George V of the United Kingdom— the numbering was reset for the Australian crown when it became independent.
Alternate Wikipedia Infoboxes VI (Do Not Post Current Politics or Political Figures Here)
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Yet Another 1912 U.S. Presidential Election Wikibox (But With a Twist)
Very few people were expecting Theodore Roosevelt to be assassinated on October 14 in the midst of his campaign speech. A similarly small number of people were expecting Vice-President James S. Sherman to die in his sleep later that night. Perhaps an even smaller number than that foresaw that their two deaths would serve to unite the Republican Party.
The 1912 United States presidential election was the 32nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1912. Republican President William Howard Taft defeated Democratic Governor Woodrow Wilson and Socialist activist Eugene V. Debs to secure re-election. It marked a major event in the decline of the Democratic Party and the rise of the Liberty Party within United States politics.
Chosen by his popular predecessor Theodore Roosevelt to be his preferred successor in the 1908 presidential election, Taft had held the office of president since that election. With the coming of the 1912 presidential election, however, Roosevelt was interested in returning to the office of the presidency after disapproving of some of the policies of his successor, and challenged the incumbent Taft for the Republican nomination. After a hard-fought battle at the 1912 Republican National Convention, lasting for June 18 to June 22, Taft and his conservative supporters narrowly managed to secure his renomination, as well as that of Vice-President James S. Sherman. Frustrated, embarrassed, and believing that he had been cheated by the Republican establishment, Roosevelt and his supporters would walk out of the convention, and organize their own party known as the Progressive Party. Their convention, held on August 5, would easily nominate Roosevelt to be their presidential candidate, with California Governor Hiram W. Johnson as his running-mate. The Democrats would undergo a similarly difficult convention, lasting from July 25 to June 2, with the contest mostly being between Speaker of the House Champ Clark and New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, as well as a scattering of several other minor candidates. After securing the endorsement of several leading progressive Democrats, most notable William Jennings Bryan, Wilson would secure the nomination of the forty-sixth ballot, with Indiana Governor Thomas R. Marshall as his running-mate. The Socialist Party would easily nominate perennial candidate Eugene V. Debs to be their presidential candidate.
The campaign season would be marked by the fierce campaigning conducted by the three main candidates: Taft, Roosevelt, and Wilson. Roosevelt campaigned on several progressive reforms, which he referred to as his "New Nationalism". To contrast with Roosevelt, Wilson campaigned on a "New Freedom" platform, which called for other progressive policies, including those related to tariff reduction, banking reform, and several new anti-trust laws. Originally outperformed by the personalities of Roosevelt and Wilson, Taft attempted to campaign on "progressive conservatism", hoping that Wilson and Roosevelt would divide the progressive vote and a clear path for his victory. Finally, Debs' campaign focused on the corruption of his rival parties and candidates, claiming they were backed by trusts.
The campaigning for the election was turned on its head on October 14. On that day, both Roosevelt and Sherman died, caused by an assassination and Bright's disease respectively. The Republican ticket missing a vice-presidential candidate, and the Progressive Party missing a presidential candidate, combined with the surprising almost simultaneous (and to some divinely ordained) nature of the event, resulted in the leaders of both parties reaching out to consider a merger. Eventually, on October 28, a deal was struck. Johnson would be Taft's replacement running-mate, Taft would bring several progressives into his second term cabinet, and the Progressives would drop out of the race. This turn of events shocked the voting populace. Some former Progressive Party supporters refused to vote for the new ticket, but a large majority would ultimately rejoin and vote with the Republican Party.
On election night, Taft would win a decisive electoral vote victory, with a smaller victory in the popular vote. He would carry 28 states, win 333 electoral votes and 49.1% of the popular vote. Wilson, finishing second, would win 20 states, 198 electoral votes (almost entirely from the South), and 44.2% of the popular vote. Debs would finish third with 6.2% of the popular vote, the highest percentage obtained by the Socialist Party up until that point, marking their rise as a party ultimately culminating with their merging with progressive Democrats to form the Liberty Party. The 1912 presidential election marked a turning point within American politics. The effects could be most immediately seen in the cracking of solid Democratic South in the next election in 1916, and later with the collapse of the Democratic Party in 1922. It also marked a change in the voting populace, as they began identifying and voting more with a party than an ideology. This election would be the fifth consecutive Republican landslide electoral victory.
