Random Thoughts

In November of every even-numbered year, the United States experiences something called a “general election” for statewide and national offices. We just recently went through one of those.

Now, at the beginning of another year, we can also take note of the fact that, just as years follow each another, so do elections. The only difference is that we have a general election once every two years rather than annually.

Consequently, in the early days of 2023, the country is already looking toward the next general election – the one to be held in November 2024. The current president is saying – for the time being, at least – that he is going to run again.

And the immediately preceding ex-president has already announced that he is running, too. Unless he changes his mind and ends his campaign, he will also be making history. It may not be interesting or exciting, but it will definitely be historic.

As a historian, I try always to be cognizant of the history that is constantly being made in the world. All of us who are lucky enough to live several decades witness lots of important historic events.

And so it will be with the approaching presidential election of 2024. Some presidents retire after two terms because they cannot run again. Some presidents leave office after one term because they have been defeated and must retire.

In the 19th century we had three presidents who served exactly one four-year term and did not seek reelection. They were James K. Polk, James Buchanan and Rutherford B. Hayes.

If President Joe Biden chooses not to run again, that would be a history-making event that no one alive has seen before. Likewise, if former President Donald Trump should run again and win, he would make history.

Only once (Grover Cleveland, also in the 19th century) has a president served two non-consecutive terms. Will President Biden and/or President Trump make history in 2024? We will have to wait and see—and we have all of 2023 and most of 2024 to observe what happens!