WI: POTUS Stephen Douglas in 1860

Wolfpaw

Banned
All in the name. What if Stephen Douglas had become president in 1860? If the South doesn't secede (they hated Douglas, so I suppose there's still a chance), would they do so if/when the Republicans win in '64?
 
For Douglas to win, it's going to take more votes thant he, Breckinridge, and Bell combined got in OTL. That's going to take some serious blunders by the Republicans and the Democrats not splintering into regional factions.

If the Democrats are unified enough to hold together in the 1860 election, they're unified enough that there will be no attempt on secession.
 
For Douglas to win, it's going to take more votes thant he, Breckinridge, and Bell combined got in OTL. That's going to take some serious blunders by the Republicans and the Democrats not splintering into regional factions.

If the Democrats are unified enough to hold together in the 1860 election, they're unified enough that there will be no attempt on secession.

GOP blunders? Nominating Seward? Or Chase?
 
I recall reading that if Douglas focused his campaigning on just the right states, he might have be able to deny Lincoln a majority of the electoral vote and throw the election into the House. There was a point when he realized this but decided to go South anyway, throwing away his last chance at the Presidency to campaign against secession.

Though, IOTL Douglas died on 3 June 1861 from typhoid. Do you think he'd still die ITTL?
 
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