TR in 1920?

After the defeat of Hughes in 1916, Roosevelt was considered the party favorite for 1920. His heart was broken by the death of his son, and his health was taken by lingering malaria. We can easily butterfly away his first malaria infection, which leads to Quentin (his son) being more alert in the cockpit and not being shot down.

He would easily win, but how would he govern?
 
TR knew the in and outs of how to be President having previously served as President. While he was a progressive in some ways, aways fighting corruption he was strong proponet for American strength. There would be no Teapot Dome Scandal on his watch. While a good choice for VP would be key it is quite possible that if TR did not go to africa his health would have been much better and thus he might have lived for another 20-25 years. I know that he would not have chosen Harding and will Coolidge is a possibility I thing that perhaps he might have picked and trained Hoover.
 
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He would be 60 (or 61, my math could be off) when he assumed office. At the time, the last president to break 60 at inauguration was Buchanan, and another would not make it until truman. He might not be able to survive a full term, and certainly will not be as active as he was.

This makes his vice-presidential choice very important. Not quite sure who the choice would, but it will be vital for any what if centered around Roosevelt in 1920.
 
TR knew the in and outs of how to be President having previously served as President. While he was a progressive in some ways, aways fighting corruption he was strong proponet for American strength. There would be no Teapot Dome Scandal on his watch. While a good choice for VP would be key it is quite possible that if TR did not go to africa his health would have been much better and thus he might have lived for another 20-25 years. I know that he would not have chosen Harding and will Coolidge is a possibility I thing that perhaps he might have picked and trained Hoover.

Wasn't it his trip into the Amazon that really weakened him?
 
I think TR would have gotten the Republican nomination if not on the 1st ballot then definitely by the 4th ballot at the Convention. As for VP choice I doubt he would have picked Senator Warren Harding of Ohio, the two would not have hit it off that well and their personalites and styles would have clashed. I don't think he would have picked Calvin Coolidge either. Being from Vermont and Governor of Massachusetts both of those states borders TR's home state of New York therefore not the right kind of balance. However I do think TR would have chosen Coolidge as Attorney General in his cabinet. So I think his VP choice would narrow down to either Gov. Hiram Johnson of California(who was TR's running mate in 1912) or Herbert Hoover also of California and who who made a bid for the Republican nomination the same year. If he didn't pick Hoover as VP then he certainly would pick him as either Secretary of Commerce, labor or agriculture in his cabinet.
 
I like Hoover for Teddy's VP. Hiram Johnson's previous VP candidacy probably disqualifies him- the Taft-ite part of the party isn't going to accept what would amount to the Progressive take over of the GOP.

TR wouldn't run in '24, so Hoover as VP means he will probably get the nomination in '24. Maybe the time spent under TR makes Hoover more willing to intervene in the economy after he wins re-election in '28?
 
TR wouldn't run in '24, so Hoover as VP means he will probably get the nomination in '24. Maybe the time spent under TR makes Hoover more willing to intervene in the economy after he wins re-election in '28?

Vice Presidents being nominated when the Previous President stood down was NOT the custom at that time. As far as I can recall the previous time a Vice President would have been candidate would have been 1836.

Until Nixon the only way former Vice Presidents were likely to get a chance at the top job was when the sitting President dropped dead or was murdered.
 
I think TR would have gotten the Republican nomination if not on the 1st ballot then definitely by the 4th ballot at the Convention. As for VP choice I doubt he would have picked Senator Warren Harding of Ohio, the two would not have hit it off that well and their personalites and styles would have clashed. I don't think he would have picked Calvin Coolidge either. Being from Vermont and Governor of Massachusetts both of those states borders TR's home state of New York therefore not the right kind of balance. However I do think TR would have chosen Coolidge as Attorney General in his cabinet. So I think his VP choice would narrow down to either Gov. Hiram Johnson of California(who was TR's running mate in 1912) or Herbert Hoover also of California and who who made a bid for the Republican nomination the same year. If he didn't pick Hoover as VP then he certainly would pick him as either Secretary of Commerce, labor or agriculture in his cabinet.

The Democratic Party will probably still pick Gov.James Cox of Ohio as their candidate at the Convention in San Francisco but will Cox pick TR's 38 year old cousin FDR as VP?
 
Presidents of the United States

Theodore Roosvelt 1921-1929 (Republican)
Frank Lowden 1929-1937 (Republican)
Alfred Landon 1937-1941 (Republican)
Wendell Willike 1941-1949 (Democrat)
Henry Wallace 1949-1953 (Democrat)
 
Presidents of the United States

Theodore Roosvelt 1921-1929 (Republican)
Frank Lowden 1929-1937 (Republican)
Alfred Landon 1937-1941 (Republican)
Wendell Willike 1941-1949 (Democrat)
Henry Wallace 1949-1953 (Democrat)

Frank Lowden suceeding Roosevelt as president in 1928 at the age of 67, interesting but plausible. In OTL Lowden nearly took the nomination away from Hoover in 1928. But if the Stock Market crashes in 1929 and there is a depression then Pres. Lowden's reelection bid in 32 is toast and FDR or whoever the Democratic candidate is, is elected president. But even so at the end of Lowden's terrn he will be the oldest president to date at 72 years of age at the completion of his term in March 1933.
Wendell Willkie is a interesting possibility. Until a year before he got the Republican nominaton in 1940 he was a registered Democrat, so he could have easily been a Democratic candidate for president but I doubt the Democratice Party would nominate someone as inexeperinced as him for their candidate. Also, it is highly unlikely he would have lived to serve two terms giving the condition of his health. If anything the toll and stress of the job as president would probably cause him to die even earlier, say say 1942 or 43.
 
Frank Lowden suceeding Roosevelt as president in 1928 at the age of 67, interesting but plausible. In OTL Lowden nearly took the nomination away from Hoover in 1928. But if the Stock Market crashes in 1929 and there is a depression then Pres. Lowden's reelection bid in 32 is toast and FDR or whoever the Democratic candidate is, is elected president. But even so at the end of Lowden's terrn he will be the oldest president to date at 72 years of age at the completion of his term in March 1933.
Wendell Willkie is a interesting possibility. Until a year before he got the Republican nominaton in 1940 he was a registered Democrat, so he could have easily been a Democratic candidate for president but I doubt the Democratice Party would nominate someone as inexeperinced as him for their candidate. Also, it is highly unlikely he would have lived to serve two terms giving the condition of his health. If anything the toll and stress of the job as president would probably cause him to die even earlier, say say 1942 or 43.

Due to butterflies the Depression might not happen especially since Roosevelt would support tougher regulations and Willike's health might be somewhat better.
 
It's safe to say that TR wins handily over Cox in the 1920 elections, as for his cabinet he likely appoint Charles Evans Hughes as Secretary of State(as he was in OTL), Cal Coolidge as Attorney General and Dawes as Treasury Secretary(perhaps Mellon becomes the Secretary down the road, say 1925). President TR makes a bipartisan move and considers appointing his cousin FDR as Secretary of War. FDR never serves because he either withdraws his name from the nomination or fails to get confirmed due to the Newport Scandal that occured during his watch in Navy Department in 1919. The Ohio Gang is pretty much butterflyed away and the TR administration turns out to be less corrupt and have fewer scandals than it would under Pres. Harding.
 
With TR getting the Republican nomination in 1920 I think Warren Harding will run for reelection as senator of Ohio, especially if his wife Florence strongly urges him, and will get reelected. As a result of not being president Harding lives a little longer but a dark cloud still looms above him.
 
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