Wilson's Great Mistake

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Election Day 1912

A hard fought campaign between Governor Woodrow Wilson (D-NJ), President William H. Taft (R-OH), and former President Theodore Roosevelt (P-NY) draws to a close, with results showing Wilson underperforming in the west and President Taft securing few electoral votes.

Wilson (D): 227 EVs (37.3% PV)
Roosevelt (P): 231 EVs (35.9% PV)
Taft (R): 72 EVs (22.8% PV)
Debs (S): 0 EVs (3.9% PV)
Other candidates (0.1% PV)

Because no candidate received a majority of electoral votes, the President is to be elected by the House of Representatives from the top three vote-getters. The Vice President is to be elected by the US Senate. Unfortunately for the Presidential candidates, there is no clear majority in the House of Representatives, as the incoming House composition is 216 Democrats, 147 Republicans, 70 Progressives, 1 Independent and 1 Socialist. The newly elected Senate is composed of 47 Democrats, 46 Republicans, and 3 Progressives.

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The Corrupt Bargain

With Republicans humbled by their sound beating, they decide to work with the Progressives to stop the Democrats. The narrow Democratic plurality in the Senate (47-46-3) is not enough to elect Governor Marhsall (D-IN) Vice President. Taft's running mate and Vice President, James Sherman, died in office less than a week before the election. With no Republican stepping up to the plate, the Republicans and Progressives strike a deal to elect Hiram Johnson (P-CA) Vice President. Republicans were also pledged to support Theodore Roosevelt in an attempt to stop Woodrow Wilson, knowing that the Democrats would not be so willing to enact Republican policies or offer Cabinet positions. Indeed, former US Senator Joseph Foraker (R-OH) helped broker a deal between Republicans, Progressives, and, more importantly, Roosevelt and Taft, who refused, still, to even speak to each other.

Hiram Johnson was elected Vice President by the Senate in a close victory, with 48 votes to Marshall's 47 votes. Senator Carroll Page (R-VT) refused to express support for either candidate.

[Psychic Octopus]

Excellent job, Segway. I'm curious at how this will turn out.

[segwaystyle2012]

Excellent job, Segway. I'm curious at how this will turn out.

Thanks; I'm hoping to get some more in tonight.

[Psychic Octopus]

Excellent job, Segway. I'm curious at how this will turn out.

Thanks; I'm hoping to get some more in tonight.

Cool. The personal animosity between the three men, as after this election they all hated each other, will prove for an interesting presidential result.

[segwaystyle2012]

Excellent job, Segway. I'm curious at how this will turn out.

Thanks; I'm hoping to get some more in tonight.

Cool. The personal animosity between the three men, as after this election they all hated each other, will prove for an interesting presidential result.

Just wait.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Two minor nitpicks. It wouldn't have mattered if Sherman hadn't died as unlike the House when voting for President, the Senate only gets to choose from the top two contenders.  Also in real life, Nicholas Butler, President of Columbia University, received the electoral votes that Sherman would have gotten had he lived.

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Two minor nitpicks. It wouldn't have mattered if Sherman hadn't died as unlike the House when voting for President, the Senate only gets to choose from the top two contenders.  Also in real life, Nicholas Butler, President of Columbia University, received the electoral votes that Sherman would have gotten had he lived.

I wasn't sure on the first one, but the second one did not happen in this timeline because the electoral college split made it pointless. Thanks though.

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Republican Revolt

Woodrow Wilson is informed by Speaker Champ Clark (D-MO) that there are several Republicans revolting against their leadership's "Corrupt Bargain" with former President Roosevelt. Democrats held a majority of House seats in 16 state delegations, were tied in 3 state delegations, and had a plurality in 5 others. Democratic House leadership and Woodrow Wilson spent the night working out a plan to target Republicans who felt that they had to stop Roosevelt in order to remain as a party. The revolting Republicans believed that it would be best to elect Wilson and challenge him in 1916 than to allow the Progressive Party to replace them as a political force. The Democrats and Progressives were both making sure to proceed with caution.

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State Delegations Count



Red- Democratic majority
Blue- Republican majority
Green- Progressive majority
Dark Gray- 50-50 split
Light Gray- no clear majority

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Detailed Representative Count

Washington: 3P, 1D, 1R
Oregon: 2P, 1D
California: 6P, 3D, 2R
Arizona: 1R
Nevada: 1P
Idaho: 2P
Utah: 1R, 1P
New Mexico: 1P
Colorado: 3P, 1R
Wyoming: 1P
Montana: 2P
North Dakota: 2P, 1R
South Dakota: 2P, 1R
Nebraska: 3R, 3D
Kansas: 4P, 4D
Oklahoma: 5D, 3R
Texas: 14D, 4R
Louisiana: 8D
Arkansas: 5D, 2R
Missouri: 7R, 6D, 3P
Iowa: 5R, 4D, 1P
Minnesota: 6P, 3D, 1R
Wisconsin: 6P, 3D, 2R, 1S
Illinois: 13D, 13R, 1P
Michigan: 7R, 5D, 1P
Indiana: 6D, 5R, 2P
Kentucky: 8D, 3R
Tennessee: 8D, 2R
Mississippi: 8D
Alabama: 9D, 1I
Florida: 3D, 1R
Georgia: 9D, 3R
South Carolina: 7D
North Carolina: 7D, 3R
Virginia: 8D, 2R
West Virginia: 4D, 2R
Ohio: 18R, 4D
Pennsylvania: 17R, 16D, 3P
Maryland: 5D, 1R
Delaware: 1D
New Jersey: 6D, 5R, 1P
New York: 20D,15R, 8P
Connecticut: 2R, 2D, 1P
Rhode Island: 2P, 1R
Massachusetts: 8R, 6D, 2P
Vermont: 1P, 1R
New Hampshire: 1P, 1R
Maine: 2R, 1P, 1D

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Major nitpick here.  This is pre-XXth amendment, so it would be the lame duck 62nd Congress, not the incoming 63rd Congress that will be doing the election unless they remain deadlocked until March 4.

[segwaystyle2012]

Major nitpick here.  This is pre-XXth amendment, so it would be the lame duck 62nd Congress, not the incoming 63rd Congress that will be doing the election unless they remain deadlocked until March 4.

sh**t... Thanks!

Well, it will all work out.