The Republicans Split Once More:
The Radicals and Conservatives March
1860: Abraham Lincoln / Hannibal Hamlin (Republican) [1]
1864: Abraham Lincoln / Andrew Johnson (National Union) [2]
1868: Charles Sumner / John Bingham (Republican) [3]
1872: Charles Sumner / John Bingham (Republican) [4]
1876: Thomas A. Hendricks / Nathaniel P. Banks (National) [5]
1880: William T. Sherman / Clinton B. Fisk (Independent) [6]
1884: William T. Sherman / Clinton B. Fisk (Independent) [7]
1888: William B. Allison / George Harst (National) [8]
1892: Benjamin Harrison / Thomas Reed(Republican) [9]
1896: Thomas Reed / Alfred Mahan (Republican) [10]
1900: Thomas Reed / Alfred Mahan (Republican) [11]
1904: Mark Hanna / Marion Butler (Republican) [12]
1906: Marion Butler (Republican) [13]
1908: Theodore Roosevelt / John W. Weeks (National) [14]
1911: John W. Weeks (National) [15]
1912: Albert B. Cummins / Hiram Johnson (Republican) [16]
1916: Robert M. LaFollette / John M. Parker (National) [17]
1920: Robert M. LaFollette / Francis E. McGovern (National) [18]
1924: Parley P. Christensen / George W. Norris (Populist) [19]
1928: Francis E. McGovern / Clarence Darrow (National) [20]
1932: Upton Sinclair / Norman Thomas (Socialist) [21]
1934: Norman Thomas (Socialist) [22]
1936: Clayton Douglass Buck / George W. Norris (New) [23] [24]
1940: George Marshall/ Dwight D. Eisenhower(Independent) [25]
1944: Huey Long/Franklin Roosevelt (Share Our Wealth) [26]
1948: Huey Long/Joachim Fernandez (Share Our Wealth) [27]
1950: Huey Long/VACANT (Share Our Wealth) [28]
1954: Huey Long/Lyndon Johnson (Share Our Wealth) [29]
1957: Huey Long (Share Our Wealth) [30]
1960: Nelson Rockefeller / Hubert Humphrey (Liberal Republican) [31]
1964: Nelson Rockefeller / Hubert Humphrey (Liberal Republican) [32]
1968: Richard Nixon/ George H. W. Bush (Conservative) [33]
[1] Same as OTL.
[2] The moderate course of action pursued by Lincoln allowed unionist Republicans to gain control of most Southern delegations in the 1864 election, but the fundamental divisions of opinion between the radical and conservative factions were becoming increasingly evident. Lincoln declined running for a third term, but the Republican Convention slowly turned into a bloodbath.
[3] The radical Republicans managed to gain control of the 1868 convention and nominate Senator Charles Sumner and Representative John Bingham. The ticket won the election and rapidly began to enforce re-organization in the South - to the opposition of riots.
[4] Sumner was re-elected on the strength of his political coalition with newly-enfranchised black populations that won him several southern states. With this support, land reform followed as plantations were redistributed to former slaves and civil codes brought black emancipation and rights into law. However, the passing of the Christian Amendment (which modified the Preamble to the Constitution to include Christian religious principles) alienated many advocates of a fully-secular state, which in turn lead to large gains for the National Party (a post-war merger of Conservative Republicans and Democratic remnants) in the 1874 midterms.
[5] Building on their gains in the previous midterms, the Nationals won their first general election in 1876; despite managing to repeal the Christian Amendment, their efforts to reverse the laws created by the Republican Party proved to be unsuccessful and ultimately caused more strife in the South.
[6] Following the Depression of 1878, relations in America seemed to echo the period preceding the Civil War. In retaliation, Ohio Senator John Sherman encouraged his older brother to stand for election. William T. Sherman was a head-strong figure whose military accomplishments spoke wonders. On top of that, Sherman stood as the first non-political candidate for the Presidency since Washington himself. For his running mate, some thought he would choose his brother but he chose Brigadier General Clinton B. Fisk instead (who had been one of the most senior officers during Reconstruction in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands). He had also personally established the first free public schools in the South for white and African-American children. The Sherman and Fisk ticket won by a landslide against Nationalist ticket New York Governor Grover Cleveland and Senator Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware. Sherman saw support from the poorest parts of Southern America, with resources being found to establish industry and growth to match that of the Northern states. The economy was taking a sharp U-turn for the better at this point.
