Presidential Hopefuls (1788-2008): Who Won, Who Lost, and Why

About the Book

Presidential Hopefuls (1788-2008): Who Won, Who Lost, And Why is an extraordinary book that answers any questions the reader might have with respect not only to the 43 Presidents of the United States but to those hopefuls who lost in their attempts to win a presidential election. Dr. Sher has written a chapter on each President, two for Grover Cleveland since he won two elections that were not consecutive. Each chapter includes sections dealing with all of American history’s presidential elections and their results, the winner’s political background that placed him a position to be a candidate in the first place, introduction and political experience of those who ran against the victorious President, and each President’s legacy which reveals both the good and the bad that he experienced while in office. Chapter 44 is entitled “On The Road To 2008,” and is the author’s perspective on the 2008 presidential election, with introductions of all the hopefuls and their platforms as they strive to win their party’s nomination for the election scheduled for November 2008. The “Conclusion” chapter, in addition to testing the hypotheses that Sher set forth in his “Introduction” introduces the reader to five respectable presidential ranking systems, and to Sher’s own ranking of the greatest and weakest Presidents in American history based on his criteria for presidential greatness.  The book ends with three interesting Appendices: one dealing with presidential trivia; another with nasty remarks made by former Presidents against an incumbent President; and the third, shortcomings, failures, or criticisms leveled on even those Presidents who head the list of our greatest.

About the Author

Aubrey J. Sher, Ph.D., is currently an Educational Consultant, having retired as Superintendent of the Teaneck, New Jersey Public School System, and later as the Executive Director of the Yeshiva Gedolah of Los Angeles. Dr. Sher is the author of ten books. His first one, entitled Lest We Forget: In The Shadow Of Our Past, was published in 1994 and presented at a fund raiser dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, chaired by a former California Governer, Pete Wilson, and emceed by actor Robert Clary of the TV series “Hogan’s Heroes.” His other books include a trilogy on senior citizen humor: Senioritis- We Got It, Retirement’s For The Birds, and A Chuckle, A Smile,Senior Style; The Borscht Belt Remembered; The Holocaust (1933-1945): The Ultimate Crime Against Humanity; and two novels, Knights In Shining Armor: In Love And War, and Web Of Intrigue. In August of 2005, Dr. Sher was invited to attend the International Society of Poetry Convention in Washington, D.C. to receive the Outstanding Achievement In Poetry Award, The Silver Bowl, and the Commemorative Award Medal for his collection of poems entitled “Retirement.”