--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History has shown that challenging an…" description: "\"History has shown that challenging an incumbent president in the primary almost inevitably leads to defeat in the general election.\" — Mercedes Schlapp" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/mercedes-schlapp-5906_defeat_history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-in_2124331.jpg" --- # History has shown that challenging an incumbent president… ![“History has shown that challenging an incumbent president in the primary almost inevitably leads to defeat in the general election.” quote by Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/mercedes-schlapp-5906_defeat_history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-in_2124331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/mercedes-schlapp-5906_defeat_history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-in_2124331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/mercedes-schlapp-5906_defeat_history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-in_2124331.jpg) > “History has shown that challenging an incumbent president in the primary almost inevitably leads to defeat in the general election.” [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Challenging a sitting president in primaries usually weakens the party, leading to general election loss. **In simple terms:** Primary challenges hurt party chances. Key Takeaway Avoid intra‑party battles. Themes politics elections strategy Mood cautious analytical Type political strategic When to use this quote - primary campaigns - general elections - party leadership Key Concepts incumbency advantage party unity Questions to Reflect On - Should parties allow open contests? - How to balance competition? A Different Perspective Unexpected events can shift outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenging Incumbent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenging-incumbent-4350206/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Incumbent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incumbent/) [Inevitably Leads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitably-leads-1904305/) [President Primary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-primary-4350208/) [Primary Inevitably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primary-inevitably-4350207/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [“Interventionism inevitably leads to socialism, central banking inevitably leads to hyperinflation, total cashlessness inevitably leads to total surveillance, and "guaranteed income" inevitably leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/interventionism-inevitably-leads-to-socialism-central-banking/) [Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/) > [“Rules are a useful guideline and generally should be heeded, but blindly following them eventually and inevitably leads to disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rules-are-a-useful-guideline-and-generally-should-be-heeded-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whatever happens on the surface, it's leading us in a direction. That beautiful core within us that is our character will make choices that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/whatever-happens-on-the-surface-it-s-leading-us-in-a-direction-that/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [Games is probably the biggest industry today that has gone really social, right. I mean, the incumbent game companies are really being disrupted and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/games-is-probably-the-biggest-industry-today-that-has-gone-really/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [When an entrant competitor attacks the low end of any market, the rational reaction of the incumbent firms is to abandon rather than defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-an-entrant-competitor-attacks-the-low-end-of-any-market-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where there is no hope, it is incumbent on us to invent it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/where-there-is-no-hope-it-is-incumbent-on-us-to-invent-it/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [It was important for us to be as supportive as our candidates and as our incumbent senators would have us be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/it-was-important-for-us-to-be-as-supportive-as-our-candidates-and-as/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [I was rowing the boat alone against a tide, running against an incumbent in 2013.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-stefanik/i-was-rowing-the-boat-alone-against-a-tide-running-against-an/) [Elise Stefanik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-stefanik/) > [Listen, Al Gore is a very tough opponent. He is the incumbent. He represents the incumbency. And a challenger is somebody who generally comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/listen-al-gore-is-a-very-tough-opponent-he-is-the-incumbent-he/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My first campaign was pretty ugly: the incumbent came after me hard with a lot of things that weren't true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-ribble/my-first-campaign-was-pretty-ugly-the-incumbent-came-after-me-hard/) [Reid Ribble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-ribble/) > [What I don't underestimate is everybody's deal is different and everybody's deal makes it difficult. And so it is incumbent upon employers to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/what-i-don-t-underestimate-is-everybody-s-deal-is-different-and/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [Romney has to convince the American public that they need to do something they're not usually inclined to do - replace a sitting president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/romney-has-to-convince-the-american-public-that-they-need-to-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I were running to be somebody, there are a lot of easier sombodies to be. After all, running against the incumbent governor of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/if-i-were-running-to-be-somebody-there-are-a-lot-of-easier-sombodies/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Once you realize just the sort of glut of books that exists out there, it does become incumbent on you not to add to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/once-you-realize-just-the-sort-of-glut-of-books-that-exists-out-there/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-might-be-could-it-be-perhaps-the/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) ## More by Mercedes Schlapp > [Part of me believes that Beyonce and Jay-Z were naive when they chose to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary in Cuba. However, as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/part-of-me-believes-that-beyonce-and-jay-z-were-naive-when-they-chose/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [The