Cleveland vs. Harrison

President Grover Cleveland had a pretty successful first term in office. He even got married to a 22 year old! As a result, he easily won renomination for president in 1888. The only question was who would he beat?
The Republicans nominated former senator and Civil War general Benjamin Harrison. His main qualification seemed to be his ancestry. Harrison's grandfather was a founding father and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The big issue was the tariff. Democrats opposed a high tariff while Republicans supported it. Cleveland proposed a dramatic decrease in tariffs claiming it was unjust taxation. Harrison supported the tariff as a way to fund the government. Two weeks before the election, a letter surfaced from a former British citizen asking whom to vote for. The former Brit turned out to be a Republican activist and the letter was sent to the British embassy. The British ambassador endorsed Cleveland.
Harrison won the election, but lost the popular vote by 100,000. Cleveland had lost his home state of New York and that threw the election to Harrison in the electoral college.(This election is very similar to 2000. That year, Al Gore lost his home state and that cost him the election). Mrs. Cleveland promised to return ala MacArthur in the Philippines.
Four years later, the two men squared off again. This time, a third party candidate had emerged. James Weaver represented the Populist Party. The Populists supported unlimited silver coinage, an income tax, eight hour work days, and other "radical" policies.
Weaver put in a good showing. He received over a million votes, four states, 22 electoral votes, and 8 1/2% of the vote. Cleveland won the popular vote by 400,000 votes and won 277 electoral college votes. The uninspired Harrison Administration was at an end. Cleveland is the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms.