Century of the Common Man: President Henry Wallace

Answer to readers questions
MacArthur was not a big fan of the atomic bomb. Very conservative he was and he could see that this would a game changer in ways no one could be certain but which he was quite certain he would not enjoy.

Yeah but the bloodbath that was the battle of Kyushu drove him to want a more rapid end to the war. Same with Wallace.

As for Wallace, he extended the war in the Pacific by months resulting in tens of thousands of American casualties(if not more) and literally millions of Japanese dead to avoid use of a weapon which he then used anyway? Presidents have lost a second term for far less...

In ATL Wallace believed that the bomb wouldn't end the war. He figured that any bombing would have to be followed by an invasion anyway. He wanted to use the bomb as a weapon of last resort. He saw the Battle of Kyushu as simply too much, and refused to allow it to be repeated.

Able to cut defense spending? With Taft running the Senate and the GOP running the House try stopping a genuine gutting of defense spending.

Yeah pretty much the same as OTL

Wallace was a foe of the Marshall Plan. He'd have favored aid to any recovering European nation. The question is, how would the USSR see it? Would they deny aid as IOTL? (This could push Wallace away from his pro-USSR stance.)

The Wallace Plan allowed aide to any country in need. The USSR did indeed deny the aid, which further depressed and moved Wallace away from being pro-USSR.

How are the UK and France reacting? Wallace isn't a fan of colonialism. How are his relations with the new Labour government in the UK?

So far pretty much the same as OTL. Wallace is an internationalist; he's still working with both nations. He's close to Clement Atlee ideologically and personally as both men see eye-to-eye. The chaos that is the French 4th Republic is still happening on course.

With Wallace in the White House and Taft on the Hill, there's a good chance NATO will never exist, be stillborn, or be solely European- thus no Warsaw Pact, a more thawed Cold War, and if the third option, an earlier EU.

Let's remember NATO didn't exist until Truman's second term.

I cannot see the Kamikazes being wiped out on the ground.

They weren't close to being wiped out. However a great deal were, and therefore the optimistic figures that 1/2 of the ships would be knocked out never came close.
 
That went pretty quick but you hit all the bases.

Wallace is kind of in a slump; something very good will have to happen to boost him out of it.
 
On another note, the Soviet Union was about to land in Hokkaido when the war ended in OTL. I find it hard that the landing would not happen, and not be followed up by a landing on Honshu (with the majority of the Japanese focused on opposing the American landings at the time). If so, then Japan very well could end up being divided just as Germany was divided. However, I am not sure how much that would effect your TL.
 
I love the fact that you're Rebooting this TL HC, you know this one of my absolute favorites of your's that you wrote over at Atlas. I think your depiction of Wallace is more truthful to the man, that I did during his extremley short Presidency in my Joe Jr. TL. For the purposes of reduced butterflies, I had him appear about as Caretakerish as you can get, but with his execution of the Invasion of Japan, you give us a a not so rosy alternate ending of the War...

Is there any chance can we get the congressional resutls of the 1946, I wonder our boys Nixon and Kennedy(Did Joe Jr. live ITTL?)did in their respective elections...Keep it comming:D
 
I love the fact that you're Rebooting this TL HC, you know this one of my absolute favorites of your's that you wrote over at Atlas. I think your depiction of Wallace is more truthful to the man, that I did during his extremley short Presidency in my Joe Jr. TL. For the purposes of reduced butterflies, I had him appear about as Caretakerish as you can get, but with his execution of the Invasion of Japan, you give us a a not so rosy alternate ending of the War...

Is there any chance can we get the congressional resutls of the 1946, I wonder our boys Nixon and Kennedy(Did Joe Jr. live ITTL?)did in their respective elections...Keep it comming:D

Yeah both men did win as in OTL. Joe Jr. is still dead though.
 
