AHC : Kill the Progressive Movement in its cradle

[TheDoofusUser]

It is widely acknowledged that it was the Progressive movement that largely led to the death of the Socialist movement in the United States, with the death of the Pro-gold conservatives in the Democrats and the rise of Progressives in both parties being a major factor in this happening. The challenge here is to try and kill the Progressive Movement in its cradle and ensure it doesn't replace American socialists as a viable left wing alternatives to the conservatives in both parties. What would be the result of this?

In my own humble opinion, the best way for this to happen is for the Benjamin Harrison to be re-elected in 1892, which is a tall order considering how many states he has to flip. Then, he gets the blame for the 1893 panic and the left and bitmetalists are discredited temporarily in the united states in favor of goldbugs like Palmer, Cleveland, and Reed. Of course, however, YMMV.

 

[pandizzy]

Huh?

 

[Enigmajones]

Maybe have a surviving McKinley? If IIRC Reds by Jello Biafra used this as the main POD, and that world (obviously) has a Communist America.

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

I think the POD has to be reconstruction and the 1876 campaign and its resolution.

The aftermath of 1876 set up a duopoly of two political parties, both of which had conservative and reform wings, so when the elites thought reform was needed, of only to release pressure, they only had to let the reform wing take control of one or both parties temporarily. Plus it was a duopoly, so they could use ballot fraud or outright arrest to derail challengers like the Socialists.

What you probably want as a POD is that the Republicans decide to construct something that looks a lot like the contemporary Diaz regime in Mexico (or even the twentieth century PRI). Republican government at the federal level and some states, with the Democrats as a token opposition party that is allowed to run several states and cities for the patronage. The Republicans have their own reform wing, but the Republican leadership always strong arms it into submission. Eventually they steal one election too openly and too blatantly, and there is a second civil war. In the aftermath there is a new party system, and you can have the Socialists as major players.

With a two party duopoly, each with a reform wing, reformists are always going to be channeled into the reform wings of the two parties. This only ends when the leadership of one of the parties tries to go full frontal tyranny, and even then they will get away with it for awhile before the collapse.

 

[TheDoofusUser]

Maybe have a surviving McKinley? If IIRC Reds by Jello Biafra used this as the main POD, and that world (obviously) has a Communist America.

I don't think a surviving McKinley would lead to it as some of his ideas were instituted by Roosevelt. If anything, I think the left bi-metalists would need to be discredited by the 1893 panic like how the Bourbons were in 1893 under Cleveland. Harrison winning re-election somehow would do this as the Conservatives would likely promote candidates like Parker, Villas, Root, and the like for their own benefit.