From the depths of defeat to the heights of victory, American politics has seen its fair share of remarkable comebacks. Join us as we explore the most stunning political revivals in U.S. history. These stories of resilience and determination showcase the unpredictable nature of American democracy.
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00:00This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the 10 greatest returns or come-from-behind victories in American political history.
00:19Well, I think America has a redemptive and forgiving spirit.
00:2210. Joe Biden
00:24Joe Biden's 2020 election victory was a remarkable return from the brink of political oblivion.
00:30After serving as vice president, Biden chose not to run in 2016.
00:34Out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination.
00:40The grief from the loss of his son Beau was still too fresh.
00:43The 2017 Charlottesville rally and President Trump's response convinced Biden that democracy was at stake in 2020.
00:50Biden struggled in the Democratic primaries, finishing poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire.
00:55In South Carolina, Biden turned it around.
00:58Strong African-American support and a decisive win revitalized his bid.
01:02Super Tuesday solidified his lead, making him the clear frontrunner.
01:06They don't call Super Tuesday for nothing!
01:08In the general election, Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump.
01:12Biden won with over 81 million votes, the most in U.S. history.
01:17The people of this nation have spoken.
01:199. Warren Harding
01:21After the one-two punch of World War I and the deadly Spanish flu pandemic,
01:25Americans were looking for a fresh start.
01:27Enter Warren Harding, a relatively unknown Republican senator from Ohio.
01:32He wasn't thought to have much chance of gaining the Republican nomination,
01:36but as other potential nominees faded, he finally secured the nomination on the 10th ballot.
01:41Harding had sharp political instincts, and he capitalized on the public's weariness.
01:45His campaign for a return to normalcy resonated deeply with the public.
01:50Harding's call for stability,
01:51paired with widespread dissatisfaction with President Woodrow Wilson's administration,
01:56struck the perfect chord.
01:57He defeated Democrat James M. Cox in a landslide.
02:01His win ushered in the first American shift towards conservatism of the 20th century.
02:068. Grover Cleveland
02:08Grover Cleveland made history as the first Democrat elected president after the Civil War.
02:13He broke a lengthy Republican hold on the White House.
02:16Just over three years, he went from Mayor Cleveland to Governor Cleveland to President Cleveland.
02:22Cleveland served from 1885 to 1889, where he earned a reputation for integrity and reform.
02:29When he ran for re-election in 1888, Cleveland once again won the popular vote.
02:34Unfortunately, his bid was stymied by the Electoral College, granting victory to Benjamin Harrison.
02:39The story is that his wife said,
02:41take care of the furniture because we're going to be back in four years.
02:44His popular vote win ensured that Cleveland retained the support of his party.
02:48He was a strong voice against corruption and high tariffs.
02:52In 1892, he ran a third time, this time successfully defeating Harrison.
02:57With this victory, Cleveland was the first U.S. president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
03:03Voters kicked out Benjamin Harrison and brought Grover back to the White House.
03:067. Donald Trump
03:08I'll do it again and even better.
03:10The 2024 election was destined to be an historic one, no matter the outcome.
03:15But Donald Trump's victory against Kamala Harris, though perhaps not entirely shocking to some,
03:20was remarkable within the context of the former president's past four years of controversy.
03:24After fighting to overturn the results of his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden,
03:29and the subsequent January 6th insurrection of the Capitol by his supporters,
03:33the future of Trump's political career appeared grim.
03:36Further, his 2023 indictment, which included a federal charge for his involvement
03:41in regards to the quote-unquote stolen election,
03:44made it temporarily unclear whether or not he would make the 2024 ballot at all.
03:49What has taken place here is a travesty of justice.
03:52We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong.
03:54But nevertheless, Trump managed to regain favor and clinch the presidency,
03:58making him the second U.S. president in history to serve non-consecutive terms.
04:03But it's a political victory that our country has never seen before, nothing like this.
04:11Early in the 1992 Democratic primaries, Bill Clinton was seen as falling way behind.
04:16The idea of another unknown governor rising from the South seemed a long shot.
04:22However, a strong second-place finish in New Hampshire enabled him to bounce back.
04:26He gave himself the nickname the Comeback Kid, and the media ran with it.
04:30He won the presidency and served two terms, though his tenure was marred by scandal.
04:36He had endured the grueling and humiliating ride,
04:40surviving one political calamity after another.
04:43In 1998, he was successfully impeached, though not convicted by the Senate,
04:48over issues related to his affair with an intern.
04:51Despite this, Clinton left office in 2001 with huge approval ratings.
04:55As a former president, Clinton built on his legacy,
04:58focusing on global humanitarian efforts through the Clinton Foundation.
05:02He championed health initiatives, disaster relief, and economic development around the world.