[7] The successful policies and designs enacted by the Sherman Administration guaranteed a second term and he ironically became the Great Saviour to the South. Cities like Birmingham, Savannah, Biloxi, and New Orleans became cultural and industrial tigers. Other legacies include reforming the Bureau of Indian Affairs and a warming in relations to China as trade between the two nations began to boom.
[8] In 1888 William B. Allison - a centrist pro-business senator from Iowa - was elected on a platform of immigration reform, minimal economic intervention and isolationism in a tight election. His vice president - George Hearst - had mainly been nominated for his financial means rather than any of his few political accomplishments and as was fitting of his past preceded to accomplish little other than dying in office three years in. Allison, however, led a wholly reactionary government. His immigration policy amounted to almost entirely closing the border, restricting economic growth and damaging international relations - Allison himself was unhappy with the job and often expressed his desire to return to the Senate.
[9] The first Republican president in 20 years, Ben Harrison won a big margin over Grover Cleveland (running for a second time). He was a moderately reforming President, and narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 1895.
[10] Harrison - citing ill-health - did not run for a second term, but essentially handed the nomination to his Vice President. Considered to be one of the greatest Presidents in history, he used his extensive legislative knowledge to successfully pass the Voting Rights Act of 1896 (which allowed Congress to enforce laws about voting rights for African-Americans).
[11] Reed would coast to re-election at the turn of the century, although this unfortunately brought an end to his rampant successes. Sporadic violence throughout the former Confederacy would see federal troops deployed to South Carolina and Mississippi for the first time since the end of Reconstruction. Given such domestic unrest, Reed would maintain a cautious neutrality in foreign affairs - especially during the 1901 war scare between the British and Russian Empires. The 1902 midterms would see African-American voters turn out in droves (for the Republicans) throughout the South, and the taming of violence and the political boost would give the Republicans enough seats to finally overturn the strict immigration laws; this included the Chinese Exclusion Act that, in many opinions, cost the Republicans the West Coast for a generation.
[12] An ardent networker, fundraiser, and campaign innovator, Mark Hanna snatched the Republican nomination from several prominent rivals. While he would largely maintain continuity with the Reedist Wing, Hanna would attempt to thread the needle between the interests of the increasingly powerful trusts and those of the workingman (to decidedly mixed success) with its advocacy of 'responsible unionism'.
[13] The Hanna presidency was cut short by a heart-attack in 1906, and to nationals shock Butler took over the White House. A former populist, Butler had little in common with his predecessor but immediately established himself as a president for the 'common man'. He often advocated for such radical positions as the constitutional protection of unions, the nationalization of the railroad industry and even occasionally silver-based currency. He was hated by almost every member of Congress and almost every major politician under the sun as most saw him as a dangerous populist or progressive radical; others claimed he was a false radical, and cited his controversial white supremacist leanings.
[14] In 1908, after 16 years of Republican control, the Nationals under Theodore Roosevelt regained the White House. Roosevelt was a true progressive, and passed many progressive laws during his first years in office.
[15] Unfortunately, the sudden death of his second wife led to President Roosevelt sinking into depression and his resignation from the president in 1911. John W. Weeks inherited the office in the final leg of what would have been the first term, and struggled to keep his nervous party in good order as it headed into an election year.
[16] An oddball candidate right from the start, the junior Senator Albert Cummins hailed from the small Butler wing of the Republican Party. Cummins (with the help of the growing Socialist Party) succeeded in passing a similar amendment to the failed union amendment as well as several pieces of legislation aimed at assisting poor Americans through tax cuts and subsidies of various industries (such as farming and fishing).
[17] Robert M. LaFollette won the 1916 by a close margin, and whilst his approval ratings sagged following the declaration of war against Germany and Mexico it proved a worthwhile investment industrially and geopolitically. The Golden Age of America brought in tax cuts, improving living conditions for the poorest, and the establishment of an international American sphere.
[18] Given the successes of his first term, LaFollette was virtually guaranteed a second term and was duly rewarded with almost a complete victory in the Electoral College. The National victory over the Republicans (under William W. Wotherspoon) was so significant that the latter entered a major crisis; the Socialists had also performed well, but had suffered by a number of overlapping policies with the Nationals. The deployment of peoples' industrialism in urban areas was met with great enthusiasm and optimism, and the first high-rise skyscrapers began to forever alter the skylines of American cities. Furthermore, the decision to use troops in the Mexican Occupation Zones as industrial tools - building railroads, ports and other complementing industries - was highly successful in both pacifying many regions and restoring trust between the USA and the apologist Mexican government.
