Thanks! Having a Socialist as a governor of one of the most populous states could have done interesting effects down the line.
The Ruins of an American Party System: From 1920 Onward
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Thanks! Having a Socialist as a governor of one of the most populous states could have done interesting effects down the line.
The Republicans were expecting to take some defeats. After all, 1928 was a pretty strong victory, and back then they won numerous seats. They knew there was no way they had any hope of winning in Washington, Nebraska, West Virginia, or New York. The Republican Senator from Tennessee, J.A. Fowler, knew there was no hope of winning, so he went as far as to drop out of the race in hope that the Conservatives would win. However, the Republicans were confident that they would retain the Senate seats from the Midwest and most of the Northeast, and that enough Conservatives would hold in the South, to prevent the combined votes of the Progressives and Commonwealthers from winning a filibuster-proof majority of 64 votes.
The GOP's plan worked for the most part. They did hold most of the seats in the Midwest and the Northeast. But over confident candidates in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, and an amazing come-from-behind win in Utah dealt the GOP more severe losses than they were anticipating. They also failed to anticipate the scale of the collapse of the Conservative Party in the Upper South due to the Silver Scare, and the defeat of Claude Swanson and every other Conservative other than party founder James "Pa" Ferguson in Texas. With 56 Progressives, and 8 Commonwealthers, the left coalition just barely managed to get to that magic number of 64. If the Progressive Party could work in unison, they now had the ability to pass any legislation they wanted.
Of course, they could only pass any legislation they wanted if the Progressive Party worked in unison....
Furthermore, just because the legislation was signed into law, did not mean that nine old men would find that legislation constitutional...
The GOP's plan worked for the most part. They did hold most of the seats in the Midwest and the Northeast. But over confident candidates in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, and an amazing come-from-behind win in Utah dealt the GOP more severe losses than they were anticipating. They also failed to anticipate the scale of the collapse of the Conservative Party in the Upper South due to the Silver Scare, and the defeat of Claude Swanson and every other Conservative other than party founder James "Pa" Ferguson in Texas. With 56 Progressives, and 8 Commonwealthers, the left coalition just barely managed to get to that magic number of 64. If the Progressive Party could work in unison, they now had the ability to pass any legislation they wanted.
Of course, they could only pass any legislation they wanted if the Progressive Party worked in unison....
Furthermore, just because the legislation was signed into law, did not mean that nine old men would find that legislation constitutional...
Constantinople
Banned
Well they made it to 64. As the TL says, that doesn't mean they'll get everything done...
This is shaping up to be an insanely divisive time in American history...
I wonder what a fight with the Supreme Court will look like...and if SCOTUS losses will help or hurt the Progressives in the court of public opinion....
This is shaping up to be an insanely divisive time in American history...
I wonder what a fight with the Supreme Court will look like...and if SCOTUS losses will help or hurt the Progressives in the court of public opinion....
Constantinople
Banned
Who is the independent in Idaho?
Have the Socialists made any in roads into the Senate races and also in the state legislatures?
Speaking of the state legislatures... are those looking roughly similar to the make up of Congress? I would think with the Progressives's major reforms stalling somewhat (except the mega-New Deal) in D.C. the wholly Progressive (or Socialist...) controlled states would be moving forward with the Progressive platform instead, much like the USA today. Federalism in action and what not...
Have the Socialists made any in roads into the Senate races and also in the state legislatures?
Speaking of the state legislatures... are those looking roughly similar to the make up of Congress? I would think with the Progressives's major reforms stalling somewhat (except the mega-New Deal) in D.C. the wholly Progressive (or Socialist...) controlled states would be moving forward with the Progressive platform instead, much like the USA today. Federalism in action and what not...
FDR managed to intimidate SCOTUS with the court-packing plan, Hughes got the court to mostly comply afterwards. But that's FDR. How Hughes will react to Olson, and Olson to Hughes will be...interesting.
Borah.
