Nearing the End of the Primaries
5/3/1920
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This cartoon concerns the 1920 Republican Presidential nomination. In 1920, when the primary process was still new, it did not produce a clear winner for the Republican Party. As the Republican convention neared, there was no front-runner for the Grand Old Party Presidential nomination. This cartoon shows the frazzled Republican elephant surrounded by conflicting newspaper headlines while the Democratic donkey makes pressing inquiries. In June, a month after this cartoon was published, the Republican Convention in Chicago deadlocked. After numerous meetings and allegedly secret discussions held in the smoke-filled rooms of the Blackstone Hotel, Senator Warren G. Harding emerged victorious and went on to win handily the 1920 Presidential election.
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Today candidates usually secure their party’s nomination during the primary season, and the nominating convention merely provides the party’s official stamp of approval. In 1920, however, when the primary process was still new, it did not produce a clear winner for the Republican Party. As the Republican convention neared, there was no front-runner for the G.O.P. Presidential nomination. This cartoon shows the frazzled Republican elephant surrounded by conflicting newspaper headlines while the Democratic donkey makes pressing inquiries. Warren G. Harding was eventually chosen as the Republican nominee.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 1693435
Full Citation: Nearing the End of the Primaries; 5/3/1920; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/nearing-the-end-of-the-primaries, April 25, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.