Every Man A King

DSS

Every Man A King: A Timeline​

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“God, don't let me die. I have so much left to do.”​

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  • - Huey Long just after being shot, Sept. 8 1935​



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"The assassination attempt on Huey's life occurred on September 8, 1935. On that day, Huey was trying to 'oust' Henry Pavey, an archnemesis judge, by completely ridding the state of Pavey's district. Carl Weiss, who happened to Pavey's son-in-law, had tried to get in contact with Huey several times during the court session. It was on one of these occasions that he shot my husband."

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- Rose McConnell Long, the wife of Huey Long, on the attempted assassination of Huey Long




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Sen. Huey P. Long (D-AL) escorted by policemen in the Louisiana State Capitol hours before the shooting, Sept. 8 1935
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"We have breaking news: Democratic Senator of Louisiana Huey P. Long has been shot about a half hour ago. According to our sources, Senator Long was shot just outside the Louisiana State Capitol by a lone gunman who appears to be in his early 30s. Long is currently being rushed to the hospital, and we have yet to learn if he will recover from his wounds..."


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“It was terrible. Of course, I was in terrible pain, and I kept thinking to myself, 'God, please don't let me die.' Although I don't remember it, I'm told that I even said that on the ride to the hospital. Thankfully, the bullet had entered my body two inches from my abdomen, resulting in the bullet going through my stomach. It was a miracle for which I have always thanked God; no arteries were hit, my abdomen was not hit, and after I underwent surgery an hour after, the doctors were expecting that I was going to be healthy.”​

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    • - Huey Long on the 1935 assassination attempt​

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“I'm not gonna let some good-for-nothing maniac scare me away from my dreams. I'm runnin' for President.”​

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- Sen. Long to his wife, Sept. 15 1935​

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My fellow Americans.​

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These are important days in American history. The people are suffering. The economy is suffering. The nation is suffering. The people are crying out for new policies. The people want their food. The people want their voices to be heard. They want populist progressivism in the White House.​

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Under no good conscience can I sit out this election, and allow President Roosevelt to be renominated. I am running for President as a populist candidate for the Democratic nomination. I will go down to the people and hear their concerns. The people will force the delegates of the Democratic National Convention to listen to the voice of reason, and reason shall prevail.​

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  • Sen. Huey Long (D-AL) declaring his presidential candidacy, Oct. 3 1935​





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Well, it's been done! I announced my candidacy, and I'm officially a challenger to Roosevelt! The press is going crazy! Just think: It could all have been prevented if that SOB Carl Weiss had succeeded in killing me. Needless to say, I'm glad he didn't.



Anyhow, the next nine months are going to be very busy indeed. Of course, being a populist, I will be campaigning nationwide. I'll get every politico I want to join me onstage, regardless of whether they want to or not - there's always ways of doing so. At the same time, I have to get the delegates to vote for me. While I realize I can't seriously have any hope at winning the nomination, I still need to make my standings look serious if I want to get on with my plans afterward. It will be difficult, but I know I can do it.


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- The Huey Long Diaries, Oct. 3 1935

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^^^


So yeah, I thought I would attempt a Huey Long Lives TL.

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DSS

The Spirit of '36

"You know why the Great Depression happened? It's because of the Federal Reserve, and because of the greed of Wall Street! You want to know who's responsible for your lack of money, you look at people like Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt, who have kept the Federal Reserve running!"

- Sen. Long in Dayton, Ohio, Nov. 2 1935


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Sen. Long campaigning


"The first Huey Long campaign kicked off with flaming rhetoric. Taking his usual populist approach to politics, Long traveled nationwide and campaigned for his "Share Our Wealth" programs and against the Roosevelt presidency. His brutal remarks and Southern charm formed a mixture that stayed with the crowds forever, and the campaign became more popular as time went on.

From October to December 1935 alone, Senator Long made around 135 campaign appearances nationwide. According to Rose, Senator Long was always: 'exasperated but enthusiastic; he would come back from every rally looking forward to the next one. He had a gleam in his eyes that will stay forever with me.'"

- Huey Long: A Biography, by Professor Alan Keyes, published 1998


NO MORE STEALTH!
SHARE THE WEALTH!

- Popular Long '36 campaign phrase/chant



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"Sen. Huey Long for President 1936" Campaign Bumper Sticker

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Button often worn to Huey Long rallies


"Senator Long has accused me of causing the Great Depression. My fellow Americans, I assure you otherwise. Over the past four years, the economy has been handled with great care and, indeed, it has improved. Senator Long can ask the poor farmers of the countryside and the urbanites how they've been doing, like I did back in 1932, and they'll tell him."

