Wendell Willkie as a Democrat

[King Nazar]

Wendell Willkie, the Republican candidate for President in 1940, was formerly a Democrat and had supported FDR in 1932. It was not until late 1939 that Willkie changed his party ID from Democrat to Republican and ran for President as a Republican. He privately thought that FDR was going to run for a third term and his path to the Presidency was through the Republicans.

What if World War II does not break out in Europe and Roosevelt does not run for a third term. Would Willkie run for President as a Democrat? Could he win the nomination and the presidency?

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

Willkie came to public notice as an opponent of the New Deal, in particular the TVA. (He was a utility executive, and objected to the government setting up in the business.) As such, he would have no support in the Democratic Party.

 

[King Nazar]

Willkie came to public notice as an opponent of the New Deal, in particular the TVA. (He was a utility executive, and objected to the government setting up in the business.) As such, he would have no support in the Democratic Party.

There were a lot of people in the traditional Democratic party establishment that were ambivalent about the New Deal. President Roosevelt's own Vice President was among those kinds of Democrats and was considered a potential successor to Roosevelt had he not run in 1940.

 

[SandroPertini98]

FDR planned to make Secretary of State Cordell Hull as his successor. Maybe Wilkie could accept a VP position (a southern ally of New Deal and a northern critic of it would be a palatable balance)?

 

[Ricardolindo]

Willkie came to public notice as an opponent of the New Deal, in particular the TVA. (He was a utility executive, and objected to the government setting up in the business.) As such, he would have no support in the Democratic Party.

Willkie didn't wholly oppose the New Deal. He opposed the TVA but that was because he believed, that, the private sector could manage that kind of things. He supported government intervention in things that he believed, that, the private sector couldn't manage. He said he wanted to continue most of the New Deal projects but manage them more efficiently, without waste.