1948 Democratic Convention

For the first time since 1920 an incumbent President looked as though he would be denied renomination by his own party. Henry Wallace was a broken man after just under four years in the Oval Office. He had seen World War Two end in a most unfortunate manner, and a peace settlement that saw both Germany and Japan split between Soviet and Allied control. The atomic bomb had been unleashed on the world, despite Wallace's reservations. Communism was sweeping through Eastern Europe without much challenge from the United States. The economy was struggling to move forward after the wartime boom. A Republican Congress checked every attempt by Wallace to create his "greater society".
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Even Wallace's own party was reluctant to see him renominated. Organized labor, big city bosses, and Southern conservatives were all determined to prevent Henry Wallace's name from appearing at the top of the ticket. However they were anything but united themselves. Labor favored Senator Harry Truman, a New Dealer from Missouri. Southerners rallied behind Georgia's Richard Russell, an outspoken opponent of the Second New Deal and member of the Conservative Coalition. Finally there were the supporters of Wallace who were small in number but large in celebrity. They were led by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and were joined by a slew of progressives and members of the Democratic Party's left wing. Nonetheless it was Wallace who was in third place when the first ballot was cast, behind Russell and Truman. A series of speeches captivated and divided the convention:
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Governor Strom Thurmond of South Carolina: "It is time to remember who we, the Democratic Party, are. We are not the party of federal rights, or business rights, or union rights. We are the party of STATES rights! We were the party who rose to defend those who stop Hamilton from creating a society of elites. We were the party who fought with Andrew Jackson to keep the banks from owning America. We were the party who pushed into the west with James Polk. And we were the party who defeated fascism and will defeat communism! (at this point a cheer came out from the audience with the southern delegation waving confederate flags) And today I come before you, the esteemed delegates of the Democratic Party, the People's Party and the States Party, in support of the great Senator from the Peach State of Georgia, Richard Brevard Russell!"
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Mayor Hubert Humphrey of Minneapolis, Minnesota: "Senator Harry Truman is a simple man from a simple state. He knows the values of hard work, fairness, and the truth. He also knows that today we stand on the precipice of history. We can choose to walk down a road of fear and the reactionary politics of the past, or we can choose to walk down the path of freedom, free men, and hope. Senator Truman is a man of hope. He knows that we can challenge communism without challenging our rights here at home. He knows that we can fight for the right for workers to organize without driving business and free enterprise out of this great nation. And he knows that we, as a people, can follow in the leadership of President Roosevelt and become a better nation, and a greater nation. Thank you."
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Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: "I like the President. I think he's done a great job as President, and I think we should give him a second chance. He's fought long and hard for everything that we believe in and even when he's failed he's done so like a boxer, never giving up until the bell, or vote count, rings. This is a man who stands for us and for the little people who will never get a chance to be at a convention, and he's a man who we should reelect as President of the United States."
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Despite the moving rhetoric, none of the three major candidates was able to gain the necessary support to take a majority. After three ballots it was clear that none of these men was going to take the cake. Therefore back room deliberations began between the party leaders. They acknowledged that neither Truman nor Russell could bring about the support needed to win a majority, and that a compromise candidate was needed. The logical choice was Kentucky Senator Alben Barkley, the Democrat's minority leader in the US Senate. Barkley had supported Truman, but as a Southerner was a choice that the South could indeed accept. On the fourth ballot Barkley's name was entered into consideration, and he was nominated by a solid majority. In reverence to President Roosevelt, General James Roosevelt was selected as Barkley's running mate.
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so during wallace's term, does he put the brakes on Dulles and the OSS/CIA anti-communism operations in europe and elsewhere? I'd like to see a little more exploration in that area, especially greece/yugoslavia/italy. if there's time and interest, of course.

in that area, I had a comment - is the "wallace plan" essentially the same as OTL's marshall plan? and if that is the case, why would the communist and leftist organizations get less influence than OTL, especially given the aforementioned hesitation wallace has at ordering harsher methods against them?

just some questions. I'm enjoying the TL so far.
 
