WI: Garfield didn't die?

Exactly what it says on the tin. What if James Garfield didn't die after being shot by Gatieau? Would the Pan-American conference happen? Would his reforms pass? Would African-Americans get a better deal? Would he run again in 1884? If so, with whom? Arthur or someone else?
 
Chester A. Arthur doesn't become President, so the vice presidency doesn't get the same thought out as IOTL after fears of getting a inexperienced president.

James Garfield goes onto serve his remaining term and seek re-election. After holding office for two goes back to Ohio in 1889 to run either for U.A. Senate or state Governor.
 
Chester A. Arthur doesn't become President, so the vice presidency doesn't get the same thought out as IOTL after fears of getting a inexperienced president.

James Garfield goes onto serve his remaining term and seek re-election. After holding office for two goes back to Ohio in 1889 to run either for U.A. Senate or state Governor.

Alright. So who would his VP in 1884? Arthur? Or would he be replaced?
 
Alright. So who would his VP in 1884? Arthur? Or would he be replaced?

With the near miss assassination, the Republican party would see that, if Garfield, was to die in office, they needed a strong leader in the second seat.
As for VP nominations:
- Robert Todd Lincoln, Secretary of War of the United States and son of past President Abraham Lincoln
- former House Speaker James G. Blaine from Maine and OTL President nominee.
- Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas
 

Stolengood

Banned
Chester A. Arthur doesn't become President, so the vice presidency doesn't get the same thought out as IOTL after fears of getting a inexperienced president.
To be fair, it still didn't for another 70 years afterward, until Harry Truman was selected because all the party bosses knew FDR's number was up.
 

mojojojo

Gone Fishin'
Jim Davis named the iconic character, Garfield after his grandfather, James "Garfield" Davis, who was inturn named after President James A. Garfield, so really the cartoon, without too many butterflies, still happens.

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Arthur's problem with his party wasn't experience, it was initially his enemies didn't trust him, he then didn't toady to his friends and sought a balanced administration, putting the office and country first. he had, IMO, a quite successful presidency, but one that didn't garner enough support from any faction to get the nomination. he performed his duties with less of an eye on nomination and more on the country.

the question is whether Garfield would have been as successful. As far as I can tell, Arthur didn't rigidly carry out Garfield's agenda, but steered his own course. Garfield supported civil service reform but it's unknown how much political capitol he would expend getting significant action, and, of course, his death at the hands of a disgruntled spoils seeker helped amp up the movement. does a foiled attempt have the same impact?
 
If he didn't die after being shot, and continued to not die at any point after being shot, it would really unnerve people as he continued to live for decade after decade.

Parsing is important.
 
Jim Davis named the iconic character, Garfield after his grandfather, James "Garfield" Davis, who was inturn named after President James A. Garfield, so really the cartoon, without too many butterflies, still happens.

Of course, if he'd turned out to be a lousy president, maybe Davis's grandfather wouldn't have been named after him. :p
 

Stolengood

Banned
Arthur's problem with his party wasn't experience, it was initially his enemies didn't trust him, he then didn't toady to his friends and sought a balanced administration, putting the office and country first.
It didn't help, of course, that Garfield's entire Cabinet, with the lone exception of Robert Todd Lincoln, resigned over the course of late 1881-early 1882 after Arthur succeeded to the Oval Office.
 

Spengler

Banned
We get a proper navy earlier. The whitehouse isn't occupied by a man who sent his ex girlfriend to a insane asylum.
 
Garfield's death served as a spur to civil service reform in OTL. (Maybe even his *attempted* assassination would be enough for that, but I am not sure.)
 
stolengood,
most of the cabinet were politicians who would rather see the country fail and play political games than see an administration succeed. These were the men Garfield chose. It makes me wonder about Garfield.
 
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