I'm actually curious as to how '36 will play out. Olson got elected under a shaky coalition. He's probably going to die, be forced to resign or simply not run for re-election unless his health is better here. La Guardia is probably the presumptive nominee. La Guardia has alienated Borah and probably the moderate Progressives generally by backstabbing Borah in '32 (something tells me Borah's going to run), but I don't know if he's got the Socialists in his pocket either. Would Long backstab him?
Constantinople
Banned
They could easily probably get rid of the filibuster now.
I know the Progressives are fractured, but the GOP are not in a good position to win the next election. I would think with the average person, the good economy and "New Deal" will be more than enough to push whoever the Progressives support back into power.
I know the Progressives are fractured, but the GOP are not in a good position to win the next election. I would think with the average person, the good economy and "New Deal" will be more than enough to push whoever the Progressives support back into power.
There's no way a Republican is winning in '36. It could play out like 1948 did for Democrats for the Progressives though.
SCOTUS losses will be heralded as a great triumph and inspire the right to fight harder, and will be damned as a horrible miscarriage of constitutional law by the Progressives and make them fight harder out of anger.
They have managed to crack the double digits in some races, but failed to win anything. They've won a scattering of state legislature seats across the nation, plus about 15% of the California seats. Notable Socialists in the state legislature include Norman Thomas in Indiana.
The state legislatures are passing equal pay laws, minimum wage laws, union rights laws, and other Progressive reforms. However, some reforms, such as the civil rights actions in the South, are stalled, and in many states, the Republicans still have had either a majority in at least one house, or enough to filibuster. 1934 has proven to be a major win for the
Nathan Miller is the chief justice ITTL. As for the court, we shall see whether they shall be intimidated, or enraged by intimidation attempts.
Borah and some moderate Progressives are already plotting attempts to undermine Olson. They'd honestly rather him lose to a Republican, they be able to blame it on his radicalism, and use that as an excuse to retake their party.
The Socialists won't run against Olson.
Huey Long loves the power he has, and gets along wonderfully with the President, at least in the political arena. He won't backstab Olson without some sort of severe provocation.
The Republicans are confident that the next two years will show just how radical and authoritarian Olson is, and the American people will turn against the President.
They can't do so via a normal rule change, requiring two-thirds votes, because numerous moderate Progressives will defect, and some Commonwealthers afraid of civil rights legislation. As for the Option of Last Resort (the sad limitations of pre-nuclear language...), even more moderate Progressives will defect against that, and Norris isn't willing to do that unless the moderate Progressives carry out a total revolt and just start obstructing for the sake of obstructing.
The Progressives are confident of victory. For many moderate Progressives, if forced to choose between Olson and Hoover or a Hoover-style Republican, the choice is very difficult (the moderate Progressives, and the American people, would vote for Nikolai Bukharin over a Mellonite, however)
You mentioned before that moderate progressive Democrats defected to the Republicans. Maybe FDR or Al Smith or Willkie will be visible and credible figures in the GOP, alongside Hoover?
FDR was in Congress, and then was briefly Secretary of the Navy in the Snell administration. Currently he is out of office, having lost in a campaign for Mayor of New York City.
Al Smith returned to the governorship of New York in 1930 after 10 years of being out of ofice, managing to save the Republicans in that seat after Theodore Roosevelt Jr.'s scandals and the beginning of the Depression. He was defeated in 1932, and does not appear to be seeking higher office.
Wendell Willkie is pretty much doing the same as OTL, but as a Republican. Same for Joseph Kennedy.
Who's mayor of NYC now? One of Fiorello's proteges? Marcantonio would be a pretty solid soldier of the left-wing of the Progressive Party, if he isn't a Socialist ITTL (or maybe he's both, part of electoral fusion and all). Bit young though (early 30s now).
The Republicans OTL couldn't run men that were explicitly anti-New Deal and knew it: Landon, Willkie and Dewey all broadly accepted it. Granted, there seems to be much more animosity in DC now.
