On September 19, 1944, the train carrying Republican nominee Thomas Dewey collided with a freight train stopped on the tracks outside of Portland, Oregon. The engineer was able to slow down before impact, limiting the damage. There were no fatalities, but there were some serious injuries. Dewey himself was struck by falling baggage, and his wife was thrown headfirst into the wall. What if the crash had been worse, and Dewey had been killed?
First of all, who replaces Dewey as the Republican nominee in 1944? At such a late stage in the campaign, how is this crisis handled by the party?
Assuming FDR beats Dewey's replacement, who is the frontrunner for 1948? Who succeeds Dewey as the candidate of the eastern establishment?