President Lincolns Reelection Chances

In almost every thread where the USA loses the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln is defeated for reelection in 1864. I was wondering would it be possible for him to win reelection after the US loses the Civil War? There was a lot of popular legislation that was passed during his first term, including a lot of measures that the pre-war southern senators had blocked. That could be a positive he could use, he could also talk up all the positives of no longer having to deal with the South especially over the slavery issue. So how can Lincoln lose the ACW and still be reelected?
 
The Democrat's platform in 1864 called for "restoration of the Union through peaceable means" and for the seceding states to be welcomed back into the Union with all their constitutional rights intact. That message drowns out anything Lincoln's Union/Republican Party says. Also, depending on the timing of the war's end (in a Union loss) Lincoln may not even be the party nominee.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
If Lincoln makes a serious effort to maintain the Union through war and fails, I cannot see how he could win reelection in 1864. No matter what other good he had achieved, his administration would still be regarded as a dismal failure and he would be blamed for thousands of needless deaths.
 
Short of any ambitious and vengeful generals launching a coup that is defeated by Lincoln, I don't know if he can redeem himself. However, it also depends on when the war ends after the PoD. The closer to the election, the harder it gets.
 
Short of any ambitious and vengeful generals launching a coup that is defeated by Lincoln, I don't know if he can redeem himself. However, it also depends on when the war ends after the PoD. The closer to the election, the harder it gets.

Lets say that it ends in 1862 in a manner similar to TL191 at the earliest or after a Confederate victory at Gettysburg in 1863 at the latest. That would give Lincoln 12 to 24 months to prepare for reelection. What could he do, if anything, to secure reelection? Lets say that Great Britain and France gave recognition to the CSA and offered to mediate a peace treaty based on separation with the strong hint of military intervention if the USA does not agree. Would this give Lincoln some political cover? He could say that Great Britain and France stabbed the USA in the back and forced a peace on him at the point of a gun. Could that work for him?
 
If the Civil War was a short conflict before ceasefire, where combat was considered more birth pains for the CSA than a major war, he may have a chance of reelection. If its a major conflict still and America loses, he doesn't likely have a chance in my opinion.
 
I'd say it's (perhaps only slightly, but still) more plausible that Lincoln suspends elections in 1864 than the guy who lost half the country wins re-election.
 
Agreed, when I first saw this I thought it was talking about Lincoln running for a 3rd term in 1868 after he completes a 2nd one. That would depend on how succesful he was in reconstruction. Lincoln's can't be reelected if he loses the war no matter what else he did. The war was bound to be issues 1-3 on the reelection campaign.
 
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