Republican Presidential Ballot, June 6 1936
Gov. Alf Landon (KS) - 984 [MAJORITY]
Sen. William Borah (ID) - 19
"Governor Landon is our nominee for President of the United States! Let it be known that Governor Alf Landon shall be elected President of the United States!"
Gov. Alf Landon (KS) - 984 [MAJORITY]
Sen. William Borah (ID) - 19
"Governor Landon is our nominee for President of the United States! Let it be known that Governor Alf Landon shall be elected President of the United States!"
- Republican Chair, House Minority Leader Bertrand Snell
It's official: Twenty minutes ago, the GOP nominated Alf Landon. Christ, neither Roosevelt or I could have chosen a better opponent. Landon is, in all but name, a Republican New Dealer, which is the only reason that he was re-elected to the governorship in '34. Landon's just announced that Frank Knox is going to be his running mate - another joke. The man's never held office, regardless of how long he's been a journalist! In a normal election, we would be curbstomping him. However, I have my plans for this election, and regardless of who my party nominates, I know that Roosevelt won't win re-election. I held a meeting with William Borah yesterday, and we both arrived at an agreement regarding November. If FDR only knew what Borah is prepared to do, he would not want the nomination anymore; I think he would rather endorse me than be defeated by somebody like Landon in November just because of a 70-year-old senator from Idaho. In the end, I'm convinced it will all work out.
- The Huey Long Diaries, June 6 1936
The Democratic National Convention, July 23 1936
The convention hall rang with noise from the delegates before the Chair of the Democratic National Convention and the incumbent Speaker of the House, William Bankhead of Alabama, banged his gavel.
"Ordah in the hall," he said, continuing to bang the hammer of silence. "I herebah open the 1936 Democratic National Convention, in which we shall nominate a presidential candidate. Our great President Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been nominated for consideration, as well as our great Senator of Louisiana, Huey Pierce Long. The balloting shall now commence, beginning with the delegation of mah home state of Alabama. Mr. Chairman?"
"Mr. Speaker, great gentleman of Alabama, Alabama unanimously casts all its votes for the next President of the United States of America, Huey Pierce Long of Louisiana."
"Arizona shall now casts its delegates. Mr. Chairman?"
And so on and so forth. Senator Long, the elected Chairman of the Louisiana Delegation, sat in front of the Louisiana delegation and anxiously watched as the delegations casted their votes.
"California casts 48 votes to President Roosevelt and 12 to Senator Long..."
Christ, Long thought to himself. Only 12 delegates from California. I think this just sealed the deal for Roosevelt. But I'll be back in 1940, I know it.
The delegates went back and forth. Minnesota, because of Governor Olson's backing, threw all its delegates to Long, the first Northern state to do so yet. Of course, as expected, nearly every Southern state threw its delegates behind Long, for two different reasons. 1) They supported him for his Southern heritage, or 2) He had "convinced" them to do so. The only reason he had to do the latter was because of the devout conservatism of some Southern Democrats, having their ideology overtake their sense of Southern pride.
Many of the western states, such as Idaho, Colorado, and Nebraska, cast a majority of their votes for Long. The Senator of Louisiana won the final laugh as the Wyoming delegation cast all but one of its four votes for Huey Long.
"The balloting has ceased," Speaker Bankhead declared, "And the results are as follows: Roosevelt, 726; Long, 367. With a majority of the delegates, Ah declare that the Democratic Party has renominated President Roosevelt for a second term as President of the United States."
President Roosevelt - 726
Senator Long - 367
Senator Long immediately got up and walked among the cheering delegates to the chairman of the Georgia delegation. Despite the intense noise of the auditorium, Senator Long successfully whispered to the Georgian: "It's time."
The man smiled. This had been pre-arranged.
"C'mon, let's get out of here!" He said, rounding the delegates from Georgia and - almost literally - pushing them towards the door. Soon, they began to walk on their own, and the convention hall stared in amazement as the walk-out proceeded.
As had also been pre-arranged, the Alabama delegation left. That was where the arrangements had stopped, and Long's hopes had begun. He prayed for a miracle, which God granted in letting the Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, and even a few members of the Western delegations walk single-file out of the convention.
It's a goddamn miracle, Long thought to himself as he led the Louisiana delegation - the last - out of the convention. I got so far in the primaries, and I got quite about 200 of my delegates to leave. It's for sure now: Share Our Wealth is going to become a political party this year. How well we do and if it will get me to the White House in 1940 has yet to be seen.[1]
Meanwhile, President Roosevelt, who was watching from a balcony in the convention hall, buried his head in his hands. How dare he do this. Dammit, I could understand if he wasn't going to endorse me, but doing this? It's unprofessional and it's gonna cost me the goddamn election if he does what I think he's going to do!