The Republicans OTL couldn't run men that were explicitly anti-New Deal and knew it: Landon, Willkie and Dewey all broadly accepted it. Granted, there seems to be much more animosity in DC now.
I don't know, I'm open to suggestions. A Progressive/Socialist ticket is certainly possible in New York, though they might dominate so much there that they don't need to have ballot fusion to win.
A series of meetings were occurring in the Oval Office. "You must abolish the filibuster," ordered President Floyd Olson.
"It cannot be done," replied Senate Majority Leader George Norris. "Even if we use the rule of last resort. We have ten of our own Progressives sworn to uphold it, probably between 2-6 more who are privately opposed, and the Commonwealthers know that if they try to abolish it, then segregation will be in danger. We can't get a majority."
Olson lit a cigarette, considering the words of Norris. He glanced over to Vice President Fiorello La Guardia, who gave a resigned look indicating he agreed with Norris. "We cannot tolerate obstruction from within our own party any longer," he declared. "We have to drive them out."
"That can be accomplished after your reelection," responded Norris. "But the election is two years away, and we simply do not have the strength now." When Olson simply continued smoking silently, Norris continued speaking, "I'll get passed what the moderates will allow. It's all I can do."
"Very well then," sighed the President. "We need the Fair Wage Act to pass, or we will look weak. Get that at least through, then we can think about everything else." Promising to work on the FWA, Norris left the room.
"We can't let Christensen continue to pass all of the radical bills with no hope of getting through the Senate," spoke up La Guardia. "It only increases animosity, and makes us look weak."
"Maybe some animosity is what this country needs," replied the President. "However, you're right, we'll look ineffectual if our bills keep failing. Go tell Christensen." La Guardia left the room, letting Attorney General Huey Long in.
"You were askin' to speak to me?" asked the Attorney General.
"Yes," replied Olson. "I have reports that numerous companies are threatening to leave California thanks to the election of Sinclair. Surely, no honest company would try to flee economic justice. They must have illegal practices. Find them."
"I will," replied Long. "But, what if my men can't find anythin' substantial on all the companies?"
Olson was still smoking, now staring out of the window. "You can find a scandal on anyone, if you work hard enough. Understood?"
"Understood," answered Long, a faint smile on his face. He turned to leave the room."
"Oh, and Huey," interrupted Olson, "Remember that one project I had you working on? To get the Equal Wage Act passed?"
Huey Long's smile grew wider. "Oh, that's all taken care of. No filibuster will survive."
~~~~~
The new session of Congress began on the fourth of January, the first time since the ratification of the 24th Amendment. The new, larger, and more radical Progressive majority in Congress passed the Fair Wage and Equal Wage Acts. Once again, the Fair Wage Act, establishing a minimum wage of 40 cents an hour, was passed by a purely Progressive/Socialist/Commonwealth Coalition in both Houses. No Progressive voted against cloture, and the minimum wage soon became the law of the land. Afraid of threats by American businesses to lay off more people due to having to pay higher wages, Olson also had a massive, three billion dollar expansion of the American Employment Agency to hire anyone who lost their job.
The Equal Wage Act, which mandated equal pay for women and non-whites employed in the same job as a white man, passed the House with almost solely Progressive and Socialist support, with only a couple token Republicans and Commonwealthers voting for it. However, in the Senate, with the Commonwealth Party and Republican Party both committed to "working out the small problems" with the bill, it soon ran into repeated filibusters as the two parties raised various minute objections to delay it.
~~~~~
"Senator Watson!" exclaimed Huey Long, in mock surprise. "To what do I owe this unexpected visitation?" he asked in false formality.
"I believe that the Attorney General's office requested this meeting," responded Watson. The skilled politician spoke entirely respectfully.
"Well, I don't know what a respectable fella' like yourself could possibly need here," Long replied. "Unless, no, it can't be..." Long kept of the charade of ignorance. He pulled out a folder. "Why, you couldn' possibly be the James Watson who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan?"