- President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his weekly radio address, Jan. 16 1936

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigning in Michigan, Dec. 14 1935

How I hate H.L.'s guts now. He's gotten part of the electorate fired up against me. When I appear at public rallies, the attendees are usually very calm yet happy, but the people that show up at his rallies are insane! They chant that damn "Share Our Wealth" thing in the middle of his speeches. And you can't walk around D.C. without seeing a Long bumper sticker or campaign button these days! People are starting to question if I can win re-election. If he hadn't jumped into the race, I would win re-election in a landslide - I know that. Even so, I'm 99% certain that the delegates won't nominate Long; I've been popular before, and I'll return to that state of glory once Huey Long goes away. That movement will die and lie in its grave soon, mark my words.

- FDR Diaries, Jan. 20 1936

I don't trust Huey Long. If he's elected POTUS, Wall Street's going to die out, and so will everything I've built up there in all my years. I like FDR, and I want him to be renominated. I'm just not sure, though. Long might just have the momentum to take the nomination from under the President's nose. Maybe I should start investing in a different career in the event of a President Long...

- Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. Diaries, Jan. 20 1936
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DSS

mowque said:
Long has no prayer of winning a fair non-butterflied election.
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No worries, this is not a Long-wank.

Emperor Norton I said:
*Norton Whistles*
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Thank you! I was trying to find a recording of the song, but I just couldn't find one for whatever reason. Thanks!

Wendell said:
Professor Alan Keyes?:eek:This IS a dystopia.
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More on that later in the TL.:D:D:D:p:p:p

troosvelt said:
I assume the (D-AL) was merely a bit of dyslexic typing....
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No, no, that's political writing there. It's an abbreviation for "Democrat-Louisiana," stating the politico's political party and home state in three letters.
 

Aero

DudeAlmighty said:
No, no, that's political writing there. It's an abbreviation for "Democrat-Louisiana," stating the politico's political party and home state in three letters.
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Well (D-AL) signifies that he is from Alabama. (D-LA) is the correct abbreviation for Louisiana. ;)
 

DSS

Aero said:
Well (D-AL) signifies that he is from Alabama. (D-LA) is the correct abbreviation for Louisiana. ;)
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D'oh. I'll edit that in.:eek:

Anyway, I'll hopefully have an update very soon! I'm very excited to get on with this TL.
 

DSS

"We can now project the results of the New Hampshire primary. On the Democratic side, we can project that President Roosevelt has swept the state, taking somewhat more than 60% of the vote so far. Senator Long has taken a hit to his campaign, while President Roosevelt has won a badly-needed boost for his campaign. Although the results of the primaries do not determine how the delegates are to vote, they do determine the electability of a candidate.

"We can also project that journalist Frank Knox of Illinois has won the Republican primary over party favorite Governor Alf Landon of Kansas by a small margin..."

New Hampshire Democratic Primary, Mar. 11 1936

President Franklin Roosevelt (NY) - 62.3% PV
Sen. Huey Long (LA) - 37.7% PV


"New Hampshire is not the end of the road for Huey Long! No, we are going to keep on fighting until we achieve victory or defeat at the Democratic National Convention!"

- Sen. Long after the New Hampshire primary

"I endorse Huey Long for President of the United States. I believe he will do all that is necessary and good for the people of America and Minnesota."

- Governor Floyd B. Olson (FL-MN), Mar. 12 1936
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Governor Floyd B. Olson of Minnesota


Olson's endorsement doesn't surprise me. If Huey Long had died back in September '35, somebody like Floyd Olson would have run. That damned "Share Our Wealth" movement has got everybody so hyped up that anybody would be able to run against me. In any case, Minnesota is going to be difficult now, and its results are going to determine the future of this campaign. If Long wins, he'll stay in the race. If he loses in Minnesota, he loses everywhere. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that he'll lose. I'm campaigning down in Minnesota for a few days, and then I'm off to Nebraska and Wisconsin. I shouldn't be in this situation, but if I completely ignore Long, I will be certain to lose in November.

- The FDR Diaries


Minnesota Democratic Primary, Mar. 18 1936

Sen. Huey Long (LA) - 56.4% PV
President Franklin Roosevelt (NY) - 42.6% PV

I won Minnesota! I'm still alive! I'm off to win in Nebraska and Wisconsin!

- The Huey Long Diaries, Mar. 18 1936


"America doesn't work like Louisiana. Louisiana cannot be run like a machine, like what Huey Long has been doing for all these years. We need an experienced, tested President handling America in a compassionate way, and I've been doing that for four years."


- President Roosevelt campaigning in Lincoln, Nebraska, Mar. 24


Wisconsin Democratic Primary, April 1 1936

Sen. Huey Long (LA) - 54% PV
President Franklin Roosevelt (NY) - 46% PV

Nebraska Democratic Primary, April 1 1936

President Franklin Roosevelt (NY) - 60.8% PV
Sen. Huey Long (LA) - 39.2% PV


Damn, Long's doing well in the primaries - he's won Minnesota and Wisconsin. I don't like it. That's why I've made my decision. Even if he can't win the nomination and the presidency in '36, the Share Our Wealthers are becoming part of the mainstream. I'm not going to stand idly by and watch them take over the country.