[19] In 1922 leaders of the emerging Socialist party and various members of the 'Butler Wing' met to discuss strategy. By the end of their discussion they had come to a startling agreement - a new political party. These new Populists were socially and economically progressive, and actively supported the common man over big business. They won a surprisingly large number of seats in the 1922 midterms, blocking the Nationalists from keeping a majority and forcing a Nationalist/Populist coalition. During this time several Nationalists left their party in favor of the new more radical Populist party. Their first presidential nominee Parley Christensen would have most likely ended up a distant third, but upon receiving the endorsement of three very popular former presidents (Cummins, Roosevelt and Butler) voters began to take a second look at the Populist platform. His victory was a close one, narrowly winning a majority of electoral votes and by only around two dozen electoral votes over Nationalist nominee William Kenyon (with the Republican Nominee Nicholas Butler trailing in a disastrous third). The Populists largely focused on the goals of the Butler Populists and Nationalist defectors whilst ignoring much of the demands of the Socialists. It was already unclear whether this new political party would hold.
[20] The election of 1928 would begin one of the most vicious periods in the American politics; the fracturing of the National wings led to a surge in bitterness in both parties, but most particularly with the LaFollette faction. Many believed that the formation of the Populists was a betrayal to the already-progressive Nationals, and the final year of the Populist government was marred by National-led scandals against Christensen. As such, come the narrow National victory (under the return of McGovern) an outright political war began. Through the middle came the return of the Republicans (who performed well at the midterms) and despite continued economic growth both the Nationals and the Populists suffered. Nothing would change with the arrival of the 1931 Economic Crash.
[21] With the electorate discontented with both of the established parties and with the economic crash causing large amounts of unemployment, Upton Sinclair was elected the first Socialist President in 1932. His attempts to reform the economy were largely fruitless against the National-Populist coalition dominating Congress. Sinclair was forced to enact several of his key policies (such as the Economic Bill of Rights) by decree, which have led to some to call him 'King Upton I.'
[22] In 1934, Sinclair was assassinated by a radical nationalist. Norman Thomas became president and promised moderate reforms.
[23] By the beginning of election season for the 1936 contest, it was clear that the economy was in freefall. The Socialist attempt to spend their way out of the crisis had been resisted by defaulted banks and angry opposition, and the assassination of Sinclair had left the movement in anarchy. Similarly, however, as the brief Thomas administration came to an end so did the long-established National Party. The coalition with the Populists, whilst practical, had proved unpopular with many (particularly those on the moderate right). As such, this increasingly-discontented majority broke away from the coalition (which later congealed into the Populists proper) and founded the optimistically-centre-right New Party. Against the disastrous backdrop of the first Socialist government, Buck and the News narrowly defeated Thomas to take the White House. Two-party politics was once again established with the Populist remnant falling away and any other challengers distant at best. In Europe, the collapse of the American financial system had triggered a greater wave of unemployment (although the LaFollette renegotiation of reparations with Germany and the later acceptance of Britain to do the same in 1930 eased German worries marginally).
* Note: Some states in the north of the Mexican Occupation Zone with a large American presence should probably, by now, just be beginning to think about union with the USA. In particular, the pressure for a South California state (incorporating American-occupied Baja) should be much larger. These things take time though, and joining at the height of a Great Depression probably ain't a wise move.
[24] - The constant period of unpolpularity led to a British invasion in 1938.
[25] - Following the British invasion in 1938 and the Second War of Independence, George Marshall, was unanimous election as President along with Eisenhower.
The two military generals, were able to bring about public order and repair the infustructor destroyed by the invasive British army.[
[26] The imploding economy, international depression, and rampant homelessness and inequality under the Two Generals (and before) lead to Huey Long's rapid ascent to the presidency. With the party system broken, and millions of people homeless (at best), Long wins with a huge mandate and enough congressmen from his new party (as well as many sympathetic congressmen from the other rump parties) to fully implement his plans. Within a few months of his election, the Supreme Court is expanded to 15 seats, giving him full freedom to implement his radical agenda. His most extreme policies are fully implemented by late 1946. He also moves to cement his position as president, and thousands of his opponents are jailed, blackmailed or even killed.
[27] An amendment eliminating the electoral college made it possible to shove the conservative Roosevelt out in favor of Long's close ally Joachim Fernandez. Share Our Wealth was in total control. But then a shot rang out and changed America forever...
[28] Vice President Fernandez's assassination paved the way for the Presidential Secession Act of 1954.
