Although I am a Brit with little knowledge of American history I have nevertheless been intrigued by the fact that President Obama’s supporters have constantly compared their hero to Abraham Lincoln, a comparison never discouraged by the President himself. That Lincoln was the first Republican President and that the Democrats were the party of slavery has, of course, been carefully airbrushed out of the message. However with the fumbles of the first few weeks raising questions about his abilities I am beginning to wonder if there might be a more appropriate model for Obama’s Presidency – Presidents William Henry “Tippecanoe” Harrison and John Tyler.
Early in 1840, as Andrew Jackson’s successor, there was a general feeling that President Van Buren, a Democrat, would be easily re-elected for a second term. After much internal debate the Whigs chose General Harrison, with Tyler as VP candidate but Van Buren appeared to be the favourite.
Harrison was an American military hero. His major claim to fame was defeating the Indian Chief Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 – hence his nickname, often shortened to Old Tip.
It was a Baltimore newspaper that transformed the campaign. Disparaging Harrison, it suggested that if he was given a barrel of cider and a pension (Harrison was 67) “he will sit for the remainder of his days in a log cabin…and study moral philosophy”
The Whigs seized the initiative – Harrison (despite his aristocratic Virginia ancestry and his substantial country home) became the “log cabin” candidate and Van Buren characterised as dining with golden spoons. The issues were forgotten and the whole campaign was centred around image – there was even a soundbite that could be easily remembered and chanted at every meeting – “Tippecanoe – and Tyler, too”.
The result was a substantial triumph for the Whigs – not only did Harrison and Tyler win but the party swept to victory in both houses of Congress. Alas the victory was hollow – Harrison died within a few weeks of his inauguration and Tyler became one of the most easily forgotten US Presidents – their Presidencies are long forgotten but the electoral campaign of 1840 remains a model of political spin.
To me it seems that much of 1840 can be found in the Obama campaign of 2008. There was the snappy soundbite – “hope and change” – vague and meaningless but impossible to invalidate. Just as the comfortably off Harrison was transformed into the simple soldier/farmer so the well heeled academic Obama became the boy from the ghetto who made good and his million dollar home in a wealthy Chicago suburb conveniently forgotten. However, unlike Harrison’s soldiering and experience of command, Obama’s whole adult life has been talking and writing about things, raising awareness rather than finding and implementing solutions. But now he has to actually run something rather than discourse about it there are those who are beginning to question if he is up to it. How ironic then if, at the beginning of the next century, students of American political history were to be totally familiar with the campaign of 2008 yet struggle to remember anything about the winning candidates except their names – “OBAMACANOE – AND BIDEN, TOO”
