Would this flip any states? If so, would Wilson still win the election?
Would this flip any states? If so, would Wilson still win the election?
But Wilson didn't want to? He was an Isolationist: He didn't care about Europe but about American ships being sunk by the German Navy.
Yeah, you're correct, "Isolationist" is a way too strong word.It's not correct to say that he was an isolationist or didn't care about Europe. (He hoped the US could play a mediating role.) But it is true that in 1916 he like most Americans hope to keep the US out of the war. (And even those like TR, Elihu Root, etc. who advocated policies which they knew would likely bring the US into the war didn't dare to openly call for the US to go to war--that was just too unpopular.)
Not only would it be suicidal everyone would be asking why he wasn't asking Congress to declare war if he wanted to do so.
Would this flip any states? If so, would Wilson still win the election?
Not that he'd do it or succeed if he tried, but he could hypothetically run on getting a Congressional majority that would support a DOW, the current composition being obviously unsuitable.
Who is "he"? Is this a proposal by Wilson, or an accusation against Hughes?
If Wilson had made intervention a campaign pledge, he would have lost massively. Hardly anyone in the US wanted to go to war. Until the Zimmerman Telegram and resumed submarine warfare, there was no consensus in the US for it, and both of those came after the election.
If Wilson makes that attack on Hughes - I think it might backfire. Hughes would flatly deny it, and Wilson would have no evidence to back up his claim. It might cost him enough votes to lose CA, which flips the election; possibly some other states as well (NH, ND, NM, KY, MO, WA).
Actually, the Democrats did accuse Hughes of being pro-war (though they simultaneously attacked his "hyphen" support). They did so through association with TR.
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