Now, it's time for Ye' Olde Plattitude:D, It's an intersting twist seeing Barklay get the nomination, so if he's the compromise pick, will we see the Democratic Party Split on the left and right? Because if it's just your standard election, it might be pretty dull lol
 
so during wallace's term, does he put the brakes on Dulles and the OSS/CIA anti-communism operations in europe and elsewhere? I'd like to see a little more exploration in that area, especially greece/yugoslavia/italy. if there's time and interest, of course.

in that area, I had a comment - is the "wallace plan" essentially the same as OTL's marshall plan? and if that is the case, why would the communist and leftist organizations get less influence than OTL, especially given the aforementioned hesitation wallace has at ordering harsher methods against them?

just some questions. I'm enjoying the TL so far.

The Wallace Plan is the Marshall Plan only that it allows for funding to Communist Countries. Of course they refused.

In terms of the CIA operations, Wallace isn't aware of a lot of it. The election work in Italy is still going on, though a little less openly. There has been no military aide to Greece, and they are loosing the war against the Communists. Basically things aren't going so well.
 
The Election of 1948

The Democratic Party entered the 1948 general election lacking any real excitement or hooplah. After all, Senator Alben Barkley was perceived as a very moderate, calm, and humble man. His record as Senate Majority Leader and more recently Minority Leader had given him a fair amount of experience in terms of political leadership. However he was not a captivating public speaker, and many in Washington viewed him as a caretaker candidate. But arguably Barkley's biggest problem was that he was running against both Dewey and Wallace. The image of Wallace as a Presidential failure hung over Barkley throughout the campaign. Even the New York Times satirized Barkley with the image of President Wallace and his famous haircut as Barkley's shadow. Tied to his leg was a ball-chain with the words "The New Deal". The reality was that whatever Democrat led the party into November, they would be tied to embracing the New Deal and held back by Wallace. In this regard Barkley was the safest candidate, as in the words of Arthur Schlesinger Jr. "Barkley wasn't going to make matters any worse."
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On the Republican side, the exact opposite was taking place. Despite devisions between the party's moderate and conservative wings, the Republicans were still riding the tide of their decisive mid-term victories. Governor Thomas Dewey of New York had defeated Senator Robert Taft of Ohio and General Howard Stassen of Minnesota for the nomination. The leader of the party's moderate wing, Dewey embraced many New Deal programs such as Social Security and greater spending on health, education, and public housing. In many regards he was a product of the New Deal and showed just how big an influence FDR had over the era. Dewey had selected Stassen as his Vice-Presidential nominee to appeal to veterans and counteract any benefit in that category Barkley might have with the selection of Roosevelt. Dewey's campaign focused on the Governor as a strong leader, often times comparing him to Theodore Roosevelt, and even FDR. In many ways this was his image: an intelligent and strong leader. However many voters were turned off by his apparent distance and inability to connect with the average voter. Nonetheless, Dewey held a strong lead over Barkley and the Democrats.
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The results themselves were not particularly surprising. The only thing that stood out was how well Barkley managed to do. Much of this is credited to the lasting appeal of the New Deal and Dewey's lack of campaigning down the stretch.Southern and Western voters were wary of turning the country over to an aloof Yankee Republican, and were more comfortable with the familiar Barkley. Nonetheless, Dewey's strong performance in the Northeast and Republican Midwest was enough to deliver him a comfortable victory.

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Dewey/Stassen (R) 54% of the PV, 305 EVs
Barkley/Roosevelt (D) 45% of the PV, 226 EVs
 
Dewey won, but loses Minnesota despite (or because of?) his running mate having been governor there a few years earlier. Interesting. I personally would have expected Barkley to win.
 
Dewey won, but loses Minnesota despite (or because of?) his running mate having been governor there a few years earlier. Interesting. I personally would have expected Barkley to win.

Same deal as with Ted Kennedy in 1980. Barkley performed better than Wallace would have, but much like Ted Kennedy would have performed better than Jimmy Carter it's unlikely that he would have won.
 
If Dewey had shaved that silly mustache, he could have beaten Truman ... and Barkley ... and left them punch drunk.

Seriously, Dewey would have taken Barkley to the woodshed. Truman had the advantage of superior campaign advice from Clark Clifford that neutralized Dewey effectively.

Without Clifford, Dewey would have won, and Wallace would be remembered much like Jimmy Carter is today.

Tony

That, that is, is.

That, that is not, is not.

Is that it?

It is.
 
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