Very few people were expecting Theodore Roosevelt to be assassinated on October 14 in the midst of his campaign speech. A similarly small number of people were expecting Vice-President James S. Sherman to die in his sleep later that night. Perhaps an even smaller number than that foresaw that their two deaths would serve to unite the Republican Party.
The 1912 United States presidential election was the 32nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1912. Republican President William Howard Taft defeated Democratic Governor Woodrow Wilson and Socialist activist Eugene V. Debs to secure re-election. It marked a major event in the decline of the Democratic Party and the rise of the Liberty Party within United States politics.
Chosen by his popular predecessor Theodore Roosevelt to be his preferred successor in the 1908 presidential election, Taft had held the office of president since that election. With the coming of the 1912 presidential election, however, Roosevelt was interested in returning to the office of the presidency after disapproving of some of the policies of his successor, and challenged the incumbent Taft for the Republican nomination. After a hard-fought battle at the 1912 Republican National Convention, lasting for June 18 to June 22, Taft and his conservative supporters narrowly managed to secure his renomination, as well as that of Vice-President James S. Sherman. Frustrated, embarrassed, and believing that he had been cheated by the Republican establishment, Roosevelt and his supporters would walk out of the convention, and organize their own party known as the Progressive Party. Their convention, held on August 5, would easily nominate Roosevelt to be their presidential candidate, with California Governor Hiram W. Johnson as his running-mate. The Democrats would undergo a similarly difficult convention, lasting from July 25 to June 2, with the contest mostly being between Speaker of the House Champ Clark and New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, as well as a scattering of several other minor candidates. After securing the endorsement of several leading progressive Democrats, most notable William Jennings Bryan, Wilson would secure the nomination of the forty-sixth ballot, with Indiana Governor Thomas R. Marshall as his running-mate. The Socialist Party would easily nominate perennial candidate Eugene V. Debs to be their presidential candidate.
The campaign season would be marked by the fierce campaigning conducted by the three main candidates: Taft, Roosevelt, and Wilson. Roosevelt campaigned on several progressive reforms, which he referred to as his "New Nationalism". To contrast with Roosevelt, Wilson campaigned on a "New Freedom" platform, which called for other progressive policies, including those related to tariff reduction, banking reform, and several new anti-trust laws. Originally outperformed by the personalities of Roosevelt and Wilson, Taft attempted to campaign on "progressive conservatism", hoping that Wilson and Roosevelt would divide the progressive vote and a clear path for his victory. Finally, Debs' campaign focused on the corruption of his rival parties and candidates, claiming they were backed by trusts.
The campaigning for the election was turned on its head on October 14. On that day, both Roosevelt and Sherman died, caused by an assassination and Bright's disease respectively. The Republican ticket missing a vice-presidential candidate, and the Progressive Party missing a presidential candidate, combined with the surprising almost simultaneous (and to some divinely ordained) nature of the event, resulted in the leaders of both parties reaching out to consider a merger. Eventually, on October 28, a deal was struck. Johnson would be Taft's replacement running-mate, Taft would bring several progressives into his second term cabinet, and the Progressives would drop out of the race. This turn of events shocked the voting populace. Some former Progressive Party supporters refused to vote for the new ticket, but a large majority would ultimately rejoin and vote with the Republican Party.
On election night, Taft would win a decisive electoral vote victory, with a smaller victory in the popular vote. He would carry 28 states, win 333 electoral votes and 49.1% of the popular vote. Wilson, finishing second, would win 20 states, 198 electoral votes (almost entirely from the South), and 44.2% of the popular vote. Debs would finish third with 6.2% of the popular vote, the highest percentage obtained by the Socialist Party up until that point, marking their rise as a party ultimately culminating with their merging with progressive Democrats to form the Liberty Party. The 1912 presidential election marked a turning point within American politics. The effects could be most immediately seen in the cracking of solid Democratic South in the next election in 1916, and later with the collapse of the Democratic Party in 1922. It also marked a change in the voting populace, as they began identifying and voting more with a party than an ideology. This election would be the fifth consecutive Republican landslide electoral victory.