"What?!" shouted Watson. "You must be mistaken, I would never..."
"No sir," responded Long. "This here file says 'James Eli Watson' of Indiana. We have testimony from members of the Klan that claim you as a fellow Klansman. And of the Indiana Klan too! Y'all were the ones lead by convicted rapist an' murderer D.C. Stephenson! Lord have mercy on your political career now!"
"Any court of law will prove that story to be lies!" shouted Watson.
"That might be true," replied the Attorney General. "But you know what would help convince the Justice Department to not investigate any further? A nice, official end to th' filibuster of the EWA. Surely no Klansman would ever vote for such a bill..."
"Damn you and your blackmail to Hell," said Watson.
"An' you know, if we don't see any reason to investigate further, we might just lose this here file. Why, one vote could secure your reputation forever..."
Watson stood up and stormed for the door. At the last second, he turned around to face Long. "This one vote, Long," he said. "This one vote. I trust you to keep your end of the bargain. Try to threaten me again, and I'll expose your schemes before the nation, no matter what happens to me. This one vote!"
~~~~~
The Republican Senate Leadership announced that its disputes with the EWA were concluded, and that they felt it was now time for a vote. The bill passed with the support of 49 Progressives, as well as three Republicans, one of whom was the Republican minority leader, James Watson. Watson would later receive a folder on his doorstep, filled with papers that he would subsequently burn.
"It cannot be done," replied Senate Majority Leader George Norris. "Even if we use the rule of last resort. We have ten of our own Progressives sworn to uphold it, probably between 2-6 more who are privately opposed, and the Commonwealthers know that if they try to abolish it, then segregation will be in danger. We can't get a majority."
Olson lit a cigarette, considering the words of Norris. He glanced over to Vice President Fiorello La Guardia, who gave a resigned look indicating he agreed with Norris. "We cannot tolerate obstruction from within our own party any longer," he declared. "We have to drive them out."
"That can be accomplished after your reelection," responded Norris. "But the election is two years away, and we simply do not have the strength now." When Olson simply continued smoking silently, Norris continued speaking, "I'll get passed what the moderates will allow. It's all I can do."
"Very well then," sighed the President. "We need the Fair Wage Act to pass, or we will look weak. Get that at least through, then we can think about everything else." Promising to work on the FWA, Norris left the room.
"We can't let Christensen continue to pass all of the radical bills with no hope of getting through the Senate," spoke up La Guardia. "It only increases animosity, and makes us look weak."
"Maybe some animosity is what this country needs," replied the President. "However, you're right, we'll look ineffectual if our bills keep failing. Go tell Christensen." La Guardia left the room, letting Attorney General Huey Long in.
"You were askin' to speak to me?" asked the Attorney General.
"Yes," replied Olson. "I have reports that numerous companies are threatening to leave California thanks to the election of Sinclair. Surely, no honest company would try to flee economic justice. They must have illegal practices. Find them."
"I will," replied Long. "But, what if my men can't find anythin' substantial on all the companies?"
Olson was still smoking, now staring out of the window. "You can find a scandal on anyone, if you work hard enough. Understood?"
"Understood," answered Long, a faint smile on his face. He turned to leave the room."
"Oh, and Huey," interrupted Olson, "Remember that one project I had you working on? To get the Equal Wage Act passed?"
Huey Long's smile grew wider. "Oh, that's all taken care of. No filibuster will survive."
~~~~~
The new session of Congress began on the fourth of January, the first time since the ratification of the 24th Amendment. The new, larger, and more radical Progressive majority in Congress passed the Fair Wage and Equal Wage Acts. Once again, the Fair Wage Act, establishing a minimum wage of 40 cents an hour, was passed by a purely Progressive/Socialist/Commonwealth Coalition in both Houses. No Progressive voted against cloture, and the minimum wage soon became the law of the land. Afraid of threats by American businesses to lay off more people due to having to pay higher wages, Olson also had a massive, three billion dollar expansion of the American Employment Agency to hire anyone who lost their job.
