AHC/WI: President Henry Clay

I'm currently doing research for a 19th century timeline (admittedly ASB but with some basis in history) and it starts around the time and location of the war of 1812. So I have a challenge for American AH'ers (and well read non-americans)

  • What would it take to get representative and War-Hawk, Henry Clay elected as president? Is it at least feasible?
  • And would the war of 1812 have played out differently with Clay in the White House?
 
Clay only just turned 35 in 1812. He was still young and just starting to make a name for himself in national politics. In fact the majority of the "War Hawks" were young politicians. It would be extremely difficult to get one of them into the presidency in time for the War of 1812. Furthermore delaying the war to allow one of them to be elected president would really screw the US in that Britain is no longer distracted by the Napoleonic Wars in 1817.

Perhaps instead of a War with Britain the "War Hawks" could target Spain if the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819 is not to their liking.

Benjamin
 
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