I'm curious to see if this is possible. During the 1890s, the Populist Party - a party mainly supported by agrarians and labor unions - rose to prominence rapidly and then faded away just as quickly. In 1892, their nominee, James Weaver, won several states, and the party as a whole made several gains in the South.
However, the election of 1896 was a reversal of fortune, as the Democrats nominated Bryan, who himself was a populist. From that point forward, the party's platform was generally adopted by the Democratic Party.
But must it be so? Let's say that the Gold Democrats, or President Cleveland, manage to keep their hold on the Democratic Party intact. Could the Populists, then, survive and continue their ascent and displace the Democrats later on? What do you guys think?