Debs wins in 1912
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  Election What-ifs? (Moderator: Dereich)
  Debs wins in 1912
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justfollowingtheelections
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« on: January 09, 2013, 10:17:52 PM »
« edited: January 09, 2013, 10:21:00 PM by blagohair.com »

The 1912 election has been the strongest showing of the Socialist party ever and I was wondering what would have happened if Debs had somehow managed to win.  For this to happen let's assume that the bitter fight between Roosevelt and Taft is so bad that both candidates are completely discredited.  Lets also assume that a southerner with no appeal in the rest of the country emerges from the Democratic Party convention who then makes comments that alienate voters (for example something really stupid against labor unions).  The working class decides to turn to a 3rd party and Debs wins the West as well as the Rust Belt.

My question is what would a Debs administration have been like and how would it have influenced American politics in the 20th century?
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Maxwell
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« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2013, 11:42:36 PM »

Maybe I'm biased, but I think it would've been a disaster and he would've been voted out of office so fast... That's just me though.
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Peter the Lefty
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« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2013, 11:10:07 AM »

It still would've been almost impossible.  The main problem is that the Democratic runner-up to Wilson was Champ Clark, who was generally to the left of Wilson (ex. went on to oppose WWI and the Federal Reserve).  If TR hadn't started his own party and had just backed Taft, then in a Taft vs. Wilson vs. Debs matchup, he just might'be broken 10%.  I can sort of see Taft winning in that scenario, but I could well be wrong.  Then Debs might've been encouraged enough not to sit it out in 1916, and without Wilson's progressive reforms, Debs might've gotten an even better showing that time.  Maybe, just maybe, the La Follette-type progressives would've joined with the Socialists (who they clearly belonged with), and there just might've been potential for a Socialist administration.  And after years of conservatism, war, and failed free market policies, Debs or La Follette just might've been able to lead the SPA banner to victory in 1920.  This would be a great TL.  I'm busy with one already, plus another one I'd like to get back to, and I've got an idea for one where Ford won in 76.  But I should put this on my list.
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Enderman
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« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2013, 06:34:26 PM »

I have a question, what if Taft won? I read about Taft, and how dissapointing he was to TR, so what if he won in 1912. How would WWI have been affected, would Harding and Hoover had won the Presidency? How would politics be affected? Pres. lists may explain a lot! Cheesy
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