There have been more than 50 contested presidential elections in the U.S. since a weary George Washington bid the nation adieu, and a fair number of them can claim a distinction of sorts. Truth be told, however, few of these elections belong in the top tier of such races, and neither, at this point, does the Trump v. Biden contest, despite a gruesome year of pandemic and civil strife. There’s a difference between a consequential election and a transformative one. Or President Trump wins, completes a full realignment of his party and causes dominoes across the political spectrum to fall. Historians are in general agreement about the handful of truly transformative presidential elections.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 23, 2020 15:07 UTC