How would Huey Long lead the US through World War II?

[Gukpard]

Last year I made a post about how to mismanage and botch the US entry in WWII even worse than OTL, and after Long got mentioned someone commented how the US would be so broken and corrupt at the time of their entry if he's in power that it would be the best way to botch the entry.

So let's say that Huey Long is somehow elected in 1940, and Japan attack Pearl Harbor at the same time as OTL, how would the USA behave? Will Long really screw america?

Time to call a few people to help.

@Sherman von Bismarck @Vinization @Geon

 

[CalBear]

Last year I made a post about how to mismanage and botch the US entry in WWII even worse than OTL, and after Long got mentioned someone commented how the US would be so broken and corrupt at the time of their entry if he's in power that it would be the best way to botch the entry.

So let's say that Huey Long is somehow elected in 1940, and Japan attack Pearl Harbor at the same time as OTL, how would the USA behave? Will Long really screw america?

Time to call a few people to help.

@Sherman von Bismarck @Vinization @Geon

Well, given that he is dead...

Assuming, for the sake of discussion, he isn't dead,l the first word that spring to mind is Catastrophy. While things could easily have changed, perhaps dramatically, in the six years between his OTL death and the 1941 Inauguration, had his positions remained consistent the impact both on American democracy and rediness would have been enormous, possibly disastrous.

Nightmare scenario.

 

[Nivek]

So let's say that Huey Long is somehow elected in 1940, and Japan attack Pearl Harbor at the same time as OTL, how would the USA behave? Will Long really screw america?

Nope he would focus a japan first war, and if Germany do something stupid, might be involved in Europe but a reversal of OTL, meaning Europe Is second...and Long might demand the soviets to pay up for any lend and lease given, the same British and french

 

[Gukpard]

Well, given that he is dead...

Assuming, for the sake of discussion, he isn't dead,l the first word that spring to mind is Catastrophy. While things could easily have changed, perhaps dramatically, in the six years between his OTL death and the 1941 Inauguration, had his positions remained consistent the impact both on American democracy and rediness would have been enormous, possibly disastrous.

Nightmare scenario.

What are the redflags that means that his war administration would suck?

 

[CalBear]

What are the redflags that means that his war administration would suck?

They start with the fact that he was a serious Isolationist, and I mean SERIOUS. Instead of having a cheerleader in the White House U.S. rearmament and initial mobilization will be almost entirely throttled back. Lend Lease is gone. The U.S. economy would be in a state of near anarchy with Congress and Long fighting over most of Long's "populist" policies and God Alone knows what the Hell would happen if Long (who literally had at least one political opponent kidnapped and held incommunicado for several days) had control of both the Department of Justice AND the U.S military. (Personally I'd give a well above Zero probability that the U.S. would be too busy dealing with one degree or another of serious internal turmoil that would prevent effective U.S. entry into the War).

Going much deeper that this would take me into a set of comparisons that are not appropriate for post-1900

 

[Amadeus]

Last year I made a post about how to mismanage and botch the US entry in WWII even worse than OTL, and after Long got mentioned someone commented how the US would be so broken and corrupt at the time of their entry if he's in power that it would be the best way to botch the entry.

So let's say that Huey Long is somehow elected in 1940, and Japan attack Pearl Harbor at the same time as OTL, how would the USA behave? Will Long really screw america?

Time to call a few people to help.

@Sherman von Bismarck @Vinization @Geon

The only way I can see this happening is if FDR is assassinated, Garner screws things up, Long sponsors a thirty party candidate who splits the vote and allows Alf Landon to win, leading to Long's victory in 1940. Even then, the party bosses would probably block Long at the Democratic Convention.

But if Long is elected, there is no Lend-Lease and America may never enter the war at all if the U.S. doesn't embargo Japan in 1941.

 

[Father Maryland]

Well, given that he is dead...

Assuming, for the sake of discussion, he isn't dead,l the first word that spring to mind is Catastrophy. While things could easily have changed, perhaps dramatically, in the six years between his OTL death and the 1941 Inauguration, had his positions remained consistent the impact both on American democracy and rediness would have been enormous, possibly disastrous.

Nightmare scenario.

