1896 U.S. Presidential Election: Weaver vs. McKinley vs. Bryan vs. Vilas

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Three days. It's late, so description and pictures to come. The general idea is that in an epic four (to five even?) way election, President Weaver is attempting to win a second term. Populists back fiat money, Democrats back silver, the other two gold. Tariff positions should be obvious given the parties and ideologies.

President James B. Weaver (P-IA)/Former Congressman Thomas E. Watson (P-GA)

Former Governor William McKinley (R-OH)/Senator William B. Allison (R-IA)

Senator William Jennings Bryan (D-NE)/Mr. Arthur Sewall (D-ME)

Senator William Freeman Vilas (GD-WI)/Former President S. Grover Cleveland (GD-NY)

Mr. Joshua Levering (P-KY)/Former Mayor Hale Johnson (P-IL)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Weaver deserves to be re-elected.

Also why in the world would a 3-term President want to become Vice-President?

The only one to file a request for VP in the form of a post in the Gold Democrat thread was SJoyce, who wanted Cleveland. That was the only vote for VP I knew about, thus the convention nominated Cleveland.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

It is a strong ticket, I just don't see Cleveland wanting the job. Do you think FDR would have wanted to become Vice-President in 1944?

This should be a close election, but I have a feeling that Vilas and McKinley will split vote on the right.

You have to remember that Cleveland has won no race after 1884. He's been out of office for eight years or so by now and this is his last race.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Vilas, although I expect Weaver to win comfortably. The anti-populist vote is horribly split.

I wouldn't say that's the reason Weaver's winning. I'd imagine most Bryan voters would go to Weaver if it were him vs Vilas, which would give Weaver a solid majority.

Anyway, I'd like to request that in this timeline, an amendment is passed instating a runoff between the top two candidates if nobody has a majority of the vote. It seems like with this becoming such a multi-party system that actually would happen realistically.

Please don't do that, such an amendment would make it a less entertaining series.  It would also have basically guaranteed the dissolution of the Republican and Democratic Parties by this point.  The winner-take-all system works better than a runoff for the purposes of the series, imo.

Agreed.

It must be pointed out that, in real life, between 1876 and 1892, the only candidate to receive a majority was Samuel J. Tilden, and he lost. A victory by plurality could have been entirely plausible in 1896 and 1900 as well.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Poll is closed, onto 1900.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The 1896 United States Presidential Election
Despite being attacked on all sides, the sheer amount of opposition President Weaver faced proved only to be to his advantage. With his political enemies, the silverites, the Bourbon Democrats, and the Republicans of every stripe, all split in their allegiances, Weaver was able to garner a "mandate" of sorts, being re-elected by a good margin in both the electoral and popular vote (although he would never win a majority as a presidential candidate). His closest rival ran 15 points behind him, and President Weaver interpreted that as a clear show of support. The strange circumstances that had culminated in the electoral map were strange ones indeed. While McKinley might have been able to pull off a victory by gaining pro-gold Democrats, the emergence of a Bourbon Democratic ticket stymied his efforts. Meanwhile, Western Republicans, led by the Colorado delegation, flocked to either Bryan or Weaver. Political historians would look back on the election as one of the strangest in history, with typical voting blocs switching allegiances and entire halves of parties abandoning their own candidate.

President James B. Weaver (Populist-Iowa)/Former Congressman Thomas E. Watson (Populist-Georgia) 291 electoral votes, 44.4% of the popular vote
Senator William Freeman Vilas (National Democrat-Wisconsin)/Former President S. Grover Cleveland (National Democrat-New York) 123 electoral votes, 28.9% of the popular vote
Former Governor William McKinley (Republican-Ohio)/Senator William B. Allison (Republican-Iowa) 18 electoral votes, 13.3% of the popular vote
Senator William Jennings Bryan (Democrat-Nebraska)/Mr. Arthur Sewall (Democrat-Maine) 15 electoral votes, 11.1% of the popular vote
Mr. Joshua Levering (Prohibition-Kentucky)/Former Mayor Hale Johnson (Prohibition-Illinois) 0 electoral votes, 2.2% of the popular vote

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Where is the 1900 Republican Convention?

There was quite literally absolutely no opposition to both McKinley and Roosevelt in their own party. The one delegate to vote differently, the one to not make TR's nomination unanimous was his own, which was cast uncommitted. So you're stuck with a McKinley/Roosevelt ticket.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Where is the 1900 Republican Convention?

There was quite literally absolutely no opposition to both McKinley and Roosevelt in their own party. The one delegate to vote differently, the one to not make TR's nomination unanimous was his own, which was cast uncommitted. So you're stuck with a McKinley/Roosevelt ticket.

We can't get Roosevelt/McKinley?!?

Sorry 'bout that, dawg. No can do. A fake field may be made, I'm currently in discussion with some aficionados on the subject. But unlikely.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

We are getting Debs though right?

He got well below the qualifying level. .6%.