I wonder what the electoral map looks like. I know Taft wins 28 states while Wilson wins the other 20.
I wouldn't call 333-198 a "landslide" though. The margin isn't that wide.
Why do the Conservatives not do what they did OTL and block the Home Rule Act in the Lords? The IUA completely splitting off and ensuring it has no mainland allies seems like an awfully extreme action for them to do, I have to say.
The Unity Banquet is an annual fundraiser/outreach/picnic/fair organized by the Republican Party of South Carolina, held annually in Columbia, the Capital of South Carolina.
The Banquet has its origins in the chaotic political scene of post-Civil War South Carolina. With the coming of Reconstruction and the arrival of voting rights for the state’s Black majority, the Democratic Party collapsed in the state. Instead the state Republican Party was split into the official (also called “Line”) Republicans and the Independent Republican. In general the Line Republicans were supportive of whatever the National Republicans were doing and protected the status quo in the state, while the Independent Republicans were more a reformist liberal bent. However while both sides ran candidates for state offices, they remained stalwart in supporting National Republicans for President. Thus, a tradition emerged where after the Republican Convention every four years, the leaders of both factions would host a Unity Banquet to show their solidarity in support of the party of Lincoln, as well as show the people the benefits of the Grand Old Party.
Over time the tradition has changed. Recognizing the fundraising and organizing boon it provided, it soon became an annual affair. Meanwhile political realignments in the 1890s ended the dominance of the South Carolina GOP, and thus there was no longer just one party to unite. Instead it simply became a major event in Republican Campaigns against the People’s Reform Party. The shifting time frames of political conventions also resulted in the date of the banquet being fixed to the first weekend after Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the emancipation of American Slaves. This was a somewhat cynical move by the South Carolina GOP, reminding the population who had abolished slavery, but it did help attendance.
Today the Banquet is more of a fair/mass rally/picnic. There is still a series of major fundraiser dinners, attendance is mandatory for anyone who wants anything from South Carolina Republicans. But the main draw for the thousands who attend each year is the food, rides, and entertainment provided by the Party. Some is free, some are purchased, with proceeds going to the Party. Controversy has emerged on occasion over potential kickbacks and bribes to those providing amenities at the fair. However it remains popular in South Carolina. Polls of attendees show that at least a third would “under no circumstances” vote for the Republican Party, but still give the party money at the fair.
Deleted member 100761
A lot of subtle history in this one. I like it.
So the big changes which aren't obvious in the two wiki boxes I posted are (1) the Phoenix Park murders are butterflied away, (2) the Midlothian Campaign is butterflied away and (3) the elections of 1880 and 1885 are much closer than OTL. In practice, this means that the Whiggish wing of the Liberals (in particular Hartington) aren't set against Home Rule, Gladstone isn't the phenomenon he was OTL and Parnell is able to use the IPP to play the Conservatives and the Liberals off against each other rather than relying on the Liberals as he did OTL. TTL Home Rule comes about as part of an agreement between Salisbury, Parnell and Hartington, which creates a devolved administration in Dublin (with powers something like OTL German Lander) with a London-appointed Lord Lieutenant. **Waves hands as to the precise distribution of votes in the Commons and Lords** The Unionist Alliance is formed as a separate organisation from the Conservatives because Salisbury is deemed to have blood on his hands (so to speak). But given that they're basically a single-issue "we don't like Home Rule" party they're going to merge back into the Conservatives before long.
Neat idea. Always nice to see stuff here that goes beyond the usual scope of elections and politicians.
@King of the Uzbeks i assume a TL where the Republican Party remains dominant among Black voters?
United States presidential line of succession, 2076
The United States presidential line of succession is the order of individuals who can assume the office of president of the United States if the incumbent president becomes incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. Per the Constitution, the vice president is first in line in such a scenario, and is elected alongside the president. The Constitution states that further succession, in the event of a vacant vice presidency, is designated by law as set by Congress.
