McKinley picks Long; Roosevelt dies in 1902; La Follette v Hearst in 1904?

[genyodectes]

In 1900, there were two favorite candidates for President McKinley's running mate : New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (better known to history as Theodore Roosevelt) and Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long of Massachusetts. Long was a favorite of McKinley but mainly due to opposition from people like Long's rival Henry Cabot Lodge Sr, Long failed to be put on the ticket. Here, however, McKinley is able to successfully push for him to go on the ticket. Just like OTL, McKinley wins but is later assassinated leading to President Long. The month after the assassination, Long's daughter dies just as she did OTL, leading him to be uninterested in running for a term of his own. In 1902, before the Gubernatorial Election, Theodore Roosevelt dies and William Randolph Hearst is elected Governor. When 1904 Comes around, Secretary of State John Hay of Ohio would be the favorite of many Party elite with Elihu Root, the Secretary of War from New York, being considered a safe back-up option. However, despite this, Progressive Firebrand and Wisconsin Governor Robert Marion La Follette Sr of Wisconsin wins the Nomination even if Charles Fairbanks is forced upon him. His Opponent in 1904 is William Randolph Hearst who has John R. Williams of Illinois as his running mate.

Four main questions from this what if : Who does Long appoint to SCOTUS (OTL, Roosevelt got two picks, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in 1902 to replace Horace Gray and William R. Day in 1903 to replace George Shiras Jr.), Does Long do any major reshuffling in his cabinet outside of whoever McKinley appoints to replace him as Navy Secretary, What does the United States look like going into the 1904 Election ITTL, and finally what does the 1904 Election look like here?

[stevep]

Aug 15, 2022 12:38:12 GMT genyodectes said:

In 1900, there were two favorite candidates for President McKinley's running mate : New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (better known to history as Theodore Roosevelt) and Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long of Massachusetts. Long was a favorite of McKinley but mainly due to opposition from people like Long's rival Henry Cabot Lodge Sr, Long failed to be put on the ticket. Here, however, McKinley is able to successfully push for him to go on the ticket. Just like OTL, McKinley wins but is later assassinated leading to President Long. The month after the assassination, Long's daughter dies just as she did OTL, leading him to be uninterested in running for a term of his own. In 1902, before the Gubernatorial Election, Theodore Roosevelt dies and William Randolph Hearst is elected Governor. When 1904 Comes around, Secretary of State John Hay of Ohio would be the favorite of many Party elite with Elihu Root, the Secretary of War from New York, being considered a safe back-up option. However, despite this, Progressive Firebrand and Wisconsin Governor Robert Marion La Follette Sr of Wisconsin wins the Nomination even if Charles Fairbanks is forced upon him. His Opponent in 1904 is William Randolph Hearst who has John R. Williams of Illinois as his running mate.

Four main questions from this what if : Who does Long appoint to SCOTUS (OTL, Roosevelt got two picks, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in 1902 to replace Horace Gray and William R. Day in 1903 to replace George Shiras Jr.), Does Long do any major reshuffling in his cabinet outside of whoever McKinley appoints to replace him as Navy Secretary, What does the United States look like going into the 1904 Election ITTL, and finally what does the 1904 Election look like here?

  Well that is an interesting question and a world without Teddy as President is going to have some big impacts.  Especially if Long isn't as willing to take on vested interests and curtail some of the excesses of the gilded age as he was.  Having a quick read of Long's wiki entry he was already somewhat elderly and in poor health so I suspect he would be less active than Teddy.  On naval matter I can't see the 'Great White Fleet' mission so the USN might be a little slower in general development and won't learn as much about operations away from secure bases.

  From what little I know about him Hearst sounds like a potential disaster as a President but this was a period where the Republicans were generally the dominant party and it took Roosevelt splitting the party in 1912 so would expect La Follette to win the election, unless his progressive alignment alienates too many people.

  However overall I know too little about the period and people involved to be able to say much more, especially with two such significant butterflies, i.e. Long becoming the VP and then President and Roosevelt's early death.

[Max Sinister]

How big were the chances of the Democrats? This is after Cleveland, the republicans wouldn't be able to nominate a broomstick anymore, and it'd have been elected.