President Garfield had won 1880 polls by just 1,898 votes
November 05, 2012
LAHORE: Although most political pundits are expecting an extremely tough fight between incumbent US President Barack Obama and his political adversary Mitt Romney in the 2012 American presidential elections, yet there are bleak chances that this race could ever be as close as the 1880 ballot exercise when James Abram Garfield had defeated his rival Winfield Scott Hancock by just 1,898 votes to occupy the Oval Office.
James Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881), who had served as the 20th President of the United States, had gone on to win 48.31 of popular vote in the 1880 polls and had bagged 4,453,337 votes overall, which was just 1,898 votes or 0.09 percent more than his rival Winfield Scott Hancock’s tally. Garfield’s presidency had lasted just 200 days—from March 4, 1881, until his unnatural death on September 19, 1881. He was shot dead by Charles Guiteau on July 2, 1881. Only William Henry Harrison’s presidency of 32 days was shorter than Garfield’s tenure as the US head of state. James Garfield was the second of four United States Presidents who were assassinated.
James Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881), who had served as the 20th President of the United States, had gone on to win 48.31 of popular vote in the 1880 polls and had bagged 4,453,337 votes overall, which was just 1,898 votes or 0.09 percent more than his rival Winfield Scott Hancock’s tally. Garfield’s presidency had lasted just 200 days—from March 4, 1881, until his unnatural death on September 19, 1881. He was shot dead by Charles Guiteau on July 2, 1881. Only William Henry Harrison’s presidency of 32 days was shorter than Garfield’s tenure as the US head of state. James Garfield was the second of four United States Presidents who were assassinated.
