1936: Landon doesn't run

Jonah Carter

Obviously Republicans are going to lose badly regardless of who they nominate, but I'm really considering writing a timeline and I'd like some input. If Alf Landon decides not to run in 1936 (either because he lost the governorship or he just doesn't want to take on an incumbent), who would the Republicans have nominated? My understanding is that the party's heavy hitters (Vandenburg in particular) wanted to pass until 1940, and the only other contender OTL was William Borah, who was far too progressive to be nominated. So who does the party turn to? I haven't gotten into the weeds of every Republican who considered running, but I really don't see any obvious candidate waiting to be nominated.

Also, am I correct in assuming that no matter who the party nominates, they'll do even worse than Landon? He seems to have been the best option, as a Republican who won in the New Deal era and built a good reputation as a moderate progressive. The party was probably going to nominate some flavor of liberal regardless, but Landon at least had a solid record to run on, which is hard to come by after the GOP has been on the wrong end of three landslides in a row.
 

Galba Otho Vitelius

Well if Landon doesn't run, he doesn't get elected.

Seriously, though the GOP in the thirties actually wasn't as f***** as the Democrats in the twenties, they were pretty f***** and they knew it. Landon was the only Republican to win a significant race in 1934, and in 1940 their leading contenders were a state attorney general (statewide office holder, but not a Governor or Senator) and a utility company executive. They have to find another sacrificial lamb. I don't think it matters much who, and if Landon passes he becomes even more obscure than he is.
 

ProfJets

Doesn’t really matter who the candidate is; I doubt they’d do worse than Landon in the Electoral College though. Landon may have only won two states, but neither was particularly close.

Steiwer of OR is a possibility; he was convention chairman and a Senator, the kind of person conventions turn to when they don’t know what to do.
 
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Countess Whitewing

Geez. Hmmm, with no Governor Landon in the primaries and Senator Borah likely to still be shafted at the convention.
We're left with these people to pick up Landon's 22% during the primaries besides Borah.

Major Frank Knox, the newspaper editor from MI, who was a Rough Rider and an Artillery Officer during WWI
Earl Warren, DA of Alameda County & Chair of the CA Republican Party
Stephen Day, a Special Counsel from IL
Warren Green, Governor of SD
President Hoover, the incumbent
Frederick Steiwer, Senator of OR

Here is the problem as I see it in OTL primaries, Borah has an almost 30% lead on Knox.. 34% on Warren.. 40% on Day.. 43% on Green, Hoover and Steiwer.
If Senator Borah doesn't get the Republican nomination and his lead holds during the primaries... What is the Lion of Idaho likely to do?
Perhaps something outlandish like pick up Teddy Roosevelt or Fighting Bob La Follette's Progressive standard and run on it?
 

marktaha

Banned
Galba Otho Vitelius said:
Well if Landon doesn't run, he doesn't get elected.

Seriously, though the GOP in the thirties actually wasn't as f***** as the Democrats in the twenties, they were pretty f***** and they knew it. Landon was the only Republican to win a significant race in 1934, and in 1940 their leading contenders were a state attorney general (statewide office holder, but not a Governor or Senator) and a utility company executive. They have to find another sacrificial lamb. I don't think it matters much who, and if Landon passes he becomes even more obscure than he is.
Click to expand...
Dewey actually District Attorney in 1940.
 
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