So I got this idea in my head and after thinking it out a bit more I decided I'd post it and get some feedback. Might turn it I to a full blown TL. Might not. Just depends on time and on what kinda response I get.
What if, in September 1901, William Mckinley doe NOT die from the assaisns bullet, and at around the same time, TR is killed in a mountain climbing accident. Leaves the possibilities pretty wide open, doesn't it?
Here are some things I was thinking might develops, either directly or due to butterflies:
-McKinley's brush with death leaves hist very frail. This causes the cabinet, along with the Speaker of the House, to step up their leadership roles. This will establish precedents that will ultimately establish a parliamentary system similar to what exists in Jello_Biafra's "Reds!" TL.
-not sure how exactly to bring this about, but would like to have the progressives leave the republican party and form their own, and at least develops a tri-party system in the US, if not an outright mutli-party system.
-Kaiser Wilhelm II dies somewhere between 1902-1904. Long term, his son will steer the country towards good relations with Britain, and Germany and the UK (and later the USA) will be on the same side in WWI, vs. France and Russia.
For the sake of butterflies, I was trying to think of a different way WWI might start, close to the same time, maybe 6-8 months later.
Also, who would likely become McKinley's new VP? And would he run for the Presidency? If not, who would be the republican successor?