John Nance Garner runs 3rd party in 1940

[Sir Mohamed]

I've posted a scenario in the random maps board last week, but what does Atlas think? If VP John Nance Garner ran 3rd party in 1940 against FDR, how would that have turned out? He challenged FDR for the nomination, but failed badly. Other than his run, nothing else changes.

[morgankingsley]

He could possibly win MS, SC, and AL and would probably get second in most southern states but his luck would not stretch too far

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Does he only run in the South?

[Sir Mohamed]

Does he only run in the South?

Nah, on ballot of all 48 states.

[President Johnson]

FDR still wins handily, but Garner carries a few states in the South and takes a away a few thousand votes away from the Democratic ticket that allows Willkie to take a few more states with pluralities.

✓ President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY)/Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace (D-IA): 367 EV. (51.93%)
Businessman Wendell Willkie (R-NY)/Senator Charles L. McNary (R-OR): 126 EV. (44.27%)
Vice President John Nance Garner (I-TX)/Senator Allen J. Ellender (I-LA): 38 EV. (2.72%)

[brucejoel99]

It goes nowhere, as he really didn't have the support in the party or the national popularity to pull off such a coup.

[morgankingsley]

FDR still wins handily, but Garner carries a few states in the South and takes a away a few thousand votes away from the Democratic ticket that allows Willkie to take a few more states with pluralities.

✓ President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY)/Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace (D-IA): 367 EV. (51.93%)
Businessman Wendell Willkie (R-NY)/Senator Charles L. McNary (R-OR): 126 EV. (44.27%)
Vice President John Nance Garner (I-TX)/Senator Allen J. Ellender (I-LA): 38 EV. (2.72%)

While I agree with you that garner would get a couple of states, I think him being vice president would have had a more valid track record than thurmond being a governor, and would therefore probably give him a good 10 to 15 points more in the southern states he loses, would would net him 3.5 to maybe even 4 percent of the vote