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.
09:14Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
09:17and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
09:20You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:24If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
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.
10:27Did you enjoy this video?
10:29Check out these other clips from WatchMojo.
10:31And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
Comments