AHQ: President Hooker's successors

[Geekhis Khan]

So, after an utterly humiliating loss to the CSA and their UK & French allies (peace with secession in 1863), Lincoln resigning in shame, General Hooker rides a wave of populist anger to the White House in 1864 and promptly (coopting the existing Democratic and some Republican Machines) cements himself into power through flagrant 1876 style ballot stuffing and gerrymandering. He's "reelected" in '68 but naturally he strokes out by the end of '79.

Who is his VP? Who replaces him as the "fairly elected" POTUS going forward? Who replaces that person and so-on through 1900?

Thoughts?

 

[Geekhis Khan]

OK, so just spit-balling on my own...

Daniel Sickles, perhaps? Well-connected and politically-involved War Democrat, comes across as a narcissist, invented the "Temporary Insanity" plea to escape a murder conviction. Maybe another General? I'd assume that it would need to be someone pliant and not a direct threat to Hooker while living, so not McClellan or Butler, but maybe I'm wrong...

Samuel Randall? War Dem, anti civil rights, not too charismatic, but could be that "technocrat that replaces the autocrat" type like we often have seen OTL.

August Belmont as a "machine oligarch" type, perhaps? My gut has him playing a bigger "behind the scenes" roll, but could be a possibility. Part of the Machine either way...

Or would it be a Copperhead like Clement Vallandigham, perhaps?

 

[dcharles]

Well, Hooker was an Easterner, so he'll want someone from out West to balance it out. At least as far as Democrats and conservative Republicans go, John Logan and John McClernand are two good military choices. Daniel Voorhees would be a good choice from the Copperhead wing, and Sunset Cox would be a good choice from the establishment wing. Schuyler Colfax always struck me as an opportunist if you're looking for someone from the Republican side of things, plus he was in a somewhat swingy district--good motivation to look for another job.

 

[Ogrebear]

Would this CSA be able to stablise and last any length of time?

Could any of the proposed Presdients reopen the war, or would they be willing to let the CSA live? If it struggles would they help?

Presuming the CSA stays independent would this USA be more sucessful and if so, how much does the removal of those Southern politicans effect US politics?

What sort of Presidents would the humiliated US want to vote in? Peace or War? Civil rights types? Abolistionists?

 

[rob2001]

OK, so just spit-balling on my own...

Daniel Sickles, perhaps? Well-connected and politically-involved War Democrat, comes across as a narcissist, invented the "Temporary Insanity" plea to escape a murder conviction. Maybe another General? I'd assume that it would need to be someone pliant and not a direct threat to Hooker while living, so not McClellan or Butler, but maybe I'm wrong...

Samuel Randall? War Dem, anti civil rights, not too charismatic, but could be that "technocrat that replaces the autocrat" type like we often have seen OTL.

August Belmont as a "machine oligarch" type, perhaps? My gut has him playing a bigger "behind the scenes" roll, but could be a possibility. Part of the Machine either way...

Or would it be a Copperhead like Clement Vallandigham, perhaps?

I can just see what a White House run by Hooker and Sickles would look like. Considering, that both of them were womanizers. The reason for Sickles temporary insanity was because he killed the man who was having an affair with his wife. That man was the son of Francis Scott Key, and the district attorney for Washington D.C. ironically his lawyer was Edwin Stanton.