[29] Long is reelected (along with his young protege Johnson) to a third full term. For the common man, he is a hero. He eliminated the ultra wealthy with his wealth caps, he's provide universal healthcare, good meals and a comfortable lifestyle for everyone. But for this enemies and those who just get on his bad side? They are marginalized, brutalized and often disappeared. Share Our Wealth utterly dominates the American political scene and their grip is only tightening. Long meets with the aging Stalin, whose recent victory over the fascist Germans lead to the establishment of the Bonn Pact, which spans from the Pyrenees to the Persian Gulf, to the Bering Sea. 4 states created out of occupied northern Mexico are finally admitted to the union, as is Puerto Rico.
[30] - Johnson steps down in 1957, but Long refuses to appoint a replacement and declares himself "President for Life."
[31] Following the death of "President for Life Long" and the end of the share your wealth attitude, the American nation turned to the Liberal Republican Party.
[32] - Four years later, the Liberal Republicans get elected to a landslide victory.
[33] Richard Nixon became the first American conservative President, with Texan Representative, George H. W. Bush, as Vice President. Their party stood against Hubert Humphrey's Liberal Republican, who did not do well in the Scandinavian War, with Russia, occupy Northern Norway and Eastern Finland.
Working closely with British Conservative, Prime Minister, Enoch Powell, to create WIA (Western Intelligence Agency) a military foreign intelligence service that worked for NATO. One of it's major acts, was to arrest high profile communist sympathisers in Western countries such as Harold Wilson and James Carter.
The remainder of his (first) term was spent mainly on foreign policy.
Dewey Really Defeats Truman:
1948: Thomas Dewey/Earl Warren (Republican) [1]
1952: Harry Truman/Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) [2]
1956: Harry Truman/Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) [3]
1960: Nelson Rockefeller/Richard Nixon (Republican) [4]
1963: Richard Nixon/VACANT (Republican) [5]
1964: Richard Nixon/Cecil H. Underwood (Republican) [6]
1968: Hubert H. Humphrey/Edmund Muskie (Democratic) [7]
1970: Edmund Muskie/VACANT (Democratic) [8]
1972: Ronald Reagan/Margaret C. Smith (Republican) [9]
[1] Thomas Dewey ends up barely defeating incumbent Harry Truman after a very vlose fought election. The election was so close that Dewey won the electoral vote and Truman won the popular vote. This proved divisive for the nation.
[2] After Dewey fumbles dramatically in handling Korea and the economy temporarily slowing with Unions protesting en masse to his economic policy, former President Truman returns to win the election in 1952.
[3] With a good economy and the war in Korea resolved, Truman won reelection, defeating Republican Harold Stassen as well as another Dixiecrat challenge from Strom Thurmond. Thanks to Dewey, the GOP was firmly controlled by the liberals, and many Southerners began to complain that neither major party represented their views.
[4] Liberal New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller was easily nominated by his insider credentials, and thanks to a few missteps with the Soviet Union, some disagreements by the President with Labor Unions, and a recession during election season, won the election.
[5] The Vice President chosen for his foreign policy credentials ascended to the Presidency when President Rockefeller was assassinated in Tennessee by KKK-affiliated James Earl Ray.
[6] With the good economy, peaceful foreign policy and sympathy from the assassination of President Rockefeller, Nixon is returned to office in a landslide. The black vote goes for Nixon at very high levels, (upwards of 80%). Ever the pragmatist, he immediately champions an Equal Rights Amendment. With the white nationalists discredited after the assassination, he is able to force it through. The Republican Party once again become synonymous with Civil Rights.
[7] With the unpopular war in Vietnam, riots in major cites, and inflation on the rise, Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota is elected President of the United States, defeating incumbent President Richard Nixon, and independent candidate George Wallace. The South goes for Wallace, the black was split between Nixon and Humphrey, a Democrat with a strong civil rights record. Northern Whites very narrowly went to Humphrey, giving him a narrow win in the electoral college and popular vote.
[8] Humphrey is assassinated in 1970, leading Edmund Muskie to be the first Polish American to become President.
[9] Although incumbent President Edmund Muskie's final year and a half term went smoothly and his running mate, Former Governor of North Carolina, Terry Sanford fought a hard campaign, the pair were no match, to California Governor, Ronald Reagan and Maine Senator, Margaret Smith.
This strong due would see four years of strong economic growth and saw a dramatic peaceful end to the Vietnam War, by Soviet Leader, Leonid Brezhnev, interving on the side of South Vietnam, due to many thinking he feared Vice President Smith, after she had be called by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev "the devil in disguise of a woman" for wanting to use nuclear weapons.