Even better would be Earl Long. The guy who while governor had his enemies manage to get him forcibly admitted to a mental asylum as a lunatic to take his power (Though admittedly it seems like the guy did have some manner of major untreated mental illness). Only for Long to his enemies horror realize that the Mental Asylum he was at was a state facility. A state facility who's director was directly appointed by the Governor of Louisiana. And that there was nothing in the state constitution (or any other existing laws) that directly said the Governor couldn't both be in a mental Asylum and still have all his powers and abilities as Governor in place or that the governor strictly speaking couldn't be an out and out lunatic and still be Governor.

So Long just fucking fired the Chief of the mental asylum he was forcibly admitted to and hired one of his toadies to be the new Asylum chief. Said Toadie of course immediately ruled that Long was in fact perfectly sane and ordered him released.

God Louisiana politics sometimes seem more like outright political parodies then most parodies.

 

[Father Maryland]

They start with the fact that he was a serious Isolationist, and I mean SERIOUS. Instead of having a cheerleader in the White House U.S. rearmament and initial mobilization will be almost entirely throttled back. Lend Lease is gone. The U.S. economy would be in a state of near anarchy with Congress and Long fighting over most of Long's "populist" policies and God Alone knows what the Hell would happen if Long (who literally had at least one political opponent kidnapped and held incommunicado for several days) had control of both the Department of Justice AND the U.S military. (Personally I'd give a well above Zero probability that the U.S. would be too busy dealing with one degree or another of serious internal turmoil that would prevent effective U.S. entry into the War).

Going much deeper that this would take me into a set of comparisons that are not appropriate for post-1900

Now I'm imagining Huey Long appointing his brother Earl Long as his VP. Then the governor of North Dakota "Wild bill" Langer has Huey assassinated and now we've got President Earl Long. Which of course leads to the horrific "North Dakota War".

Ooh and now I've come up with someone who would as POTUS make you wish for the days of Earl Long as POTUS. Namely have Dr. Romulus Brinkley win his bid for the Kansas Governorship and then manage to parley that victory into a Presidential run.

A President who essentially campaigned entirely on "Free Mandatory Goat Testicle Transplants for every Man, Woman, and Child".

John R. Brinkley - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Gotta love a man who run's entirely for Governor because the state just took away his medical license (For minor offenses like being a complete fraud and an out and out sadistic maniac) and he wants it back. The guy did run for Governor of Kansas as a Write in Candidate and did actually effectively win but his opponents managed to invalidate enough of Brinkley's valid votes to ensure his loss.

 

[New Cleo Genesis]

Even better would be Earl Long. The guy who while governor had his enemies manage to get him forcibly admitted to a mental asylum as a lunatic to take his power (Though admittedly it seems like the guy did have some manner of major untreated mental illness). Only for Long to his enemies horror realize that the Mental Asylum he was at was a state facility. A state facility who's director was directly appointed by the Governor of Louisiana. And that there was nothing in the state constitution (or any other existing laws) that directly said the Governor couldn't both be in a mental Asylum and still have all his powers and abilities as Governor in place or that the governor strictly speaking couldn't be an out and out lunatic and still be Governor.

So Long just fucking fired the Chief of the mental asylum he was forcibly admitted to and hired one of his toadies to be the new Asylum chief. Said Toadie of course immediately ruled that Long was in fact perfectly sane and ordered him released.

God Louisiana politics sometimes seem more like outright political parodies then most parodies.

...mental.

 

[Father Maryland]

...mental.

Like I said Brinkley as POTUS would make Earl Long look like a paragon of good, honest, and competent government.

 

[Gukpard]

...mental.

That is quite awesome on a twisted way.

What about the eighties when the KKK leader David Duke almost got elected there?

A Long presidency could be a epic timeline since you got a massive dumpster fire coming and at the same.time can end with a better America due his poor welfare and social integration of afrocamericans policies.

 

[Geon]

There is a theory that Long was a victim of "friendly fire" from his bodyguards with a bullet ricocheting off of the wall and fatally wounding Long during the assassination attempt. It would be easy to have a POD where the aim of Long's bodyguard is better thus ensuring Long survives the attempt.

As to Long becoming president it would need a major and I do mean major disaster to the Roosevelt Administration for FDR to lose in 1940 and Long to win. I really don't see any sizeable portion of the electorate voting for Long. In fact I suspect had Long you would have seen a large number of Republicans defecting to vote for FDR!

