A Serious Assessment: President George B. McClellan

1864: George McClellan ran as the Democratic candidate for President against Abraham Lincoln. He won two states, New Jersey and Kentucky. Most often cited as his defeat were the string of victories Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan all enjoyed in the war just prior to the election.

So assuming the POD is that year and all three generals have their victories in late November, the election looks something like this:

genusmap.php


Lincoln (Nat'l Union) - 102
McClellan (Democrat) - 131

I've often gone with the Irving Stone school of thought and believed that in terms of ending the war, McClellan would've made a poor President given his poor abilities as a General. Although Steven W. Sears presents a McClellan just as capable of saving the Union as a reelected Lincoln.

Lincoln/Johnson wanted to be sympathetic towards the south, the whole "malice toward none" sort of deal. So perhaps John Wilkes Booth feels good about a President McClellan. With the Democrats trumping a peace platform, Booth might even fool himself into thinking McClellan will recognize the Confederacy.

I doubt he would at all. Booth's admiration for the man might possibly turn into deep hatred and possibly assassination? Might we end up with a President Pendleton?

Questions:

Would the Confederacy stand a chance of surviving if McClellan is elected?
If not, how fast would the war come to a close?
What would McClellan's reconstruction policy be?
Would Booth still seek to assassinate the President hoping the war would continue?
If successful, would a President Pendleton make any differences in reconstruction policy?
 
My own takes:

McClellan is inaugurated with the Confederacy near collapse; he's not going to stop. All he has to do is let Grant finish the job. Assume that still happens in the spring of 1865. I also assume that the surrendering Southern troops are dismissed much the same as in OTL rather than kept as prisoners.

If the House of Representatives still goes heavily to the Republican bloc, then Reconstruction still is going to be somewhat harsh. One possible butterfly might be a decision to execute some of the Confederate leaders; that might give Booth an excuse to go after President McClellan as a higher-profile target than one of the Radicals in the House. If so, I think the Congress steamrolls President Pendelton, making for an even more harsh Reconstruction.
 
Hard to say how he'd be as POTUS. His greatests strength as a general was his ability to organize, inspire, and lead, which could translate well into the White House. His weaknesses were caution and hesitation, many say over-caution and fearfulness, which could possibly equal being overrun by congress, but I rather doubt since he could play the politics game in the army or he'd never have gotten as far as he did.

I do, however, see him in favor of a softer reconstruction, hense OTL-like headbutting with the Rad Repubs.

I think the CS is dead by this point anyway. Like with Obama, the hard-core campaign peace talk would likely take a back seat to political and strategic realities and the war goes on.

Booth, who knows? He's a glory-hound nut job with an ax to grind. I think he tries to kill Mac anyway just for the notoriety and a chance to kill a US general on top of it all. Of course Mac prolly isn't a regular at Ford's, so Booth'd need greater planning than OTL.

Just getting my $0.02 in before this thread devolves into another tired "was Mac a good general" pissing contest. :p
 
IIRC, Lincoln was prepared to have the generals finish the war even if he lost the election. And if you still have the Union victories in late Nov than the Confederacy is still going to lose.

Maybe Booth would instead try to kill Grant and Sherman for destroying the South, instead of Lincoln?
 
I think the CS is dead by this point anyway. Like with Obama, the hard-core campaign peace talk would likely take a back seat to political and strategic realities and the war goes on.

I agree, but given the peace platform, IMO it's always something to consider.

Maybe Booth would instead try to kill Grant and Sherman for destroying the South, instead of Lincoln?

He could've done that in OTL, but he spcifically chose the President. I think like Czolgosz, Zangara, and pretty much every Presidential assassin, Booth was specifically going after the office of President. Not just the man himself. Plus McClellan did his fair share of battering down the CSA. Even if he was ultimately a failure as a general.
 
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McClellan ran a rather inconsistient campaign in 1864.

I think with his ego he'd "Get the job done his way like he would've two years ago if Honest Abe didn't interfere"
 
A horrible thing to say but if McClellan is sworn in and conditions are similar to OTL I don't think he or Pendleton would last if he did not try to prosecute the war to the end. Andrew Johnson was nearly impeached for not being as harsh as the Radical Republicans wanted and I really don't see seven(!) GOP senators committing political suicide for McClellan or Pendleton.
 
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