuaded tens of thousands of voters to choose them for president. So a little respect, please! Here’s a rundown of some presidential candidates who managed to leave a mark —however small — on American history.
We tend to picture tough political decisions being made in the smoke-filled back room of a bar, over a drink or two. Not so for James Black and his followers. Born in Pennsylvania in 1823, Black helped found the Republican Party in 1854. But his deep belief that alcohol was a social scourge drove him to launch the Prohibition Party in 1869 (still the third-oldest party in US history) and to run for president on its ticket in 1872. Though he received only 5,600 votes, his influence was felt decades later, when the Eighteenth Amendment (1919–1933) banned the production, transport, and sale of alcohol in the US.
The “Prohibitionists” are still around, albeit in small numbers — since 1976, they haven’t reached 10,000 votes. But without fail, they’ve fielded a presidential candidate in every election since their founding.
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