What-if: 1912, the Dead Man's Election

An actually plausible scenario where none of the candidates for President live till the voting by the Electoral College:

Woodrow Wilson is involved in a train wreck (he just missed OTL) but stubbornly refuses to step aside or let people know he's more injured than it appears 9as with his OTL stroke).

New of this worries President Taft so much he has a heart attack.

The shooter of Theodore Roosevelt, fearing he's far more likely to win now, shoots several tiems and kills him, instead of having 1 bullet lodge in a speech. Tr dies soon before the election, but far too late to change any ballots.

Taft dies, VP Sherman becomes the President and America's 28th President serves for a week or sos. The Secretary of State becomes the 29th President for a few months then after Sherman dies.

Wilson dies.

The nation is voting for 3 dead men, and the VP is even dead. What happens once the Electoral College meets?

Because Champ Clark had over half the delegates, it's quite possible he would get a fair number of Democratic votes, with Thomas Marshall getting the others. Would it be enough to split the two? Would hiram Johnson get the 3rd most if it goes to the House? The Progressive electors might be the most organized to keep one person as the one getting all the votes. And, would thsoe voting for Marshall as President vote for Clark as VP as sort of a consolation prize?
 
Is Eugene Debs alive? And if so, does the deaths of the other three help his cause significantly enough to put him in the White House?
 
An actually plausible scenario where none of the candidates for President live till the voting by the Electoral College:

Woodrow Wilson is involved in a train wreck (he just missed OTL) but stubbornly refuses to step aside or let people know he's more injured than it appears 9as with his OTL stroke).

New of this worries President Taft so much he has a heart attack.

The shooter of Theodore Roosevelt, fearing he's far more likely to win now, shoots several tiems and kills him, instead of having 1 bullet lodge in a speech. Tr dies soon before the election, but far too late to change any ballots.

Taft dies, VP Sherman becomes the President and America's 28th President serves for a week or sos. The Secretary of State becomes the 29th President for a few months then after Sherman dies.

Wilson dies.

The nation is voting for 3 dead men, and the VP is even dead. What happens once the Electoral College meets?

Because Champ Clark had over half the delegates, it's quite possible he would get a fair number of Democratic votes, with Thomas Marshall getting the others. Would it be enough to split the two? Would hiram Johnson get the 3rd most if it goes to the House? The Progressive electors might be the most organized to keep one person as the one getting all the votes. And, would thsoe voting for Marshall as President vote for Clark as VP as sort of a consolation prize?


It would be up to the Democratic National Committee. My guess is that they take the line of least resistance and promote Marshall to the head of the ticket.

As to the second slot, it could be practically anyone. Maybe a New Jersey pol (Senator Martine?) as a courtesy to Wilson's State. Alternatively, perhaps Governor John Burke of ND, who was runner-up to Marshall in the balloting for VP. They would probably make courtesy offers to Champ Clark and WJ Bryan, though it's doubtful whether either would accept.

There is no reason to suppose that the Democratic Electors would not follow the DNC's instructions. Rogue Electors were much rarer in those days.
 

Archibald

Banned
An actually plausible scenario where none of the candidates for President live till the voting by the Electoral College:

Woodrow Wilson is involved in a train wreck (he just missed OTL) but stubbornly refuses to step aside or let people know he's more injured than it appears 9as with his OTL stroke).

New of this worries President Taft so much he has a heart attack.

The shooter of Theodore Roosevelt, fearing he's far more likely to win now, shoots several tiems and kills him, instead of having 1 bullet lodge in a speech. Tr dies soon before the election, but far too late to change any ballots.

Taft dies, VP Sherman becomes the President and America's 28th President serves for a week or sos. The Secretary of State becomes the 29th President for a few months then after Sherman dies.

Wilson dies.

The nation is voting for 3 dead men, and the VP is even dead. What happens once the Electoral College meets?

Because Champ Clark had over half the delegates, it's quite possible he would get a fair number of Democratic votes, with Thomas Marshall getting the others. Would it be enough to split the two? Would hiram Johnson get the 3rd most if it goes to the House? The Progressive electors might be the most organized to keep one person as the one getting all the votes. And, would thsoe voting for Marshall as President vote for Clark as VP as sort of a consolation prize?

What an evil, twisted scenario. I like it.
 
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