The Radicals and Conservatives March
1860: Abraham Lincoln / Hannibal Hamlin (Republican) [1]
1864: Abraham Lincoln / Andrew Johnson (National Union) [2]
1868: Charles Sumner / John Bingham (Republican) [3]
1872: Charles Sumner / John Bingham (Republican) [4]
1876: Thomas A. Hendricks / Nathaniel P. Banks (National) [5]
1880: William T. Sherman / Clinton B. Fisk (Independent) [6]
1884: William T. Sherman / Clinton B. Fisk (Independent) [7]
1888: William B. Allison / George Harst (National) [8]
1892: Benjamin Harrison / Thomas Reed(Republican) [9]
1896: Thomas Reed / Alfred Mahan (Republican) [10]
1900: Thomas Reed / Alfred Mahan (Republican) [11]
1904: Mark Hanna / Marion Butler (Republican) [12]
1906: Marion Butler (Republican) [13]
1908: Theodore Roosevelt / John W. Weeks (National) [14]
1911: John W. Weeks (National) [15]
1912: Albert B. Cummins / Hiram Johnson (Republican) [16]
1916: Robert M. LaFollette / John M. Parker (National) [17]
1920: Robert M. LaFollette / Francis E. McGovern (National) [18]
1924: Parley P. Christensen / George W. Norris (Populist) [19]
1928: Francis E. McGovern / Clarence Darrow (National) [20]
1932: Upton Sinclair / Norman Thomas (Socialist) [21]
1934: Norman Thomas (Socialist) [22]
1936: Clayton Douglass Buck / George W. Norris (New) [23] [24]
1940: George Marshall/ Dwight D. Eisenhower(Independent) [25]
1944: Huey Long/Franklin Roosevelt (Share Our Wealth) [26]
1948: Huey Long/Joachim Fernandez (Share Our Wealth) [27]
1950: Huey Long/VACANT (Share Our Wealth) [28]
1954: Huey Long/Lyndon Johnson (Share Our Wealth) [29]
1957: Huey Long (Share Our Wealth) [30]
1960: Nelson Rockefeller / Hubert Humphrey (Liberal Republican) [31]
1964: Nelson Rockefeller / Hubert Humphrey (Liberal Republican) [32]
1968: Richard Nixon/ George H. W. Bush (Conservative) [33]
[1] Same as OTL.
[2] The moderate course of action pursued by Lincoln allowed unionist Republicans to gain control of most Southern delegations in the 1864 election, but the fundamental divisions of opinion between the radical and conservative factions were becoming increasingly evident. Lincoln declined running for a third term, but the Republican Convention slowly turned into a bloodbath.
[3] The radical Republicans managed to gain control of the 1868 convention and nominate Senator Charles Sumner and Representative John Bingham. The ticket won the election and rapidly began to enforce re-organization in the South - to the opposition of riots.
[4] Sumner was re-elected on the strength of his political coalition with newly-enfranchised black populations that won him several southern states. With this support, land reform followed as plantations were redistributed to former slaves and civil codes brought black emancipation and rights into law. However, the passing of the Christian Amendment (which modified the Preamble to the Constitution to include Christian religious principles) alienated many advocates of a fully-secular state, which in turn lead to large gains for the National Party (a post-war merger of Conservative Republicans and Democratic remnants) in the 1874 midterms.
[5] Building on their gains in the previous midterms, the Nationals won their first general election in 1876; despite managing to repeal the Christian Amendment, their efforts to reverse the laws created by the Republican Party proved to be unsuccessful and ultimately caused more strife in the South.
[6] Following the Depression of 1878, relations in America seemed to echo the period preceding the Civil War. In retaliation, Ohio Senator John Sherman encouraged his older brother to stand for election. William T. Sherman was a head-strong figure whose military accomplishments spoke wonders. On top of that, Sherman stood as the first non-political candidate for the Presidency since Washington himself. For his running mate, some thought he would choose his brother but he chose Brigadier General Clinton B. Fisk instead (who had been one of the most senior officers during Reconstruction in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands). He had also personally established the first free public schools in the South for white and African-American children. The Sherman and Fisk ticket won by a landslide against Nationalist ticket New York Governor Grover Cleveland and Senator Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware. Sherman saw support from the poorest parts of Southern America, with resources being found to establish industry and growth to match that of the Northern states. The economy was taking a sharp U-turn for the better at this point.
