Alternate Presidents for the Age of Lincoln, 1868-1920

The era after Lincoln saw the Presidency weakened once again, and the Congress given revitalized strength. It was an era of what could be termed dullness but at the same time excitement in the presidency, with a Republican monopoly on the White House for the majority of those years, a string of one termers, and a presidency with varying power (though often overshadowed by Congress), but with heated elections and high voter turnout and revolutions in politics which seemed to accompany new changes in the nation. Things seem to follow a dull path until Roosevelt gives a revitalized strength to government, but seems to resume after his presidency as Taft is beaten and Wilson comes dangerously close to losing in 1916.

It is a rather lengthy stretch of history,and it seems like anyone could have become President in this era if they had one foot in the political arena, at least to me. So who are politicians who could have become president during this age?
 
To really change the Presidency you have to change or weaken the Senate in this era, since the President was more or less at the Senate's beck and call.
 
The purpose isn't to change the presidency (although there are some candidates who could have I suppose), it's who are some of the people who could have been elected president in this era.
 
The most obvious one was Samuel Tilden, who lost to Hayes in 1876 through some disputed electoral votes. I doubt the difference would have had much of an impact, though, since the presidency was at something of a low ebb at the time.

Another is James Blaine, who lost to Cleveland in 1884. Probably there also a case of plus ça change, plus la même chose.
 
1868: Ulysses S. Grant Vs. Winfield Scott Hancock

1872: Ulysses S. Grant Vs. Charles Francis Adams

1876 James G. Blaine Vs. Winfield Scott Hancock

1880: James G. Blaine Vs. Winfield Scott Hancock

1884: James G. Blaine Vs. Samuel J. Randall

1888: John Sherman Vs. Grover Cleveland

1892: James G. Blaine Vs. Horace Boies Vs. James B. Weaver

1896: Thomas Brackett Reed Vs. William Jennings Bryan

1900: William McKinley Vs. William Jennings Bryan

1904: Theodore Roosevelt Vs. William Randolph Hearst

1908: Robert M. LaFollette, Sr. Vs. William Jennings Bryan

1912: Robert M. LaFollette, Sr. Vs. Oscar Underwood Vs. Theodore Roosevelt Vs. Eugene V. Debs

1916: Theodore Roosevelt Vs. Woodrow Wilson

1920: Robert M. La Follette, Sr. Vs. James M. Cox
 
A few quick mentions. James G. Blaine seems cliche, but remains a possibility. I've also had an interest in John Sherman, who ran in 1880 and was one of the people whom Garfield was brought in the break deadlock over the nomination. I've been thinking of making him a succeeding president when I do my 'Garfield lives' TL. I think Neal S. Dow would also be interesting had his career not been destroyed; a temperance Republican willing to use whatever means necessary to enforce his aversion to liquor.
 
John (Black Jack) Logan. A racist pro-War Democrat who represented Southern Illinois (Little Egypt) in Congress he helped keep this area of southern sympathizers in the Union and then became the best of Lincoln's political generals. A brave and loyal soldier he bacme a pro-Freedmen Republican after the war and served in both the House and the Senate. He was the GOP VP candidate in 1884 and might have been the Presidential candidate in 1888 if he had not died suddenly.
A rare politician who actually grew in office, he might have made an interesting pro-civil rights, activist President if he could have overcome the GOP inertia of the Golden Age.
 
Well the thing about Abe Lincoln II is that he would have name recognition and the greatest Political pedigree in Politics with his Grandfather being Abraham Lincoln and father being Robert Lincoln... Also running in 1912 would be at the height of the Lincoln frenzy that swept the nation following Lincoln's 100th Birthday
 
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