Question

What could have possibly prevented abraham lincoln and the republicans from winning the election of 1860?

select the best answer from the choices provided.
stephen douglas deciding to support lincoln instead of running on his own
the constitutional union party giving support to the republicans
the democratic parties staying together rather than splitting
all answers are correct.

Answer 1

Let's think about this. What would HURT Lincoln's chances of winning? If Douglas supported Lincoln, his votes would go to Lincoln, HELPING him. (A is wrong). If the Constitutional Union supported Lincoln, THEIR votes would go to him and also help (B is wrong).

But at this point, the Democratic party was split over the issue of slavery, leading to the Southern Democratic party. If the parties were still united, they probably would have been able to overpower the Republicans. C is correct!

Answer: C. the democratic parties staying together rather than splitting.