questions of traditional and redefined marriage are highly emotional and a difficult and sensitive topic. Living in the D.C. area and having gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/the-questions-of-traditional-and-redefined-marriage-are-highly/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [On the IRS website, they claim to be one of the world's most efficient tax administrators. The IRS officials might know how to collect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/on-the-irs-website-they-claim-to-be-one-of-the-world-s-most-efficient/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [I understand the stress of finding quality and affordable childcare while paying high taxes. I also understand that many working moms struggle to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/i-understand-the-stress-of-finding-quality-and-affordable-childcare/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Solutions and ideas should come from the bottom up, generated by local communities and not mandated from Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/solutions-and-ideas-should-come-from-the-bottom-up-generated-by-local/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Cuba is a nation stuck in time, and the regime's complete control of businesses, the press and the Internet has kept the Cuban people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/cuba-is-a-nation-stuck-in-time-and-the-regime-s-complete-control-of/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [We need to ensure that veterans are in charge of their health care and not the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/we-need-to-ensure-that-veterans-are-in-charge-of-their-health-care/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [If a student believes that taking too many exams is hard or skipping advanced courses for a lighter load is a better deal, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/if-a-student-believes-that-taking-too-many-exams-is-hard-or-skipping/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Is Trump correct that we should stop the flow of illegal immigrants? Yes, but again, words matter, and there is a way to engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/is-trump-correct-that-we-should-stop-the-flow-of-illegal-immigrants/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [As a working mother of a large family, preparing meals and shopping for groceries is time consuming and hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/as-a-working-mother-of-a-large-family-preparing-meals-and-shopping/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [For my family, belief in God and in the resurrection of Jesus Christ brings such hope and promise to our lives. It strengthens our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/for-my-family-belief-in-god-and-in-the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [The Veterans Health Administration's socialized style of medicine, where the government is in charge of the hospitals and managing our veterans' health care, simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/the-veterans-health-administration-s-socialized-style-of-medicine/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [I will tell my children that Mr. Trump fought for the little guy, for the mom and pop in Erie County who lost all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/i-will-tell-my-children-that-mr-trump-fought-for-the-little-guy-for/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Mr. Trump wants citizens of other nations to know that there is a legal process that needs to be followed, and that that process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/mr-trump-wants-citizens-of-other-nations-to-know-that-there-is-a/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Obama and the liberal Democrats fail to represent the silent majority: the conservative women who are too busy raising families, paying bills, and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/obama-and-the-liberal-democrats-fail-to-represent-the-silent-majority/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) [Explore all 100 Mercedes Schlapp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) ## More Defeat quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“We don't have to defeat any individual but our own self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-don-t-have-to-defeat-any-individual-but-our-own-self/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“Defeat is a disease, and victory is the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defeat-is-a-disease-and-victory-is-the-cure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The glow of victory and the harsh chill of defeat are two sides of the same coin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-lenartowicz/the-glow-of-victory-and-the-harsh-chill-of-defeat-are-two-sides-of/) [Maria Lenartowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-lenartowicz/) > [After a big defeat, any player feels affected - it is about how long he needs to recover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/after-a-big-defeat-any-player-feels-affected-it-is-about-how-long-he/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/the-ultimate-aim-of-karate-lies-not-in-victory-or-defeat-but-in-the/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/) [Victor J. Dzau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-dzau/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) [Browse all 2,603 Defeat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History has shown that challenging an incumbent president in the primary almost inevitably leads to defeat in the general election.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mercedes Schlapp" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-incumbent-president-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defeat" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-incumbent-president-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/mercedes-schlapp-5906_defeat_history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-in_2124331.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/mercedes-schlapp-5906_defeat_history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-in_2124331.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/mercedes-schlapp-5906_defeat_history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-in_2124331.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“History has shown that challenging an incumbent president in the primary almost inevitably leads to defeat…” — Mercedes Schlapp", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mercedes Schlapp", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "History has shown that challenging an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-incumbent-president-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/history-has-shown-that-challenging-an-incumbent-president-in-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```