 

[Father Maryland]

That is quite awesome on a twisted way.

What about the eighties when the KKK leader David Duke almost got elected there?

A Long presidency could be a epic timeline since you got a massive dumpster fire coming and at the same.time can end with a better America due his poor welfare and social integration of afrocamericans policies.

The one where the hopelessly hated and corrupt and incompetent borderline mafioso incumbentent governor got saved at the last minute by his opponent turning out to be more or less an out and out Nazi.

 

[Father Maryland]

That is quite awesome on a twisted way.

What about the eighties when the KKK leader David Duke almost got elected there?

A Long presidency could be a epic timeline since you got a massive dumpster fire coming and at the same.time can end with a better America due his poor welfare and social integration of afrocamericans policies.

Yeah you can imagine Earl Long in a Straight Jacket stuck in a room with padded walls and realizing "Wait. There's nothing in the constitution that says the Governor has to be sane or in anyway mentally competent."

A insane aslyum inmate literally firing the head of the aslyum he's imprisoned at is pretty awesome in a ludicrous way.

 

[Gukpard]

Yeah you can imagine Earl Long in a Straight Jacket stuck in a room with padded walls and realizing "Wait. There's nothing in the constitution that says the Governor has to be sane or in anyway mentally competent."

A insane aslyum inmate literally firing the head of the aslyum he's imprisoned at is pretty awesome in a ludicrous way.

I made this clip of his jingle

At 1,23 you can see that blank stare on his face, that is him leaving the insane asylum, you can cleary see that he lost it, so much that is the man at his side who is guiding him on the corridor by graping his arm
When he left there was this mob outside, so you can see that a fight starts as he leaves the place, but I cut the clip before it got too bad

 

[Father Maryland]

I made this clip of his jingle

At 1,23 you can see that blank stare on his face, that is him leaving the insane asylum, you can cleary see that he lost it, so much that is the man at his side who is guiding him on the corridor by graping his arm
When he left there was this mob outside, so you can see that a fight starts as he leaves the place, but I cut the clip before it got too bad

Well to be fair they might have juiced him up pretty good with sedatives. Would make sense since his enemies hospitalized in a attempt at a more or less coup. Which does end up making the bit where he realizes the constitution doesn't say a Governor has to be "sane" or "Not a complete and total Lunatic" and that he was still technically governor all the more impressive. And that his enemies had been foolish enough to stick him in a facility run by the State where the Chief was directly appointed by the governor.

 

[Gukpard]

Well to be fair they might have juiced him up pretty good with sedatives. Would make sense since his enemies hospitalized in a attempt at a more or less coup. Which does end up making the bit where he realizes the constitution doesn't say a Governor has to be "sane" or "Not a complete and total Lunatic" and that he was still technically governor all the more impressive. And that his enemies had been foolish enough to stick him in a facility run by the State where the Chief was directly appointed by the governor.

To be honest, while there is sympaty for Huey as a "Well intentioned extremist", this is gone with Earl, his government seems to have been like a never ending sadistic joke

One example was him with a "dancer" called Blaze Starr, he had a open relationship with her while being married, this was so scandalous that resulted on this movie

The movie selling line was "He had to choose between his marriage, the "dancer" or his government, he choosed to keep all"

This movie was also released on my country, Brazil, here a excerpt of a scene with Earl talking about Huey dubbed in portuguese, basically he laments that his brother could have been president while he cannot

As soon you click play you can see Huey Portrait, they used the original one, hah

 

[Father Maryland]

To be honest, while there is sympaty for Huey as a "Well intentioned extremist", this is gone with Earl, his government seems to have been like a never ending sadistic joke

One example was him with a "dancer" called Blaze Starr, he had a open relationship with her while being married, this was so scandalous that resulted on this movie

The movie selling line was "He had to choose between his marriage, the "dancer" or his government, he choosed to keep all"

This movie was also released on my country, Brazil, here a excerpt of a scene with Earl talking about Huey dubbed in portuguese, basically he laments that his brother could have been president while he cannot

As soon you click play you can see Huey Portrait, they used the original one, hah

Oh yeah terrible Governor. And he definitely had some severe mental illness. But the hospitalization does seem more of a coup then anything else and his opponents weren't a whole lot better.