For those who haven't the slightest clue what I'm taking about, William Jennings Bryan technically had 2 Vice Presidential candidates running with him. Arthur Sewall as the Democratic nominee (a wealthy Maine shipbuilder), and Populist Thomas E. Watson (a 1 term Rep from Georgia, who was a racial moderate back then, urging the poor whites and blacks to unite against the common enemy). Assuming Bryan wins the next 5 closest states of Kentucky, California, Oregon, Indiana and Ohio (No easy fea,t I know), his vote total would be 234 Electoral Votes to McKinley's 213 (with 224 being the magic number). Assuming that the new 58 Electoral Votes all go to Sewall, he'd only have 207 factoring in his new and old votes, with Garret A. Hobart holding 213, and Thomas E. Watson 27. (Note: Bryan doesn't have to win those exact states, just enough of any so that he'll win, but not Sewall)
The Constitution says if a Vice-President does not have an electoral majority, the top 2 finishers are chosen by the Senate (this happening only once before with Richard M. Johnson who served under Van Buren). The incumbent Congress (ie the one elected 2 years before the 1896 election) would vote, the Parties stood as such: 44 Republicans, 40 Democrats, 4 Populists, 2 Silver). Given there were 90 Senate seats, that means 46 Senators would have to vote on either Hobart or Sewall for the Vice-Presidency. My question to you is, who would the lame-duck Senate choose in this case? Sewall was a rich guy who didn't really appeal to most of the Bryan constituency, mostly being chosen for the cash he had, but Hobart was the Republican nominee, who had just lost the election with his running mate (not quite fairly as any Southern Republican would tell you in a heartbeat). Would they vote party line and the 6 other men would hold the balance of power? Would enough men from 1 party decide they didn't like their guy and back the other out of honor (for losing) or spite?
I know it is a small thing to get hung over, but this would be an important issue in the event of a Bryan victory, an assassination could through the government into a crisis mode should it happen, and I'm curious how it would play out.
The Constitution says if a Vice-President does not have an electoral majority, the top 2 finishers are chosen by the Senate (this happening only once before with Richard M. Johnson who served under Van Buren). The incumbent Congress (ie the one elected 2 years before the 1896 election) would vote, the Parties stood as such: 44 Republicans, 40 Democrats, 4 Populists, 2 Silver). Given there were 90 Senate seats, that means 46 Senators would have to vote on either Hobart or Sewall for the Vice-Presidency. My question to you is, who would the lame-duck Senate choose in this case? Sewall was a rich guy who didn't really appeal to most of the Bryan constituency, mostly being chosen for the cash he had, but Hobart was the Republican nominee, who had just lost the election with his running mate (not quite fairly as any Southern Republican would tell you in a heartbeat). Would they vote party line and the 6 other men would hold the balance of power? Would enough men from 1 party decide they didn't like their guy and back the other out of honor (for losing) or spite?
I know it is a small thing to get hung over, but this would be an important issue in the event of a Bryan victory, an assassination could through the government into a crisis mode should it happen, and I'm curious how it would play out.