The Equal Wage Act, which mandated equal pay for women and non-whites employed in the same job as a white man, passed the House with almost solely Progressive and Socialist support, with only a couple token Republicans and Commonwealthers voting for it. However, in the Senate, with the Commonwealth Party and Republican Party both committed to "working out the small problems" with the bill, it soon ran into repeated filibusters as the two parties raised various minute objections to delay it.
~~~~~
"Senator Watson!" exclaimed Huey Long, in mock surprise. "To what do I owe this unexpected visitation?" he asked in false formality.
"I believe that the Attorney General's office requested this meeting," responded Watson. The skilled politician spoke entirely respectfully.
"Well, I don't know what a respectable fella' like yourself could possibly need here," Long replied. "Unless, no, it can't be..." Long kept of the charade of ignorance. He pulled out a folder. "Why, you couldn' possibly be the James Watson who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan?"
"What?!" shouted Watson. "You must be mistaken, I would never..."
"No sir," responded Long. "This here file says 'James Eli Watson' of Indiana. We have testimony from members of the Klan that claim you as a fellow Klansman. And of the Indiana Klan too! Y'all were the ones lead by convicted rapist an' murderer D.C. Stephenson! Lord have mercy on your political career now!"
"Any court of law will prove that story to be lies!" shouted Watson.
"That might be true," replied the Attorney General. "But you know what would help convince the Justice Department to not investigate any further? A nice, official end to th' filibuster of the EWA. Surely no Klansman would ever vote for such a bill..."
"Damn you and your blackmail to Hell," said Watson.
"An' you know, if we don't see any reason to investigate further, we might just lose this here file. Why, one vote could secure your reputation forever..."
Watson stood up and stormed for the door. At the last second, he turned around to face Long. "This one vote, Long," he said. "This one vote. I trust you to keep your end of the bargain. Try to threaten me again, and I'll expose your schemes before the nation, no matter what happens to me. This one vote!"
~~~~~
The Republican Senate Leadership announced that its disputes with the EWA were concluded, and that they felt it was now time for a vote. The bill passed with the support of 49 Progressives, as well as three Republicans, one of whom was the Republican minority leader, James Watson. Watson would later receive a folder on his doorstep, filled with papers that he would subsequently burn.
Constantinople
Banned
Excellent. 
Wow the minimum wage is much higher than in OTL (¢0.25).
The SCOTUS will almost certainly strike it down which could give Olson an excuse to pack the court. Minimum wage is popular among the common people so he should have a fair amount of support to do that...
Wow the minimum wage is much higher than in OTL (¢0.25).
The SCOTUS will almost certainly strike it down which could give Olson an excuse to pack the court. Minimum wage is popular among the common people so he should have a fair amount of support to do that...
Constantinople
Banned
Should be interesting to see how California turns out.
EDIT: I just want to say again, that this is a really wonderful timeline. It's so unique, and I enjoy reading it as much as anything else currently being updated on this site, more even.
EDIT: I just want to say again, that this is a really wonderful timeline. It's so unique, and I enjoy reading it as much as anything else currently being updated on this site, more even.
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And the probability that Long copied those papers before handing them over is ... 100%?
Question: are the papers true? Heavily slanted? Complete fabrications? A judicious mixture of real and fabricated?
Question: are the papers true? Heavily slanted? Complete fabrications? A judicious mixture of real and fabricated?
In OTL, known Klansmen did claim that Watson was a member. Their testimonies would be real (even if they were lying). As for everything else, I guess that would depend if Watson ever was a member, or at least involved. Being prominently involved in Indiana politics in the mid 1920s, I would say it was likely that even if he was not a member of the Klan, that he might have had dealings with Stephenson, enough to ruin his reputation.
It is refreshing to read a story about left wing politicians playing dirty, oh so dirty. Breaks a lot of cliches and tropes. And even though readers like me favor the results... their methods would make me feel rather uneasy. Thoroughly enjoying.
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