Fearless Leader
Donor
Okay, I know this is a bit of a stretch but bear with me. Think of it as a Counter-factual version of more than a few Civil War Alternate Histories.
Now, many AH scenarios involving a late Confederate victory center around a Democratic victory in 1864 putting the incompetent George McClellan into the Oval Office and securing a negotiated peace for the Confederacy. Unfortunately, many of these scenarios ignore the fact that there was a substantial "War Democrat" faction within the party and that McClellan was one of them.
So let's say that the CSA scores a victory somewhere, Sherman's defeated, public opinion in the north swings towards the Democrats and McClellan manages to win the narrowest of victories over Lincoln and the National Union Party. As per his word, Lincoln resigns allowing McClellan to take over in late 1864.
However unlike most scenarios in which Lil' Mac kowtows to the CSA immediately, let's say that in TTL he manages to fend off the Copperhead faction of his party. In the end, he persuades them to give him 6 months to secure "an honorable peace" for the Union. They reluctantly agree and McClellan manages not to screw the whole thing up too too badly (I know it's a stretch but by late 1864 the CSA's goose was effectively cooked). Richmond is taken and Lee surrenders roughly around the same time as OTL (maybe later as by the time his 6 months are up, the war's going to be effectively won no matter how crushing the initial Confederate victory, or how badly he bungles the last part of the war).
So it's mid 1865 and you've got Lil' Mac in the Oval Office. How does he handle the end of the war? What about Reconstruction? My guess is regardless, he'll get politically screwed. He won't go nearly far enough for the majority of the Northern people, and he'll go too far for the Peace Democrats.
Barring a major "dethronement" in which the GOP impeaches both him and his VP. I'd wager they make him effectively a lame duck waiting until 1868 to elect their own guy (Grant?) who faces a divided Democrat party.
The real question is: How would Lil' Mac handle Reconstruction?
Now, many AH scenarios involving a late Confederate victory center around a Democratic victory in 1864 putting the incompetent George McClellan into the Oval Office and securing a negotiated peace for the Confederacy. Unfortunately, many of these scenarios ignore the fact that there was a substantial "War Democrat" faction within the party and that McClellan was one of them.
So let's say that the CSA scores a victory somewhere, Sherman's defeated, public opinion in the north swings towards the Democrats and McClellan manages to win the narrowest of victories over Lincoln and the National Union Party. As per his word, Lincoln resigns allowing McClellan to take over in late 1864.
However unlike most scenarios in which Lil' Mac kowtows to the CSA immediately, let's say that in TTL he manages to fend off the Copperhead faction of his party. In the end, he persuades them to give him 6 months to secure "an honorable peace" for the Union. They reluctantly agree and McClellan manages not to screw the whole thing up too too badly (I know it's a stretch but by late 1864 the CSA's goose was effectively cooked). Richmond is taken and Lee surrenders roughly around the same time as OTL (maybe later as by the time his 6 months are up, the war's going to be effectively won no matter how crushing the initial Confederate victory, or how badly he bungles the last part of the war).
So it's mid 1865 and you've got Lil' Mac in the Oval Office. How does he handle the end of the war? What about Reconstruction? My guess is regardless, he'll get politically screwed. He won't go nearly far enough for the majority of the Northern people, and he'll go too far for the Peace Democrats.
Barring a major "dethronement" in which the GOP impeaches both him and his VP. I'd wager they make him effectively a lame duck waiting until 1868 to elect their own guy (Grant?) who faces a divided Democrat party.
The real question is: How would Lil' Mac handle Reconstruction?