05:07My fellow Americans, are we better off today than we were eight years ago?
05:15Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential victory was a significant political resurgence.
05:20Four years earlier, the Gipper lost a close race against incumbent Gerald Ford in the primary.
05:25His political future seemed uncertain.
05:28Fortunately for Reagan, his populist brand of conservatism struck a deep chord with the American public.
05:34Even in defeat, Reagan had stolen the show.
05:36Reagan, proudly and with a healthy dose of folksy charm,
05:40pushed an easy-to-absorb message, conservative values, strong defense, and economic reform.
05:45The federal government exists to serve the American people.
05:51In 1980, Americans were battered by gas station lines, economic stagnation,
05:56and a hostage crisis in Iran.
05:58The initial 1980 general election polls predicted a tight race,
06:02but after dominating Jimmy Carter in the debates,
06:05Reagan's optimistic message won the day.
06:07The election was ultimately a landslide, with Reagan carrying 44 states.
06:12We can and will resolve the problems which now confront us.
06:20Despite his current reputation, Richard Nixon was a fixture in Washington, D.C. for decades.
06:25Nixon first entered the White House as vice president under Dwight D. Eisenhower.
06:29Nixon had taken a calculated risk and again prevailed,
06:33becoming one of the youngest vice presidents in American history.
06:36After two terms, he won the GOP nomination to extend their postwar dominance into the 1960s.
06:42Thanks to the nation's first televised debate,
06:45Nixon lost a narrow and contentious race to John F. Kennedy.
06:48He tried to pivot, running for governor of California.
06:51A bitter defeat seemed to end his career.
06:54But thanks to the unpopular war in Vietnam and growing civil unrest,
06:59Nixon had one last opportunity in 1968.
07:02It was an enormous risk because if I had lost even one primary,
07:07I would have been out of the race.
07:09The turbulent and vicious Democratic primary softened the ground for Tricky Dick in the general election.
07:14He won, capping an extraordinary resurgence from ignominious defeat.
07:18My fellow Americans, the long, dark night for America is about to end.
07:27Harry Truman was never a man destined for the White House.
07:30He was chosen by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as vice president
07:33as part of a grand compromise within the Democratic Party.
07:36A year later, FDR died in office and Truman was president.
07:40After ending World War II with two nuclear bombs,
07:44Truman faced daunting challenges at home.
07:46Post-war economic upheaval splintered his party.
07:49With low approval ratings, Truman was widely considered an underdog against Republican Thomas Dewey.
07:55Truman embarked on a vigorous whistle-stop campaign.
07:58Traveling the country by train, Truman delivered passionate speeches directly to the American people.
08:03Give-em-hell Harry's feisty vibe resonated with voters.
08:07On Election Day, Truman stunned the nation by winning the presidency,
08:10defying all expectations and premature headlines.
08:16Abraham Lincoln may have helped save the Union,
08:19but his election in 1860 was far from certain.
08:22Two years prior, Honest Abe lost a high-profile Senate race in Illinois to Stephen A. Douglas.
08:28Their series of debates on slavery gained national attention,
08:31giving each politician a national profile.
08:34If I had two faces, you think I'd be wearing this one?
08:38Lincoln's eloquence and principled stance against the expansion of slavery
08:42solidified his reputation within the newly formed Republican Party.
08:45He's telling stories. He's funny. He can talk philosophically.
08:49When the presidential race began, the issue was on the verge of tearing the country apart.
08:54The field was crowded with four candidates vying for the unenviable job as president.
08:58Despite his limited experience, Lincoln won his party's nomination.
09:02His moderate platform and ability to unite the party
09:05propelled him to victory as the first Republican president.
09:08And then he runs home, as he says, to tell Mary and famously says,
09:12Mary, Mary, we are elected.
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09:29Number 1. Ulysses S. Grant
09:32Before Ulysses S. Grant became the hero of the Civil War, he was forced to resign his commission.
09:37In 1854, plagued by accusations of alcohol use disorder, Grant left the army.
09:43When war broke out, duty called him back.
09:46In an army bereft of and facing down many of its best commanders,
09:50Grant's strategic brilliance shone bright.
09:52Grant quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the Union's most successful general.
09:57Key victories at Vicksburg and Appomattox made him a national hero.
10:01In 1868, leveraging his immense popularity,
10:04Grant was elected the 18th president of the United States.
10:08Despite lingering accusations relating to his alcohol use,
10:11his presidency was responsible for post-war advancements in civil rights during Reconstruction.
10:17Are you a political junkie or history buff with incredible stories of political comebacks?
10:21Let us know in the comments below.
10:23Stubborn, confident, or merely wanting to prove a point.
10:26Reagan wouldn't quit.
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