The Second Landslide

Two landslides for the same party two election years in succession are unusual. It implies that twice in succession the country has been thoroughly roused. In 1920, the country voted out war and the League of Nations--and voted in Harding and the Republicans. In 1924, the country voted out LaFollette and radicalism--and voted in Coolidge and the Republicans again.

There are two noteworthy facts about the results: 1) that although 1924 was a three-sided contest resembling in that respect 1912, it was decided, unlike 1912, not chiefly by pluralities, but mostly by absolute majorities, large majorities; 2) that although there was a Presidential landslide in 1924, it failed to sweep in the customary large party majorities in the Senate, in the House and in state governments. From the standpoint of the voter, it signifies that many "split-ticket" ballots were cast and that the split-ticket vote largely determined the election. From the standpoint of candidates it means Coolidge on the one hand and large numbers of Democratic candidates on the other hand; that the Democratic candidates individually had sufficiently strong holds on their constituents to split tickets in wholesale fashion. It proved an extraordinary number of popular, if local, heroes.

The popular vote* for President was:

Coolidge (Rep.) 16,000,000

Davis (Dem.) 8,000,000

LaFollette (Prog.) 4,000,000

In short, Coolidge had a majority of about four million over all his opponents combined.

His majority was proportionally large in most of the individual states. Only Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and New Mexico went for Coolidge by pluralities without absolute majorities. These states together have only 46 electoral votes and, if they were not counted for Coolidge, he would still have a handsome majority in the Electoral College.

As it is, the vote of the Electoral College will stand:

Coolidge .......... 382

Davis ................ 136

La Follette ........ 13

To delineate the country according to its presidential division is very simple: Begin on the northeastern boundary of Virginia, at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, and go down the west border of Virginia straight along the northern border of Tennessee, straight west, with only minor jogs over the tops of Arkansas and Oklahoma, then straight south to the border of Texas and west again along the same border to Mexico South of this line is solid Davis. North of it, west of it, is solid Coolidge--except for Wisconsin carved out as La Follette enclave.

The Presidential result in 1924 differs from that of 1920 in the following particulars:

1) The Democrats recovered Oklahoma this year from the Republicans-- adding 10 electoral votes to the Democratic side and subtracting as many from the Republicans.

2) The Democrats regained Tennessee from the Republicans, but lost Kentucky in exchange--net loss of one electoral vote for the Democrats; one vote gain for the Republicans.

3) La Follette expropriated Wisconsin and her 13 electoral votes from the Republican domain.

* Preliminary reports. It is days after an election before final official counts are completed and totals tabulated. These figures are extremely conservative.