The Holy American Republic

I've been toying with this idea for a while, it might be a bit confusing, so if you need any clarification, let me know... but is there any way we can get the post-1800 United States to resemble the Holy Roman Empire structurally? Now don't worry, I'm not suggesting that it become an elective monarchy with an emperor crowned by the Pope. Rather, I was thinking of a scenario where the U.S. once again decentralizes into a weak confederation, with nearly all real power in the hands of the states, but with a figurehead President of the United States and an impotent Congress still around on the national level. However, here's the catch: I want this powerless, titular presidency to consistently remain in the hands of whoever is Governor of Virginia.

So just as the Prince-Electors always elected the Hapsburg heir as the next Holy Roman Emperor, I want the electors of the Electoral College to always select the current Governor of Virginia as President. Maybe its because the Governor is so wealthy he can always bribe the electors, or maybe its because Virginia has become such an overpowering state that the Governor threatens to declare war on the states on any electors who refuse to vote for him. Of course, being the President doesn't mean much anymore, and is simply a pretentious title that the Virginian governors possess, and while it theoretically makes them the supreme head of the whole confederation known as "the United States of America"; in practice it doesn't give them any extra power or inflluence.

So any ideas of how we can make this happen with a POD anytime after 1800?
 

Nietzsche

Banned
Suprisingly, the Civil War would be a good starting point. Maybe the Confederacy does better, and agrees to a type of "give and take" peace? They agree to dissolve and be re-annexed into the United States of America, and the federal government agrees to give up X powers and influence, allowing states to basically run themselves, including things like rights and such.

...

Dear, this sounds so very, very dystopic already.
 
That doesn't yield a very plausible way for the Governor of Virginia to hold the Presidency though, unless perhaps politics go awry. You could have some political agreement that hands a lame presidency to the Governor of Virginia consistently.

It may be easiest to get some jerk(s) in Virginia to refuse to hand over any more land to the federal government (I believe Ohio had been sold off by 1800, right? So, it should just be West Virginia and Kentucky left.) and things start to get complicated, then ugly.
 
Well one part of the US was already like the HRE. In the HRE Emperors were elected by a council of nobles in the US the Electoral College offically elects the President so perhaps something could be worked from there.
 
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