[7] The successful policies and designs enacted by the Sherman Administration guaranteed a second term and he ironically became the Great Saviour to the South. Cities like Birmingham, Savannah, Biloxi, and New Orleans became cultural and industrial tigers. Other legacies include reforming the Bureau of Indian Affairs and a warming in relations to China as trade between the two nations began to boom.
[8] In 1888 William B. Allison - a centrist pro-business senator from Iowa - was elected on a platform of immigration reform, minimal economic intervention and isolationism in a tight election. His vice president - George Hearst - had mainly been nominated for his financial means rather than any of his few political accomplishments and as was fitting of his past preceded to accomplish little other than dying in office three years in. Allison, however, led a wholly reactionary government. His immigration policy amounted to almost entirely closing the border, restricting economic growth and damaging international relations - Allison himself was unhappy with the job and often expressed his desire to return to the Senate.
[9] The first Republican president in 20 years, Ben Harrison won a big margin over Grover Cleveland (running for a second time). He was a moderately reforming President, and narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 1895.
[10] Harrison - citing ill-health - did not run for a second term, but essentially handed the nomination to his Vice President. Considered to be one of the greatest Presidents in history, he used his extensive legislative knowledge to successfully pass the Voting Rights Act of 1896 (which allowed Congress to enforce laws about voting rights for African-Americans).
[11] Reed would coast to re-election at the turn of the century, although this unfortunately brought an end to his rampant successes. Sporadic violence throughout the former Confederacy would see federal troops deployed to South Carolina and Mississippi for the first time since the end of Reconstruction. Given such domestic unrest, Reed would maintain a cautious neutrality in foreign affairs - especially during the 1901 war scare between the British and Russian Empires. The 1902 midterms would see African-American voters turn out in droves (for the Republicans) throughout the South, and the taming of violence and the political boost would give the Republicans enough seats to finally overturn the strict immigration laws; this included the Chinese Exclusion Act that, in many opinions, cost the Republicans the West Coast for a generation.
[12] An ardent networker, fundraiser, and campaign innovator, Mark Hanna snatched the Republican nomination from several prominent rivals. While he would largely maintain continuity with the Reedist Wing, Hanna would attempt to thread the needle between the interests of the increasingly powerful trusts and those of the workingman (to decidedly mixed success) with its advocacy of 'responsible unionism'.
[13] The Hanna presidency was cut short by a heart-attack in 1906, and to nationals shock Butler took over the White House. A former populist, Butler had little in common with his predecessor but immediately established himself as a president for the 'common man'. He often advocated for such radical positions as the constitutional protection of unions, the nationalization of the railroad industry and even occasionally silver-based currency. He was hated by almost every member of Congress and almost every major politician under the sun as most saw him as a dangerous populist or progressive radical; others claimed he was a false radical, and cited his controversial white supremacist leanings.
[14] In 1908, after 16 years of Republican control, the Nationals under Theodore Roosevelt regained the White House. Roosevelt was a true progressive, and passed many progressive laws during his first years in office.
[15] Unfortunately, the sudden death of his second wife led to President Roosevelt sinking into depression and his resignation from the president in 1911. John W. Weeks inherited the office in the final leg of what would have been the first term, and struggled to keep his nervous party in good order as it headed into an election year.
[16] An oddball candidate right from the start, the junior Senator Albert Cummins hailed from the small Butler wing of the Republican Party. Cummins (with the help of the growing Socialist Party) succeeded in passing a similar amendment to the failed union amendment as well as several pieces of legislation aimed at assisting poor Americans through tax cuts and subsidies of various industries (such as farming and fishing).
[17] Robert M. LaFollette won the 1916 by a close margin, and whilst his approval ratings sagged following the declaration of war against Germany and Mexico it proved a worthwhile investment industrially and geopolitically. The Golden Age of America brought in tax cuts, improving living conditions for the poorest, and the establishment of an international American sphere.
[18] Given the successes of his first term, LaFollette was virtually guaranteed a second term and was duly rewarded with almost a complete victory in the Electoral College. The National victory over the Republicans (under William W. Wotherspoon) was so significant that the latter entered a major crisis; the Socialists had also performed well, but had suffered by a number of overlapping policies with the Nationals. The deployment of peoples' industrialism in urban areas was met with great enthusiasm and optimism, and the first high-rise skyscrapers began to forever alter the skylines of American cities. Furthermore, the decision to use troops in the Mexican Occupation Zones as industrial tools - building railroads, ports and other complementing industries - was highly successful in both pacifying many regions and restoring trust between the USA and the apologist Mexican government.