Prior to 2056, presidential succession beyond the vice president consisted of Congressional leaders and Cabinet secretaries in order of creation of Cabinet department. Since the passage of the Presidential Succession Act of 2056, the president is allowed to set the order of succession from a list of individuals who they submit for congressional confirmation. All individuals in the line of succession must be eligible for the presidency as outlined in the Constitution. Six individuals were legally mandated to always be in the line of succession: the Secretaries of State, Defense, and the Treasury, the Attorney and Postmaster General, and the Administrator of FEMA. At least five individuals on the list must primarily live outside the Douglass Commonwealth, the nation's capital, in case of a mass casualty event.
The president may change the order of individuals and dismiss any individual beyond the vice president at their discretion. Sitting members of Congress, the federal judiciary, and active duty military members are ineligible to be listed for succession unless they vacate their current posting. The list must be public knowledge at all times. In the event that all individuals on the list have been eliminated, succession devolves upon the succession orders of the senior cabinet departments, until such a time as Congress designates a new president.
The first line of succession under President Currentpresident consisted of the six mandatory appointments, followed by Presidents Remington and Roth, General O'Connell, and Governors Donelson and Masters-Jones. Subsequent additions were made during the following years. O'Connell was nominated due to a tradition of including at least one former military officer. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Alicia Varga was added to include an individual residing outside the United States. ATF Director Amber Andrews-Taylor was included as a nod to the Utica wing of the Democratic Party, as she was one of the highest ranking Uticans in the Currentpresident administration. Iman Abdulkader, then the representative from NJ-03, was nominated to have Congressional representation. Abdulkader resigned her House seat in accordance with the law. Astronaut Antares Allen, the first human to step foot on Mars, was added due to his status as a highly popular national hero. The line of succession was last changed on September 24, 2075, when 14th in line Secretary of Welfare Mauree Young (D/H) resigned from office and was subsequently removed from the succession by the president. Her successor, Estefania Solaro (D/H), was not submitted to Congress for the succession.
Controversially, the president nominated her husband, First Gentleman Andre J. Randall. The president argued that in the event of her demise, her husband would be the most suited person to fulfill the mandate she had been given by the American people, due to their closeness. Randall had served as Governor of Texas until the point his wife became president, and had previously been considered a potential presidential candidate as well. However, this position was not shared by large parts of the public and Congress. Ultimately, Randall was confirmed by 2 votes in the Senate and 8 votes in the House, with all votes coming from the president's Democratic-Hamburger faction, after she promised to place her husband at the last place in the line. The ploy has been seen as a waste of political capital for the president, and detrimental to both her and her husband's chances in future presidential elections.
The United States presidential line of succession is the order of individuals who can assume the office of president of the United States if the incumbent president becomes incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. Per the Constitution, the vice president is first in line in such a scenario, and is elected alongside the president. The Constitution states that further succession, in the event of a vacant vice presidency, is designated by law as set by Congress.
Prior to 2056, presidential succession beyond the vice president consisted of Congressional leaders and Cabinet secretaries in order of creation of Cabinet department. Since the passage of the Presidential Succession Act of 2056, the president is allowed to set the order of succession from a list of individuals who they submit for congressional confirmation. All individuals in the line of succession must be eligible for the presidency as outlined in the Constitution. Six individuals were legally mandated to always be in the line of succession: the Secretaries of State, Defense, and the Treasury, the Attorney and Postmaster General, and the Administrator of FEMA. At least five individuals on the list must primarily live outside the Douglass Commonwealth, the nation's capital, in case of a mass casualty event.
The president may change the order of individuals and dismiss any individual beyond the vice president at their discretion. Sitting members of Congress, the federal judiciary, and active duty military members are ineligible to be listed for succession unless they vacate their current posting. The list must be public knowledge at all times. In the event that all individuals on the list have been eliminated, succession devolves upon the succession orders of the senior cabinet departments, until such a time as Congress designates a new president.
