Why Were the Presidents in Office During the Period from 1877

Why were the presidents in office during the period from 1877 to 1895 generally undistinguished and ineffectual?

A) The primary system of nominating presidents chose the candidates by their salability rather than their qualifications.
B) Extraordinary times create extraordinary leaders and this period was not an extraordinary time.
C) Extremely close elections limited their ability to maneuver and take tough political stands.
D) Exhausted by the Civil War and Reconstruction,politicians allowed the people and themselves to relax.