[19] In 1922 leaders of the emerging Socialist party and various members of the 'Butler Wing' met to discuss strategy. By the end of their discussion they had come to a startling agreement - a new political party. These new Populists were socially and economically progressive, and actively supported the common man over big business. They won a surprisingly large number of seats in the 1922 midterms, blocking the Nationalists from keeping a majority and forcing a Nationalist/Populist coalition. During this time several Nationalists left their party in favor of the new more radical Populist party. Their first presidential nominee Parley Christensen would have most likely ended up a distant third, but upon receiving the endorsement of three very popular former presidents (Cummins, Roosevelt and Butler) voters began to take a second look at the Populist platform. His victory was a close one, narrowly winning a majority of electoral votes and by only around two dozen electoral votes over Nationalist nominee William Kenyon (with the Republican Nominee Nicholas Butler trailing in a disastrous third). The Populists largely focused on the goals of the Butler Populists and Nationalist defectors whilst ignoring much of the demands of the Socialists. It was already unclear whether this new political party would hold.
[20] The election of 1928 would begin one of the most vicious periods in the American politics; the fracturing of the National wings led to a surge in bitterness in both parties, but most particularly with the LaFollette faction. Many believed that the formation of the Populists was a betrayal to the already-progressive Nationals, and the final year of the Populist government was marred by National-led scandals against Christensen. As such, come the narrow National victory (under the return of McGovern) an outright political war began. Through the middle came the return of the Republicans (who performed well at the midterms) and despite continued economic growth both the Nationals and the Populists suffered. Nothing would change with the arrival of the 1931 Economic Crash.
[21] With the electorate discontented with both of the established parties and with the economic crash causing large amounts of unemployment, Upton Sinclair was elected the first Socialist President in 1932. His attempts to reform the economy were largely fruitless against the National-Populist coalition dominating Congress. Sinclair was forced to enact several of his key policies (such as the Economic Bill of Rights) by decree, which have led to some to call him 'King Upton I.'
[22] In 1934, Sinclair was assassinated by a radical nationalist. Norman Thomas became president and promised moderate reforms.
[23] By the beginning of election season for the 1936 contest, it was clear that the economy was in freefall. The Socialist attempt to spend their way out of the crisis had been resisted by defaulted banks and angry opposition, and the assassination of Sinclair had left the movement in anarchy. Similarly, however, as the brief Thomas administration came to an end so did the long-established National Party. The coalition with the Populists, whilst practical, had proved unpopular with many (particularly those on the moderate right). As such, this increasingly-discontented majority broke away from the coalition (which later congealed into the Populists proper) and founded the optimistically-centre-right New Party. Against the disastrous backdrop of the first Socialist government, Buck and the News narrowly defeated Thomas to take the White House. Two-party politics was once again established with the Populist remnant falling away and any other challengers distant at best. In Europe, the collapse of the American financial system had triggered a greater wave of unemployment (although the LaFollette renegotiation of reparations with Germany and the later acceptance of Britain to do the same in 1930 eased German worries marginally).
* Note: Some states in the north of the Mexican Occupation Zone with a large American presence should probably, by now, just be beginning to think about union with the USA. In particular, the pressure for a South California state (incorporating American-occupied Baja) should be much larger. These things take time though, and joining at the height of a Great Depression probably ain't a wise move.
[24] - The constant period of unpolpularity led to a British invasion in 1938.
[25] - Following the British invasion in 1938 and the Second War of Independence, George Marshall, was unanimous election as President along with Eisenhower.
The two military generals, were able to bring about public order and repair the infustructor destroyed by the invasive British army.[
[26] The imploding economy, international depression, and rampant homelessness and inequality under the Two Generals (and before) lead to Huey Long's rapid ascent to the presidency. With the party system broken, and millions of people homeless (at best), Long wins with a huge mandate and enough congressmen from his new party (as well as many sympathetic congressmen from the other rump parties) to fully implement his plans. Within a few months of his election, the Supreme Court is expanded to 15 seats, giving him full freedom to implement his radical agenda. His most extreme policies are fully implemented by late 1946. He also moves to cement his position as president, and thousands of his opponents are jailed, blackmailed or even killed.
[27] An amendment eliminating the electoral college made it possible to shove the conservative Roosevelt out in favor of Long's close ally Joachim Fernandez. Share Our Wealth was in total control. But then a shot rang out and changed America forever...
[28] Vice President Fernandez's assassination paved the way for the Presidential Secession Act of 1954.
