Harding's Landslide and the Imprisoned Socialist — David Pietrusza — Socialist candidate Eugene Debsconducted his presidential campaign from Atlanta Penitentiary, where he was incarcerated for speaking against American participation in World War I. The 1920 election produced an overwhelming Republican victory, with Harding capturing 60% of the popular vote and 404 electoral votes through a meticulously orchestrated front-porch campaign strategy. Harding, who died in 1923 from an acute heart attack, was widely mourned by the American public, suggesting he was a substantially more competent and successful administrator than his subsequent historical reputation indicates.
1922 HARDING