Hoover refused to speak to the Roosevelt-elect
The best and worst transfers of power in American history
Abraham Lincoln witnessed one of the worst transfers of power.
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Franklin Roosevelt.
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George Bush Sr. within a smooth transition of power.
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Richard Nixon.
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The transfer of power to Biden may not be smooth.
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Trump refused to accept defeat.
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Days ago, the General Services Administration announced that Joe Biden is "apparently the elected president," after Michigan approved its election results on Monday, and nearly three weeks after the major media announced Biden's victory.
It took some time for outgoing President Donald Trump and White House staff to begin the first step in the presidential transition of power, even though the president refused to accept defeat, while his legal team continues to file a number of lawsuits in an effort to overturn the election results.
Despite the chaos surrounding the move, Biden told "NBC News" that the Trump administration "was serious about communicating."
The president-elect recently announced a slew of cabinet candidates, including a long-time close foreign policy official, veteran Anthony Blinken as Secretary of State, and former Assistant Secretary of State, Linda Thomas Greenfield, as ambassador to the United Nations.
And a veteran of the Obama administration, Jake Sullivan, as a national security advisor.
In addition, these candidates have already faced opposition from members of the Republican Party, indicating an uphill battle in a Republican-controlled Senate.
While the country has witnessed turbulent presidential transitions, and crises between the two parties, throughout its history;
America has experienced some "soft" crises, too.
Here are some of the best and worst transfers of power in history:
1- Election of 1860:
Abraham Lincoln
In one of the worst transfers of power, which lasted for four months, seven states seceded from the Union, and southerners seized federal forts, in preparation for a fierce war.
American historian and author Susan Shulton says: “It was not surprising that the Republicans won.
But in the aftermath, there was an endless transition period - four months. ”
Follow-up: "Those months must have been very long."
Not only was the country divided partially, but there was also political polarization within a single party.
The Democrats in the North supported one of the presidential candidates, while the Southerners in the same party supported another.
Shulton said that these blatant divisions were reinforced by the level of harsh rhetoric, which the Democratic President, James Buchanan, did not fully condemn, because "his incompetence kept the discourse of separation continuing."
But at the same time, the president-elect, Abraham Lincoln, could have been more involved in taming the radical south.
During the four-month turmoil, Lincoln and Buchanan never spoke.
Just five weeks after Lincoln was sworn in, civil war broke out in the United States.
2- The election of 1932:
Franklin Roosevelt
The use of titles and abusive language among presidential candidates is not a modern method of the election campaign.
In the 1932 election, Roosevelt and the defeated President, Herbert Hoover, exchanged accusations and inappropriate language during the campaign.
After the election results were announced, Hoover described his political opponent as "not aware of the course of things, and has no vision," while Roosevelt described his opponent as "a fat and hesitant rooster."
After Roosevelt was appointed president-elect, Hoover was said to "have refused to speak to him directly", during their first meeting.
Instead, the president spoke to one of Roosevelt's top aides, bringing in departmental secretaries to lecture on his successor.
The two clashed for four months, while the inaugurations were taking place in March;
Until the 20th amendment was approved.
Hoover and Roosevelt differed on pressing issues related to the country's economic condition, disputes that could not be set aside, despite the Great Depression, which America and the world witnessed.
The 20th amendment, which set the inauguration day, was approved on January 20, likely due to these polarized disagreements, and Hoover's continuing management for additional months.
3- Election in 1968:
Richard Nixon
Perhaps the smoothest process was Richard Nixon's handover of power, as all but one of the cabinet nominations was quickly confirmed, during a 20-minute session.
A few weeks after Nixon's victory, the then-president-elect appointed several officials to key cabinet positions, including Chief of Staff Bob Haldman and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler.
By December, Nixon had announced the names of all his ministers and top aides, in a wholesale announcement, which historians saw as an attempt to reduce the individual criticism of each of the candidates.
The only candidate not immediately confirmed, by the Senate, pledged his commitment to the position and experience in the field, which convinced lawmakers from both parties to eventually agree to his inauguration.
4- Election in 1988:
George Bush Sr.
After George Bush’s overwhelming victory over Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis, the then president-elect was given the right to start his job.
The next morning, Bush announced that he would appoint James Baker as Secretary of State, and just a few days later, he announced that he would keep several cabinet members from the President’s administration, Ronald Reagan, including Nicholas Brady as Secretary of the Treasury, Richard Thornberg as Attorney General, and Lauro. Cavazos as Minister of Education, whose government will be one of the most diverse Republican governments in history, according to the Brookings Institution.
He ended up choosing two Hispanic Americans, one African American, and two women.
Despite Bush's widespread preparations and "golden résumé," several of his ministers have witnessed difficult hearings, in the Senate, with one in particular - John Tower as Secretary of Defense - held accountable for allegations about his past personal relationships and drinking alcohol.
Taur ended up being rejected.
Three of Bush's other candidates have gone through tough hearings in the Senate.
5- The election of 1992:
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton and his predecessor Bush had a much better relationship, compared to Trump and Biden.
When Clinton entered the Oval Office, he was welcomed with a message of support from George Bush, wishing him "great happiness" and "good luck", and ending with the phrase: "I encourage you very much."
But while the Clinton-Bush relationship put aside partisan differences, the Clinton transition process was described as "completely chaotic."
The task was daunting to make the government reflect the aspirations of Americans, by nominating a woman for the position of Minister of Justice.
It took three attempts to name the chief law enforcement official to run it, and Zoe Bird and Kimba Wood found themselves in extremely arduous hearings in the Senate, which exposed personal issues, such as hiring strangers to monitor their children.
Clinton's third attempt was confirmed, by accepting the nomination of Florida State Attorney Janet Reno for the position of Minister of Justice, two months after the inauguration of the President.
While Clinton’s cabinet was comprised of both men and women, as well as members of African and Latino descent, the chaos surrounding the choice of the attorney general likely damaged his reputation and the start of his presidency.
• Clinton's relationship with his predecessor Bush is much better compared to Trump and Biden. When Clinton entered the Oval Office, he was welcomed with a message of support from Bush, wishing him "good luck," and ending with the phrase: "I encourage you very much."
• Richard Nixon's handover of power was perhaps one of the smoothest processes, as all cabinet nominations, except for one, were quickly confirmed during a session that lasted 20 minutes.
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