Which Presidential Death POD is Most Important?

[Stolengood]

Had a thought, and it developed into a poll, so...

Which Presidential Death POD is Most Important?

If any Presidential death (natural or assassinated) could be avoided and/or butterflied, which one could have changed things the most?

This is your choice here, folks; provide your reasons and pick a... erm, candidate.

Hope you enjoy!

[John Fredrick Parker]

Lincoln, full stop. Though Zachary Taylor not being around to veto the Compromise of 1850 is also certainly up there. As is McKinleys', in that it made President Theodore Roosevelt possible.

Least important -- Harding. Second least, I'm sorry to say, seems to be FDR.

[d32123]

Obviously the one with the earliest PoD is going to have the most impact...

[King Nazar]

Lincoln probably would had a pretty significant impact on reconstruction. Also Harrison, since that might change how the transfer of power to the Vice President would work.

[Jasen777]

Originally Posted by d32123

Obviously the one with the earliest PoD is going to have the most impact...

That's the way to bet.

[Justin Green]

Im not completely convinced there would have been a civil war had Taylor lived, but if there had been i can see him crushing it.

Either way I could see him guarantee no more Slave states in return for an amebdment protecting it where it was.

No civil war possibly, but also longer slavery

[Turquoise Blue]

William Henry Harrison. Why? First, its the earliest PoD. Secondly, his death led to a Democrat President in 1841, John Tyler. This led to the downfall of the Whig Party.

[MatthewFirth]

Kennedy, definatley.

Wuld have been a better president and lead the world through better times.

[jpj1421]

I don't know...I kind of think JFK's death made RFK the man he was in 68. Now if I could prevent RFK's death I would.

[Turquoise Blue]

Originally Posted by MatthewFirth

Kennedy, definatley.

Wuld have been a better president and lead the world through better times.

I disagree. He would have been impeached or something like that. And he wouldn't have the Great Society that LBJ pushed through.

[Wendell]

Originally Posted by Turquoise Blue

I disagree. He would have been impeached or something like that. And he wouldn't have the Great Society that LBJ pushed through.

One can only hope.

As for me, I think that Lincoln's and McKinley's death were fairly pivotal, but there's a case to be made for Garfield's.

[QuoProQuid]

Originally Posted by Turquoise Blue

I disagree. He would have been impeached or something like that. And he wouldn't have the Great Society that LBJ pushed through.

I fail to see any reason Kennedy would have been impeached. What are you referring to?

[Trotsky]

Originally Posted by QuoProQuid

I fail to see any reason Kennedy would have been impeached. What are you referring to?

People think his contacts with the Mob, his handling of covert affairs, his sexual encounters, his covering up his medical condition, etc. would have caught up to him had he lived.

[Turquoise Blue]

Originally Posted by Trotsky

People think his contacts with the Mob, his handling of covert affairs, his sexual encounters, his covering up his medical condition, etc. would have caught up to him had he lived.

Yes. He could have covered that up enough in 1964, but in his second term... Bye, bye, JFK, you leave the White House an shamed man, the first to be impeached and forced to resign. Hello, LBJ, lets make up for this lateness by winning 1968, eh?

[QuoProQuid]

Originally Posted by Turquoise Blue

Yes. He could have covered that up enough in 1964, but in his second term... Bye, bye, JFK, you leave the White House an shamed man, the first to be impeached and forced to resign. Hello, LBJ, lets make up for this lateness by winning 1968, eh?

John F. Kennedy's 'activities' with women were already pretty well known, or at least suspected by the general public. It just wasn't that big of a deal for the period.

Also, the President's supposed connections with the mob are tenuous at best. There is no way JFK is going to be impeached, especially when there are men in Washington far more entwined in the mafia than he.

Having a medical condition is hardly an impeachable offense.

A Kennedy Impeachment is a ridiculous assertion.

[Wendell]

Originally Posted by Turquoise Blue

Yes. He could have covered that up enough in 1964, but in his second term... Bye, bye, JFK, you leave the White House an shamed man, the first to be impeached and forced to resign. Hello, LBJ, lets make up for this lateness by winning 1968, eh?

It's quite possible that the VP could be tarnished too, unless someone other than LBJ is picked as the running mate in 1964, such as Terry Sanford or George Smathers.

[Stolengood]

Originally Posted by Turquoise Blue

his death led to a Democrat President in 1841, John Tyler. This led to the downfall of the Whig Party.

Huh? They managed to get another guy in there in 1848; if anything, it's Fillmore who was the downfall of the Whig Party...

As for me, I'm not taking sides in this. Strictly neutral.

[Stolengood]

Anybody else? Comments, queries, etc.?

[Stolengood]

Bringing this back up because, yes, this poll does have an end date: July 11th. Get crackin', folks!

[Lord Grattan]

I'm leaning toward Lincoln, though the deaths of McKinley and Taylor, for the reasons JFP cited up thread, had significant ramifications as well.