In 1893, President Grover Cleveland tragically died while under going surgery for throat cancer. The operation was a botched affair, carried out in secret on a boat in the middle of the night. Vice-President Adlai Stevenson, who succeeded Cleveland upon his death, was not told until after the President had passed away. One of the doctors later wrote that had the team been more careful in carrying out the surgery, Cleveland might have lived and survived his cancer. What if he did?
 
One cool little extra fact, while we’re on the subject - the 1892 Election was almost deadlocked in the EC and thrown to Congress, wherein Cleveland would still be made President, but Republican Whitelaw Reid made Vice President. Assuming butterflies don’t affect the boat surgery, we almost got a Republican President after this.

But as to the PoD itself - I feel the easiest way to answer that would be to compare the Cleveland and Stevenson presidential terms. Any experts on the Gilded Age here who could answer?
 
Well President Stevenson went for silver. Had Cleveland gone on things might be different. Had he insisted on hard money Populists might have been stronger. Democrats would likely have lost the 1896 elections
 
Well one thing for certain is that we definitely wouldn't have had Theodore Roosevelt for 3 terms as a Republican that's for sure
 
Well President Stevenson went for silver. Had Cleveland gone on things might be different. Had he insisted on hard money Populists might have been stronger. Democrats would likely have lost the 1896 elections

I think as in OTL they would have lost no matter what. Even with Stevenson, the Democrats at best managed to make it a close race against McKinley.

Well one thing for certain is that we definitely wouldn't have had Theodore Roosevelt for 3 terms as a Republican that's for sure

Perhaps if Cleveland had served until 1897, having declined to run again in 1896, it would undermine TR's argument that he was justified in running in 1908. If that's enough to prevent a second Roosevelt nomination for a second full term, who might have won in 1908 instead? The direction of the 1910's could be changed dramatically by a different President.
 
I think as in OTL they would have lost no matter what. Even with Stevenson, the Democrats at best managed to make it a close race against McKinley.



Perhaps if Cleveland had served until 1897, having declined to run again in 1896, it would undermine TR's argument that he was justified in running in 1908. If that's enough to prevent a second Roosevelt nomination for a second full term, who might have won in 1908 instead? The direction of the 1910's could be changed dramatically by a different President.
I know it's a stretch but possibly Taft?
 
I know it's a stretch but possibly Taft?

Taft wasn't yet Chief Justice in 1908, so he's free to run and he'd be an excellent choice. Unlike the conservative Root, who was narrowly elected to succeed Roosevelt in 1912, Taft was a committed but pragmatic progressive and a close personal friend of TR. Taft is often praised as one of the all time great Chief Justices; given the strong economy and relative peace before WW1 I can't think of any reason he wouldn't have been a successful President.
 
Taft wasn't yet Chief Justice in 1908, so he's free to run and he'd be an excellent choice. Unlike the conservative Root, who was narrowly elected to succeed Roosevelt in 1912, Taft was a committed but pragmatic progressive and a close personal friend of TR. Taft is often praised as one of the all time great Chief Justices; given the strong economy and relative peace before WW1 I can't think of any reason he wouldn't have been a successful President.
Yeah I guess but I seen a TL actually have some guy named Woodrow Wilson be elected as president
 
One point. Whether re-elected or not, Pres Stevenson may well be renominated. He's pro-silver, so probably Bryan won't challenge him. Does WJB achieve his OTL prominence w/o running in 1896?
 
Yeah I guess but I seen a TL actually have some guy named Woodrow Wilson be elected as president

I think it's where the 1916 convention deadlocks, and instead of James Cox the Democrats nominate Wilson. Like Cox he leads the US into WW1, but is defeated in 1920 by Charles Evans Hughes. It seems that after the Civil War and before FDR the Democrats could never win more than one term at a time in the White House.
 
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