The first line of succession under President Currentpresident consisted of the six mandatory appointments, followed by Presidents Remington and Roth, General O'Connell, and Governors Donelson and Masters-Jones. Subsequent additions were made during the following years. O'Connell was nominated due to a tradition of including at least one former military officer. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Alicia Varga was added to include an individual residing outside the United States. ATF Director Amber Andrews-Taylor was included as a nod to the Utica wing of the Democratic Party, as she was one of the highest ranking Uticans in the Currentpresident administration. Iman Abdulkader, then the representative from NJ-03, was nominated to have Congressional representation. Abdulkader resigned her House seat in accordance with the law. Astronaut Antares Allen, the first human to step foot on Mars, was added due to his status as a highly popular national hero. The line of succession was last changed on September 24, 2075, when 14th in line Secretary of Welfare Mauree Young (D/H) resigned from office and was subsequently removed from the succession by the president. Her successor, Estefania Solaro (D/H), was not submitted to Congress for the succession.
Controversially, the president nominated her husband, First Gentleman Andre J. Randall. The president argued that in the event of her demise, her husband would be the most suited person to fulfill the mandate she had been given by the American people, due to their closeness. Randall had served as Governor of Texas until the point his wife became president, and had previously been considered a potential presidential candidate as well. However, this position was not shared by large parts of the public and Congress. Ultimately, Randall was confirmed by 2 votes in the Senate and 8 votes in the House, with all votes coming from the president's Democratic-Hamburger faction, after she promised to place her husband at the last place in the line. The ploy has been seen as a waste of political capital for the president, and detrimental to both her and her husband's chances in future presidential elections.
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More or less. The black vote is less unified here, but especially in the South they remain influential.
What's the story behind the Postmaster General being an apparently essential member of cabinet?
The Postmaster General is responsible for all forms of communications, not just the post. This includes telecommunications such as internet and the airwaves (television, radio) and whatever future wizard stuff they come up with. Very important in an increasingly cyber age.
A Different 1980
The San Vincente Car Crash
Ronald Reagan was disappointed, Miles away from Iowa in Los Angeles he was being questioned by reporters about his disappointing loss in the caucuses. Despite putting on a brave face the media could clearly tell he was irritated. After his narrow loss in the 1976 primary Reagan felt the sensation of the nomination that weeks ago he thought was assured now slipping away. What was clear now to Reagan was that his hands off approach to Iowa had cost him the contest. If it was repeated, he pondered, what next? First Iowa, then Puerto Rico and then New Hampshire… and then the nomination. Reagan embarked to his Riviera residence, ready to make a few calls when he arrived.The San Vincente Car Crash
The closeness of the caucus left Reagan hopeful for victory up until the late reaches of the night. Despite it being close to midnight, being a Monday night there was moderate traffic about. For whatever reason, possibly inspired by the frustration of his loss, Reagan demanded to drive home himself. According to later accounts by Mr. Reagan, just before an intersection between San Vicente Boulevard and Montana Avenue he was battling to keep his eyes open. When he next struggled to open them fully again he discovered he was about to run a red light into oncoming traffic. By instinct he slammed on the breaks but it was too late and as his car crossed the threshold another car coming down Montana Ave. hit Ronald Reagan's car at slightly over the speed limit of 30mph. The car crashed into the drivers door almost directly aimed at Mr. Reagan. Ronald Reagan's older age allowed his more brittle bones to break and the momentum flung him sideways onto the passenger seat.
Reagan was retrieved from his car shocked but conscious. It was only later in hospital that he discovered from a doctor that the strain that his spinal cord sustained had left him effectively paralysed from the waist down. A trauma on his head left his train of thought fuzzy and he displayed temporary signs of forgetfulness. His physical condition left him unable to sit up in bed and numb. A subdural hematoma was later discovered and treated alleviating some of the symptoms.
An outpouring of sympathy from a variety of politicians from all backgrounds. Despite refusal from Reagan for several days for non familial visitors George Bush was finally allowed to visit Reagan in hospital on the 25th of January followed by John Anderson, Howard Baker, President Carter and Vice President Mondale among other visitors as well as a telephone call from British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. As the details of Reagan's new condition were revealed speculation swirled over whether he would continue to campaign for the Republican nomination. A late January nationwide Gallup poll had George Bush with a 10 point lead over Ronald Reagan if he were to stay in the race. The deliberation over whether to continue would extend until the end of the month with Reagan still hospitalized. National polls among Republicans showed that a vast majority thought that if Reagan's conditions were not to improve they did not approve of Reagan continuing his campaign. On the 1st of February the announcement was made that Ronald Reagan would reluctantly suspend his campaign for president due to his paralysis and newfound health difficulty.
