1940: Kennedy vs. Willkie
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 29, 2024, 12:36:57 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  Presidential Elections - Analysis and Discussion
  Election What-ifs?
  Past Election What-ifs (US) (Moderator: Dereich)
  1940: Kennedy vs. Willkie
« previous next »
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: 1940: Kennedy vs. Willkie  (Read 1534 times)
Mechaman
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 13,791
Jamaica
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: March 11, 2013, 03:38:32 AM »
« edited: March 11, 2013, 03:48:15 AM by AntiWar Machine »

It is 1940 and incumbent President Franklin Roosevelt announces that he will not be running for a third term in office.  Upon hearing the news from Washington current US Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy, Sr sends in his resignation to pursue the Presidential nomination at the 1940 Democratic National Convention.  It is a very combative Convention but due to his political organization Kennedy is able to sway the necessary delegates at the Convention to get the presidential nomination.  Due to his relative conservativism, as well as his Catholicism and perceived isolationism, Kennedy's backers look for a VP candidate to endorse on the ballot line that is relatively liberal, non-Catholic, and hails from a different (preferably rural) part of the country.  That candidate turns out to be Burton Wheeler, the liberal Senator from Montana who was once the VP of the Progressive ticket in 1924.  Despite Wheeler's isolationism and some of his opposition to various New Deal proposals, Kennedy's backers are able to muster enough delegate support for Wheeler to win the VP nod after promising to "uphold" the New Deal as it currently stands.
On the other side of the aisle the Republicans have a show down between various representatives of the isolationist and internationalist wings.  In the end a groundswell for former FDR backer Wendell Willkie, a prominent New York businessman, wins the day.  Willkie, a self professed "liberal" free trade backer and internationalist, wins the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.  Given his outsider status as a recent Republican convert, Willkie's backers knew that a "faithful" VP candidate was needed to rally the base.  In the end it was decided that a western farm leader would be a preferred VP choice.  Senate Leader Charles McNary, who disagreed with Willkie's views on trade, the TVA, and was an isolationist, was chosen.
Come Election Day, which ticket wins:

Joseph Kennedy, Sr (D-NY)/Burton Wheeler (D-MT)

or

Wendell Willkie (R-NY)/Charles McNary (R-OR)
?

Maps please.

EDIT: Realized that Barkley and McNary are both Senate Leaders.  Changed to Wheeler to make things interesting.
Logged
Undecided Voter in the Midwest
Ghost of Tilden
Rookie
**
Posts: 63
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2013, 01:14:24 PM »



It would be close, and it could go either way. But I think Willkie wins it by carrying New York, which would be the decisive state.

Willkie (R): 293 EVs, 51%
Kennedy (D): 238, 49%
Logged
Dr. Cynic
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 12,417
United States


Political Matrix
E: -4.11, S: -6.09

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2013, 10:53:08 PM »

I think I would vote for Wilkie. The Democrats are simply too isolationist.
Logged
Lincoln Republican
Winfield
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 14,348


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2013, 11:23:27 PM »



Willkie/McNary                    286
Kennedy/Wheeler                245

Logged
FEMA Camp Administrator
Cathcon
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 27,284
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2013, 07:27:19 PM »

Finally. An election that might actually have me voting Willkie. Not that I would be happy about it. And this is in retrospect. No idea how I would've voted as a voter back then.
Logged
Lincoln Republican
Winfield
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 14,348


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2013, 02:27:21 PM »

In this election, the corporate lawyer and business executive defeats the philandering bootlegger.
Logged
RogueBeaver
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 20,058
Canada
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: March 16, 2013, 02:56:12 PM »

Willkie obviously, but this screws up WWII preparation immensely either way.
Logged
Oldiesfreak1854
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 13,674
United States


WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2013, 07:56:33 AM »

I would've voted for Willkie no matter what, but here's my map:


Wendell Willkie (R-NY)/Charles McNary (R-OR)- 324
Joseph Kennedy (D-NY)/Burton Wheeler (D-MT)- 207

Since this was 20 years before Camelot, and I doubt America would still be ready for a Catholic president, Willkie wins easily, albeit narrowly.
Logged
🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸
shua
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 25,665
Nepal


Political Matrix
E: 1.29, S: -0.70

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2015, 09:29:59 PM »

Kennedy isn't a great candidate, and suffers in the East compared to FDR, losing NY thanks in large part to the Jewish vote.  In the Midwest his non-interventionism is a plus when compared with Willkie's internationalism, and this eats into what might otherwise have been a much stronger region for the Republican candidate.



Kennedy/Wheeler   50%   280
Willkie/McNary       48%   251
Logged
Thunderbird is the word
Zen Lunatic
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 3,021


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2015, 01:51:40 PM »

This probably realigns the party's long-term. Can't imagine that Joe Kennedy would be too keen on civil rights.
Logged
President Johnson
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 28,592
Germany


Political Matrix
E: -3.23, S: -4.70


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2015, 10:03:27 AM »

I would've voted for Willkie no matter what, but here's my map:


Wendell Willkie (R-NY)/Charles McNary (R-OR)- 324
Joseph Kennedy (D-NY)/Burton Wheeler (D-MT)- 207

Since this was 20 years before Camelot, and I doubt America would still be ready for a Catholic president, Willkie wins easily, albeit narrowly.

This looks about right in my opinion.

Willkie was an admired man in both parties; the only reason he lost in real life was that is opponent was one of the greatest statesmen in history. As a progressive Democrat, I would have voted for Willkie in this scenrio.
Logged
Pages: [1]  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.037 seconds with 12 queries.