- The Diaries of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.


"My fellow Americans, my fellow citizens of Massachusetts, I would like to make an important announcement. With socialists like Huey Long, Floyd Olson, and William Borah trying to take control of the nation, I feel that I need to fulfill my patriotic duty to this state and my country. My fellow Americans, I am a candidate for Governor of Massachusetts!"[1]

- Joseph P. Kennedy, April 10 1936


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Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.



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Gubernatorial candidate Joseph Kennedy with his wife and five of his nine children


^^^

[1] Thanks to A Time To Remember for the idea. A Time to Remember is a TL where JPK Sr. is elected Governor in 1936, like ITTL, and goes on to become FDR's running mate in '44, then POTUS in '45. Even so, history for this TL will be much different than in ATTR.
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DSS

Wendell said:
I really don't see FDR using 'socialist' as an epithet against Long.
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That was one of the main accusations against Long back in those days, so I figured it would be appropriate. What do you think he might have used?
 

Wendell

DudeAlmighty said:
That was one of the main accusations against Long back in those days, so I figured it would be appropriate. What do you think he might have used?
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It was something people said, but I don't think FDR would say it. I would say that he could attack Long as inexperienced, naive, or hypocritical. A man who ran Louisiana like a machine was seeking to portray himself as a champion of the very people political machines disserve.
 

DSS

Wendell said:
It was something people said, but I don't think FDR would say it. I would say that he could attack Long as inexperienced, naive, or hypocritical. A man who ran Louisiana like a machine was seeking to portray himself as a champion of the very people political machines disserve.
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I'll take out the Socialist part. Thanks for the ideas!

Btw, what does everybody think about JPK?
 
Emperor Norton I

Emperor Norton I

DudeAlmighty said:
That was one of the main accusations against Long back in those days, so I figured it would be appropriate. What do you think he might have used?
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Well, if not Socialist, Fascist might be applicable, or at least tyrant/despot/authoritarian/dictator as Long was was viewed as corrupt and a overstepping his power in Louisiana by many.
 

Whanztastic

Always like seeing the Kennedys thrown in early :cool:. Also, I think the best labels FDR would use are things like machine, a party boss, and perhaps radical. I agree he wouldn't personally call him a socialist though, unless he got very desperate and bitter due to a surprisingly painful campaign.
 

DSS

Convention '36

TIME Magazine
June 3, 1936

Roosevelt or Long?


Over the past eight months, America has seen a political battle like it has never seen before: The climactic struggle between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Senator Huey P. Long for the 1936 Democratic presidential nomination.

In normal presidential elections, the incumbent is not challenged for renomination. In recent events, President Wilson was not challenged for renomination in 1916, and President Hoover, despite his massive unpopularity that led to the landslide election of Franklin Roosevelt, was renominated without opposition four years ago.

However, 1936 is not proving to be a normal election year. Senator Long, in his campaign to unseat the President at the Democratic National Convention, has defeated President Roosevelt in five of the thirteen primaries held this year and has rallied support for his campaign unseen since the second rise of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

So the American people ask: Why is this happening?

It is a truly good question. Ever since his inauguration as the 32nd President in March 1933, President Roosevelt has been supported by near the entirety of the American people and electorate. In November 1934, following a Democratic landslide in the midterm congressional elections, a journalist of an Iowa newspaper wrote: "Should the President be as popular in November 1936 as he is in November 1934, we can expect a landslide re-election victory for President Roosevelt." Although there are those that have dissented against the New Deal, such as Senator Long, nobody expected such a massive and energetic campaign to remove the President within his own party.

Now, to look at the future. Who will win: Franklin D. Roosevelt, or Huey Long?

Despite the public opinions of many in the Long campaign, the most likely result should be the renomination of President Roosevelt. To understand why this will likely happen, one needs only to look at the presidential election of 1912.

It was in 1912 when President William H. Taft, a conservative Republican, was challenged by his predecessor, President Theodore Roosevelt, for his party's nomination. President Roosevelt won in eight primaries, President Taft in three, and two were won by progressive Republican Senator Robert LaFollette. With all the votes in every primary counted, Roosevelt won 51% of the vote popularly. With the end of the primaries came the discussion of the Republican National Convention, and nearly everyone agreed the Republicans would nominate Roosevelt.

Instead, they renominated President Taft by a massive margin.

It is likely the fear of repudiating an incumbent that has prevented a national convention from renominating a President. The fear is due to worry that their opponents in the general election would use the divisiveness of the primaries against them, and their attempt to find a new direction would ultimately fail.

In conclusion: While it is not impossible to suggest that Huey Long could win the nomination, those of us here at TIME Magazine believe that President Roosevelt will likely win renomination by a landslide margin. Regardless of the outcome, this year's presidential election will undoubtedly be one to watch, as well as the future movements and campaigns of Huey Long.
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