P.T. Barnum as President

Apparently Barnum had a brief political career including being elected to a state legislature and as mayor of a town, also included is an unsucessful run for congress.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.t._barnum#Politician_and_reformer
Lets have him win his congressional bid, I don't know the exact numbers of his race but its not that ASB a POD, now the challenge will be how do we make him president.

P.T. Barnum was apparently a firm believer in equal rights. Maybe he never gets into financial troubles in the 1850's. He uses his considerable wealth and fame to support the Republican Party in the 1860 elections. Going into the 1864 elections, Abe Lincoln decides to put Barnum on the ticket to gain support in New York state. Barnum uses his New York museum, fame, and wealth to dominant the state(even more so than in OTL). The National Union ticket of Lincoln/Barnum easily wins. As in OTL the Civil War ends, and AL is shot in Ford's Theater. Making Barnum the new POTUS.
 
Butterflies gather around Deadwood and that show has to come up with a new name for the hotellowner/mayor:D
 
IIR, P.T. Barnum becomes President of New England in Jared's DoD, and his administration is a good one called "The Greatest Show on Earth"
 
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