The lead up to Fate
August-November
(the last primary was held by the progressives during july,Instead of august OTL)
Major Events-
August 4- US marines are stationed in nicaragua to ease tensions between the inhabitants and conservative government
August 16- New mexico and Arizona combine into one state because of complaints that they do not have a large enough population
august 18- the michigan secessionist bill is put on Michigans ballot.
September 2- the house of representatives, after having to deal with fighting in the state of Wyoming and Idaho between mormons, natives, an anarchist cell, and other groups, he decides to divide the two states up between other states, while utah, colorado, and washington make bids on some areas, a large part goes unwanted, so Taft creates the shoshone and Nez perce territories.
September 14- Ben hanford pleads not guilty, he is eventually found innnocent as the FBI finds evidence that pedro Ivonett, a Cuban black and supporter of the PIC was also at the scene .
October 8- The First balkan war begins
October 16- The first bombing with an airplane is conducted by serbian nationalists
october 22- Pedro Ivonett is found guily after a court hearing, he is sentenced to death by electric chair the next day, soldiers are sent to cuba to
Progressives
Roosevelt decided to target the Rust belt by being a major advocate of anti-trust laws and the western united states by being for the creation of unions and spread of national schooling, He advocated for the readmittance of the states of shoshone and Nez perce and creation of the state of the Phillipines and Cuba. he lost some followers when he took back his stance on full suffrage, making it an issue of the states, but won many after making Charles E. Hughes his VP and hiram johnson his replacement in the supreme court and by his imense determination on continuing his conservation acts. He became suprisingly popular throughout the western united states even though he never set foot in that region. A major part of the campaign was his anti-isolationism anti-tariff nature.
Democrats
Clark, suprised by the sudden nomination, decided to make williams jennings bryan his VP nominee, dropping his favoring as Bryan lost to mckinley in the 1900. He begins his campaign starting in philedelphia and soon travels to richmond, much of his remaining campaign days are in richmond where he works to build up southern vote, after a terrible beginning he became a major player in the election by making it a must to apply universal suffrage, Income tax and reform in education. He is able to be a formiddable opponent to roosevelt but is greatly hinderred by his late start and burke. He
Republicans
Taft, still trying to unite the republicans, fights for universal suffrage, but loses the progressives to being ok with the trusts, conservatives see him as a weak point and instead look for better groups. He works to visit every state, this hinders him and during a Q&A after answerring a question on income tax with "NO, It is a basic violation of ur rights." However because of bad reporting the general public did not hear of this.
Socialists
Debs decides to campaign heavily in the bread basket, a unique idea to say the least, while this does get him somewhere in areas like Iowa. He stood for universal suffrage and even spoke of leading the army to murder Rockefeller, Ford, and all other buisnessmen to create the capitol of workr rights. Many turned away when he said such things, however he was still allowed to speak throughout the USA, while he did make a quick spin in the rust belt he was generally disregarded for roosevelt. He is slow when picking a VP, finally making Allan L. Benson his on Oct. 23
Independent
Burke makes Thomas Marshall his Vp quickly and begins campaigning, he focuses heavily on the eastern and northern USa, beginning in helena he begins the campaign trail in helena, quickly marching to seatle, going through montanna again, and then campaigning in Nort dakota, minnesota, over to New York, and then down to georgia. He is almost killed by a KKK member during a stop in Chicago because of his catholicism, he makes suffrage, an income tax, anti-tarrif, and anti-Trusts.