[29] Long is reelected (along with his young protege Johnson) to a third full term. For the common man, he is a hero. He eliminated the ultra wealthy with his wealth caps, he's provide universal healthcare, good meals and a comfortable lifestyle for everyone. But for this enemies and those who just get on his bad side? They are marginalized, brutalized and often disappeared. Share Our Wealth utterly dominates the American political scene and their grip is only tightening. Long meets with the aging Stalin, whose recent victory over the fascist Germans lead to the establishment of the Bonn Pact, which spans from the Pyrenees to the Persian Gulf, to the Bering Sea. 4 states created out of occupied northern Mexico are finally admitted to the union, as is Puerto Rico.
[30] - Johnson steps down in 1957, but Long refuses to appoint a replacement and declares himself "President for Life."
[31] Following the death of "President for Life Long" and the end of the share your wealth attitude, the American nation turned to the Liberal Republican Party.
[32] - Four years later, the Liberal Republicans get elected to a landslide victory.
[33] Richard Nixon became the first American conservative President, with Texan Representative, George H. W. Bush, as Vice President. Their party stood against Hubert Humphrey's Liberal Republican, who did not do well in the Scandinavian War, with Russia, occupy Northern Norway and Eastern Finland.
Working closely with British Conservative, Prime Minister, Enoch Powell, to create WIA (Western Intelligence Agency) a military foreign intelligence service that worked for NATO. One of it's major acts, was to arrest high profile communist sympathisers in Western countries such as Harold Wilson and James Carter.
The remainder of his (first) term was spent mainly on foreign policy.
Dewey Really Defeats Truman:
1948: Thomas Dewey/Earl Warren (Republican) [1]
1952: Harry Truman/Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) [2]
1956: Harry Truman/Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) [3]
1960: Nelson Rockefeller/Richard Nixon (Republican) [4]
1963: Richard Nixon/VACANT (Republican) [5]
1964: Richard Nixon/Cecil H. Underwood (Republican) [6]
1968: Hubert H. Humphrey/Edmund Muskie (Democratic) [7]
1970: Edmund Muskie/VACANT (Democratic) [8]
1972: Ronald Reagan/Margaret C. Smith (Republican) [9]
[1] Thomas Dewey ends up barely defeating incumbent Harry Truman after a very vlose fought election. The election was so close that Dewey won the electoral vote and Truman won the popular vote. This proved divisive for the nation.
[2] After Dewey fumbles dramatically in handling Korea and the economy temporarily slowing with Unions protesting en masse to his economic policy, former President Truman returns to win the election in 1952.
[3] With a good economy and the war in Korea resolved, Truman won reelection, defeating Republican Harold Stassen as well as another Dixiecrat challenge from Strom Thurmond. Thanks to Dewey, the GOP was firmly controlled by the liberals, and many Southerners began to complain that neither major party represented their views.
[4] Liberal New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller was easily nominated by his insider credentials, and thanks to a few missteps with the Soviet Union, some disagreements by the President with Labor Unions, and a recession during election season, won the election.
[5] The Vice President chosen for his foreign policy credentials ascended to the Presidency when President Rockefeller was assassinated in Tennessee by KKK-affiliated James Earl Ray.
[6] With the good economy, peaceful foreign policy and sympathy from the assassination of President Rockefeller, Nixon is returned to office in a landslide. The black vote goes for Nixon at very high levels, (upwards of 80%). Ever the pragmatist, he immediately champions an Equal Rights Amendment. With the white nationalists discredited after the assassination, he is able to force it through. The Republican Party once again become synonymous with Civil Rights.
[7] With the unpopular war in Vietnam, riots in major cites, and inflation on the rise, Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota is elected President of the United States, defeating incumbent President Richard Nixon, and independent candidate George Wallace. The South goes for Wallace, the black was split between Nixon and Humphrey, a Democrat with a strong civil rights record. Northern Whites very narrowly went to Humphrey, giving him a narrow win in the electoral college and popular vote.
[8] Humphrey is assassinated in 1970, leading Edmund Muskie to be the first Polish American to become President.
[9] Although incumbent President Edmund Muskie's final year and a half term went smoothly and his running mate, Former Governor of North Carolina, Terry Sanford fought a hard campaign, the pair were no match, to California Governor, Ronald Reagan and Maine Senator, Margaret Smith.
This strong due would see four years of strong economic growth and saw a dramatic peaceful end to the Vietnam War, by Soviet Leader, Leonid Brezhnev, interving on the side of South Vietnam, due to many thinking he feared Vice President Smith, after she had be called by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev "the devil in disguise of a woman" for wanting to use nuclear weapons.