The ending of Ronald Reagan's campaign in 1980 would encourage republicans to flock to George Bush en masse after his display of “compassion” following Reagan's car crash, shaping the upcoming 1980 Election in his image as a Pragmatic Conservative leading a united Republican party behind him. He would go on to sweep all contests in the Republican Primary with John Anderson coming in a far second.
Part 1?
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Oh you mean "What the Hell is a Somalia?" I have yet to finish that.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy had lost everything. His family, his sweetheart, his home, his nation. It is often said that, once you reach rock-bottom, you can only go up. John used to think that, until life went ahead and gave him a jackhammer. Truth was, you can only know how deep you sink until you start drilling...
When the Nazis came marching into Massachusetts, the Kennedys would largely remain tacitly compliant, quietly reaping the rewards of collaborationism. It was a fate John simply couldn't swallow: the war veteran would try to reenlist, this time in the Army. However, not even the manpower-hungry U.S. military would take the physically injured and chronically ill former Navy man. He advanced with the frontlines, joining the hundreds of thousands of civilians that flooded out of New England and the Midwest seeking to escape the German rampage. When the nukes started flying, a disheveled and disheartened Kennedy was living in a squatters' camp south of Nashville. The United States was no more: now, it was the creatively-named Reichskommissariat Amerika.
As the scion of a prominent Massachusetts family, John understandably became a hot target, and the SS launched a nationwide manhunt against him. John would yet again disappear into the shadows, traveling west and reaching the Rockies. Far away from the reaches of Nazi control in the East Coast, an American resistance movement was flourishing in these parts, of which Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was the most prominent leader. John would offer his services to the Resistance, initially serving as a desk official within the intelligence department, before catching the eye of Old Ike, who appreciated John's charisma, veteran background, and exceptional leadership abilities. Eisenhower slated him as a frontlines operative, much to the objection of military commanders and physicians alike, who were rather concerned about John's health record. It was Eisenhower's understanding, however, that he could hardly give a single damn.
John was sent to receive military training at a camp in northwest Colorado, where he was instructed as a special agent. Despite being at a physical disadvantage, John would excel in training, biting the bullet and pushing through the pain. He would describe the experience as cathartic, expressing the belief that pain was purifying. After training, John was deployed to support the Resistance's operations in New York City, renamed Hitlerstadt under the Nazi regime. For months, John acted as a field agent, collecting intelligence and partaking in small-scale sabotage endeavors throughout the city. John became known as an effective operative and a well-liked leader, rising to prominence within the Resistance. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and took part in strategic operations planning.
A particularly important piece of information would be acquired from an NSDAP office in Manhattan, either leaked by an informant or stolen by a Resistance mole. Whichever the case, its value was undeniable: it included detailed information into the upcoming public appearances of one highly elusive figure: Reich President Joachim Peiper. Rising to prominence as a Waffen-SS commander in the war against the Soviets, he would distinguish himself in the North American campaigns. He was the first German commander to cross the Ohio River, and also the first one to reach the Atlantic Coast. He committed untold atrocities and war crimes throughout his exploits, developing a sort of roving concentration camp, in which he would systematically capture and execute undesired peoples on the go. His fame and influence stretched far and wide, and it only grew in magnitude when he was appointed the political and military leader of the RKA, second only to Adolf Hitler himself.
This new piece of information stated that Joachim Peiper would attend the annual Hitler Rally, held in honor of the Fuhrer's birthday, to review the troops and make a brief speech. Overall, his participation wouldn't last more than thirty minutes. Enough, the Resistance hoped, to wipe that splatter of scum off the face of the Earth. Many methods were discussed, ranging from a sniper to poisoning. Eventually, it was John himself who devised the final plan: to plant a bomb underneath the vehicle from which he would review the parading troops. It was untraceable and undeniably effective. The question was, who would carry out such a daring quest?
John raised his hand without hesitation. He had already lost everything. What else did he had to lose? If he succeeded, then hey. If he didn't, at least he would've given it a shot. Either way, there wasn't any point in not trying.
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