Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion: The Making of a President, 1884The presidential election of 1884, in which Grover Cleveland ended the Democrats' twenty four year presidential drought by defeating Republican challenger James G. Blaine, was one of the gaudiest in American history, remembered today less for its political significance than for the mudslinging and slander that characterized the campaign. But a closer look at the infamous election reveals far more complexity than previous stereotypes allowed, argues