TIME Magazine was clearly right. 1936 was going to be an interesting election to watch.
~ ~ ~
Author's Notes
[1] Yeah, I know what you're thinking: Long's OTL plan to win the presidency wouldn't have panned out exactly as planned. And it's true: Everything that's happened to this point in the TL has been a miracle for Huey Long. But please don't think this is a Long-wank just yet: The Share Our Wealth Party is going to have a little problem on its hands later in the year, and Long is going to have do some improvising.
The convention hall rang with noise from the delegates before the Chair of the Democratic National Convention and the incumbent Speaker of the House, William Bankhead of Alabama, banged his gavel.
"Ordah in the hall," he said, continuing to bang the hammer of silence. "I herebah open the 1936 Democratic National Convention, in which we shall nominate a presidential candidate. Our great President Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been nominated for consideration, as well as our great Senator of Louisiana, Huey Pierce Long. The balloting shall now commence, beginning with the delegation of mah home state of Alabama. Mr. Chairman?"
"Mr. Speaker, great gentleman of Alabama, Alabama unanimously casts all its votes for the next President of the United States of America, Huey Pierce Long of Louisiana."
"Arizona shall now casts its delegates. Mr. Chairman?"
And so on and so forth. Senator Long, the elected Chairman of the Louisiana Delegation, sat in front of the Louisiana delegation and anxiously watched as the delegations casted their votes.
"California casts 48 votes to President Roosevelt and 12 to Senator Long..."
Christ, Long thought to himself. Only 12 delegates from California. I think this just sealed the deal for Roosevelt. But I'll be back in 1940, I know it.
The delegates went back and forth. Minnesota, because of Governor Olson's backing, threw all its delegates to Long, the first Northern state to do so yet. Of course, as expected, nearly every Southern state threw its delegates behind Long, for two different reasons. 1) They supported him for his Southern heritage, or 2) He had "convinced" them to do so. The only reason he had to do the latter was because of the devout conservatism of some Southern Democrats, having their ideology overtake their sense of Southern pride.
Many of the western states, such as Idaho, Colorado, and Nebraska, cast a majority of their votes for Long. The Senator of Louisiana won the final laugh as the Wyoming delegation cast all but one of its four votes for Huey Long.
"The balloting has ceased," Speaker Bankhead declared, "And the results are as follows: Roosevelt, 726; Long, 367. With a majority of the delegates, Ah declare that the Democratic Party has renominated President Roosevelt for a second term as President of the United States."
President Roosevelt - 726
Senator Long - 367
Senator Long immediately got up and walked among the cheering delegates to the chairman of the Georgia delegation. Despite the intense noise of the auditorium, Senator Long successfully whispered to the Georgian: "It's time."
The man smiled. This had been pre-arranged.
"C'mon, let's get out of here!" He said, rounding the delegates from Georgia and - almost literally - pushing them towards the door. Soon, they began to walk on their own, and the convention hall stared in amazement as the walk-out proceeded.
As had also been pre-arranged, the Alabama delegation left. That was where the arrangements had stopped, and Long's hopes had begun. He prayed for a miracle, which God granted in letting the Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, and even a few members of the Western delegations walk single-file out of the convention.
It's a goddamn miracle, Long thought to himself as he led the Louisiana delegation - the last - out of the convention. I got so far in the primaries, and I got quite about 200 of my delegates to leave. It's for sure now: Share Our Wealth is going to become a political party this year. How well we do and if it will get me to the White House in 1940 has yet to be seen.[1]
Meanwhile, President Roosevelt, who was watching from a balcony in the convention hall, buried his head in his hands. How dare he do this. Dammit, I could understand if he wasn't going to endorse me, but doing this? It's unprofessional and it's gonna cost me the goddamn election if he does what I think he's going to do!
TIME Magazine was clearly right. 1936 was going to be an interesting election to watch.
~ ~ ~
Author's Notes
[1] Yeah, I know what you're thinking: Long's OTL plan to win the presidency wouldn't have panned out exactly as planned. And it's true: Everything that's happened to this point in the TL has been a miracle for Huey Long. But please don't think this is a Long-wank just yet: The Share Our Wealth Party is going to have a little problem on its hands later in the year, and Long is going to have do some improvising.
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Actually, he would still win NY since it's his home state... flip Missouri, Delaware, Minnesota, Wisconsin and some of the West to Landon.