what if Andrew Johnson was convicted by the Senate and Benjamin Wade became President? Would Wade be the 1868 nominee and would he win? If so, how would his progressivism affect America?
what if Andrew Johnson was convicted by the Senate and Benjamin Wade became President? Would Wade be the 1868 nominee and would he win? If so, how would his progressivism affect America?
Wade would not be the 1868 nominee. General Grant was being nominated at the Republican Convention even as the Senate voted, so a conviction would have come too late.
I don't know if there is any proof, but I suspect matters were arranged that way deliberately. Republican leaders were already settled on whom they wanted as their candidate, and didn't want a President Wade confusing the issue
Benjamin Wade was a Radical Republican, and has as many enemies in government as did Johnson, so even if the Senate ousted Johnson and he was President for a little while, it wouldn't last.
I too was disappointed when I found out it would be way too late for Wade to get the nomination. He may have been able to be Vice President, considering there were a sizable group in OTL calling for it.