James Polk=Dark Horse???? Need Help

[toocool17]

For some reason James K. Polk is named the Dark horse president. I know a dark horse president is someone who was just named at the spurr of the moment. But i would like to know why does he have to be a "black" horse? or why even a horse? Are black horse's suspected to lose in horse races? who ever can get me the right information (will need some sort of accurate information like a website), i will send you a free gamecube game. the game will be in working condition and might be complete. i have a list of about 5-15 games (i think) you can choose from. Sorry there can only be 1 winner. I might pick 2 if both people have the right information from different places.

[FriskyTanuki]

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/reform/polk_1

He was the Dark Horse because he was not expected to win. Is this it or do you want info on the term "Dark Horse" (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&oi=defmore&q=define:dark +horse) too?

[SteveMcQ]

During the Democratic Convention of 1844, the leading candidate for President of the United States of America was former President Martin Van Buren. Held in Baltimore, ballots were cast to nominate the Democratic candidate for President, but due to Van Buren's political stance in opposing the annexation of the Republic of Texas his support waned in the South and West. Failing to garner enough support through seven ballots (being unable to garner the two-thirds majority vote for nomination), the Democratic party looked toward James K. Polk on the eighth ballot as a compromise between the sides as a candidate the whole party could get behind. With the ninth ballot, he was unanimously voted as candidate for the Democratic Party for the Presidency of the United States of America, thus becoming the first dark horse, or little-known candidate, to win the distinguished nomination.

Lucky for you I had Encarta up. I'm sure you can find the same information somewhere on the web. Another way to explain the Dark Horse moniker

Here (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563985_2/James_Polk.html) is the text from the web version of Encarta (What I said above was from Section E, just reworded. Didn't want to copy it.). Makes me wonder why I even paid for this thing if I can find it for free there.

[SteveMcQ]

BTW, that's interesting what Crash posted. It seems Polk was a dark horse in both the actual Presidential election and the Democratic convention nominations. The things you learn.

[toocool17]

Crash, yea i am looking for information on the term Dark Horse. that link kind of helped (2nd definition). if no one posts anything better, you will get a game.

[organicow]

i don't suppose there are any *ahem* racial undertones to the term....

I can just hear some pasty-white aristocrat saying, "Verily, 'tis no wonder the 'dark' horse lost; 'tis commonplace for 'dark' things to be losers, I say!" ...or some crap like that.

But hey, I could be way off...

[snotknocker]

Here you go my friend this site pretty much sums it up. I'm considering myself the DARK HORSE CANDIDATE for the free game

DARK HORSE LINK (http://search.aimhome.netscape.com/aim/boomframe.jsp?query=James+K.+polk+Dark+horse&page= 2&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26re questId%3D65794ad432ca2c7%26clickedItemRank%3D12%2 6userQuery%3DJames%2BK.%2Bpolk%2BDark%2Bhorse%26cl ickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.jameskpolk.c om%252Fnew%252Fbiography.asp%26invocationType%3Dne xt%26fromPage%3DAIMNextPrev%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&re move_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jameskpolk.com%2Fnew%2Fb iography.asp)

[FriskyTanuki]

Crash, yea i am looking for information on the term Dark Horse. that link kind of helped (2nd definition). if no one posts anything better, you will get a game.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I'd say that the term Dark Horse refering to a horse that's not picked to win, so Dark could refer to them being mysterious and unknown, so they wouldn't be picked.

[toocool17]

Any clue why he would be a horse?

[kaw]

Horse racing is a fruitful source of clichés. Starting from scratch first implied that someone was being honest in a horse race by making sure that his horse’s front feet were just behind a line drawn in the dirt road that marked where the race was to commence. Although the phrase up to scratch was first published in reference to boxing 160 years ago, it may have been used earlier in horse races. A dark horse candidate is one about whom little is known. The term comes from cases in which the public is either intentionally or accidentally kept in the dark regarding certain facts about a horse that may possess the necessary qualities to win the race. A horse’s lack of a reputation puts those betting on it at an advantage. In 1831 Benjamin Disraeli wrote in The Young Duke, “A dark horse, which had never been thought of . . . rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph.” Disraeli himself was quite a dark horse in British politics.

http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/1997/marapr/feat4.htm

Another source:

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/edu/2002/07/23/stories/2002072300130201.htm

[FriskyTanuki]

Any clue why he would be a horse?

Well, since lots of people bet on horses and the Dark Horses aren't bet on by many, usually, he wasn't picked by many people to win the election. That's pretty much what I can get from the term.

[TXboxGuY]

For some reason James K. Polk is named the Dark horse president. I know a dark horse president is someone who was just named at the spurr of the moment. But i would like to know why does he have to be a "black" horse? or why even a horse? Are black horse's suspected to lose in horse races? who ever can get me the right information (will need some sort of accurate information like a website), i will send you a free gamecube game. the game will be in working condition and might be complete. i have a list of about 5-15 games (i think) you can choose from. Sorry there can only be 1 winner. I might pick 2 if both people have the right information from different places.

Uhhh . . . did someone put off doing their homework until the very last minute?

Those 2 weeks just flew by, eh? :wink:

[camoor]

For some reason James K. Polk is named the Dark horse president. I know a dark horse president is someone who was just named at the spurr of the moment. But i would like to know why does he have to be a "black" horse? or why even a horse? Are black horse's suspected to lose in horse races? who ever can get me the right information (will need some sort of accurate information like a website), i will send you a free gamecube game. the game will be in working condition and might be complete. i have a list of about 5-15 games (i think) you can choose from. Sorry there can only be 1 winner. I might pick 2 if both people have the right information from different places.

Uhhh . . . did someone put off doing their homework until the very last minute?

Those 2 weeks just flew by, eh? :wink:

Hey maybe he's just a history buff who hasn't learned the power of the google. :lol:

[toocool17]

Its actually for extra credit lol. a am a history buff though

[oddjob93]

Its actually for extra credit lol. a am a history buff though
:bs: You could have fooled me.

[thatstoobad]

since nobody's posted it yet:

"In 1844, the Democrats were split
The three nominees for the presidential candidate
Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist
James Buchanan, a moderate
Louis Cass, a general and expansionist
From Nashville came a dark horse riding up
He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump

Austere, severe, he held few people dear
His oratory filled his foes with fear
The factions soon agreed
He's just the man we need
To bring about victory
Fulfill our manifest destiny
And annex the land the Mexicans command
And when the vote was cast the winner was
Mister James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump

In four short years he met his every goal
He seized the whole southwest from Mexico
Made sure the tarriffs fell
And made the English sell the Oregon territory
He built an independent treasury
Having done all this he sought no second term
But precious few have mourned the passing of
Mister James K. Polk, our eleventh president
Young Hickory, Napoleon of the Stump "

[toocool17]

Thanks for everyone's help. CrashSpyro123 pm me and please put gc game as the subject

[Zenithian Legend]

wait what about a horse?