The Wombat File Is Yours to Keep: The Friday Quiz: 2008 Election Madness (part 1)

Citizens of Quizlandia --

As the quadrennial contest approaches (at least within certain North American borders), the Wombat's ramblings through political history trivia become more frequent (not to say frenetic), perhaps as such activity serves to both distract from the stomach-churning ups and downs of the presidential race, and, simultaneously, to sate the Wombat's need to feel in some shallow way connected to all of these doings.

So, the first in what will probably be an irregularly repeating Quiz series with bent toward American elections. Onward to our tripartite head-'sploder:

1. In the 1980 U.S. presidential race, Jimmy Carter carried only six states (plus the District of Columbia). What were they?

2. Electorally, the single worst defeat handed to an incumbent U.S. President running for re-election occurred when which President ran for re-election?

3. This last question is not really about an election per se, but it plays into the career of the president sometimes regarded as the worst holder of the U.S. executive office; as drafted by this man -- not yet President, still a high-level diplomat -- and two others, what was the goal of the infamous (and ultimately unsuccessful) Ostend Manifesto? Bonus: Who was the future, largely derided, President who helped draw it up?

First correct answer to all three wins all the electoral votes on Seeley St., plus the funny little dead-end Temple Court that sticks off to the west, just before the park. No Googling or consulting The Big Book of Bad Presidents. One guess per question in each comment, please, but consider the comments a ballot box open for enthusiastic stuffing.

Comments

1. Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Hawaii, Arkansas
2. Herbert Hoover
3. to remove protectionist Belgian waffle tariffs; Warren Harding

Posted by: boxjam | August 15, 2008 07:48 AM

1. GA, MN, VT, SC, WS, MA
2. Andrew Johnson
3. Claim the High Seas for the US of A; Franklin Pierce

Posted by: art | August 15, 2008 10:15 AM

1. Georgia, California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, New Hampshire.
2. Andrew Johnson
3. regime overthrow in Cuba
Bonus: Nixon

Posted by: james | August 15, 2008 10:28 AM

On #1: Georgia, obviously. No one has correctly guessed the other Eastern Seaboard states that went for Carter (there were two). Boxjam correctly tags those Minnesota liberals and dope-smoking Hawaiians as the two west-of-the-Mississippi electoral votes for Carter. There was one other landlocked state that went for him two, which nobody has yet guessed.

Nobody's really right about #s 2 and 3, though James is kinda close.

Posted by: BT | August 15, 2008 12:25 PM

Should have said "two west-of-the Mississippi states that cast their electoral votes..." And also: "went for him too" not "two".

Posted by: BT | August 15, 2008 12:28 PM

Wow, I thought they had all already been guessed correctly. Well:

1. Maine, Rhode Island, West Virginia

2. John Q Adams

3. Hoover, permanent control over the Panama Canal.

Posted by: hackly_fracture | August 15, 2008 01:36 PM

Rhode Island and West Virginia -- yes! Just one remaining peanut-preferring state that has not been named.

Adams is not it for #2. Here's a hint; the one-term president in question was heavily undermined when his former boss and political mentor declared the president had abandoned progressive principles, and forced a showdown.

For #3, I should have been clearer in that James is quite close -- the Ostend Manifesto was about Cuba, but it was before Cuba had an independent regime of its own.

Posted by: BT | August 16, 2008 03:23 PM

Like a shameless vulture I swoop:
1) Delaware
2) Taft
3) The Ostend Manifesto said, "you know what? Cuba belongs to us (pronounced U.S. now."
Bonus: Harding.

Posted by: boxjam | August 20, 2008 03:33 PM

Oh, and I'd like to take a stab at the bonus: Harding.

Posted by: boxjam | August 21, 2008 11:50 AM

Harding never did know when to quit.

Posted by: Jonathan | August 22, 2008 10:21 AM

The remaining Carter-loving state was Maryland.

Taft is right!

And the terrible president was Buchanan...

Posted by: BT | August 22, 2008 10:52 AM

...and the purpose of the Ostend Manifesto? Was it that Cuba had to return escaped slaves? But they said No way, Jose?

Posted by: boxjam | August 22, 2008 11:01 AM