[hanomantoto]

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The United States established itself as a global powerhouse, with one of the top-ranking GDPs and advanced technological capabilities. Its worldwide influence has brought commendable politicians to seek a seat in the country’s upper echelons. The position of president is no exception.

While many politicians devise thorough plans to run for presidential victory, these U.S. presidents didn’t win a second term due to several factors. 

Citing Investopedia and The White House, several U.S. leaders had to put their ambitions to rest after failing to win re-election. Here is a list of 5 of them.  

1. John Adams

After serving as George Washington’s Vice President, John Adams became the second President of the United States from 1797 to 1801. His presidency was marked by intense partisanship and the challenges posed by the ongoing war between Britain and France. Ultimately, Adams was defeated by Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 election.

2. Martin Van Buren 

Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States, rose from humble beginnings to the highest office in the land. He was inaugurated in 1873, after serving various political positions like Vice President and Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson. 

During his term, the United States was hit by one of the worst depressions in history, with the failure of banks and businesses failing for five years. Later in 1840, Martin Van Buren was defeated for re-election by William Henry Harrison. 

3. Benjamin Harrison 

As one of the first promoters of the “front-porch” campaign, Benjamin Harrison won the presidential election by delivering speeches to visiting delegations in his hometown, Indianapolis.

His tenure was marred by domestic problems, such as the tariff, which caused proponents of low tariffs to whine about the damage the surplus was doing to the economy. 

Harrison failed to maximize his second campaign when his wife, Caroline, was declared ill. As a result, Grover Cleveland won over Harrison during the re-election, with nearly twice as many electoral votes. 

4. Herbert Hoover 

With a degree in geology and a background as a professional mining engineer, Herbert Hoover is the first ever elected president whose previous ventures did not align with politics. Hoover ran for the presidency after Calvin Coolidge stepped down as U.S. president and received favorable media coverage with no significant challengers. 

Unfortunately for “The Great Humanitarian”, the Nation fell inexplicably into the Great Depression after the stock market plummeted. His inability to bring about an economic recovery led him to his defeat in the second presidential election. 

5. George H.W. Bush 

George H.W. Bush’s determination to make the United States “a kinder and gentler nation” has quickly garnered the media’s attention, leading to what the public believed to be an 89% approval rating for his re-election, according to Investopedia.

As his term neared its end, Bush struggled to regain the confidence of conservative voters, largely due to his tax hikes and underwhelming debate performances against his opponents. In the 1992 election, he was ultimately defeated by a margin of 202 electoral votes.

Editor’s Choice: Top 7 Most Influential U.S. Presidents in History

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