#CriminalizeSobriety
Dallasfan65
Junior Chimp
Posts: 5,859
Political Matrix
E: 5.48, S: -9.65
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« on: April 12, 2014, 09:33:01 PM » |
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Governor Grover Cleveland was elected to the Presidency with a modest ~52% of the vote. However, despite getting a small majority, the Union Party gained a massive majority in the House of Representatives. While the Radicals and Whigs had agreed to a joint-convention, the procedure had not been so immaculate in down-ballot races. A month after the election, The New York Times reported of one congressional race that had pitted the Union nominee against the People's Alliance, Whig, and Radical parties. This was not the only incident of vote-splitting due to confusion, and the results were disastrous for the Radicals and Whigs.
Emboldened, Grover Cleveland and his Union Party had an ambitious agenda that was befitting of their majority. In 1885, they passed the Blaine-Carlisle Act, which incrementally set the United States to be on a complete gold standard by 1896, as to reduce financial backlash in the silver market. Despite this, the economic downturn started during Cassius Clay's presidency would be prolonged, with a decline in the industrial sector due to the cessation of hostilities with the Lakota and Cheyenne Indians. Another achievement of Cleveland's presidency would be the annexation of Babel. Enticed by Babel's gold reserves, the anti-expansionist Grover Cleveland accepted the annexation with a coalition of Unionists and the remaining Whigs and Radicals, though a sizable amount of his party voted against it. In addition, Cleveland would issue an executive order "to not enforce or recognize, the Anti-Polygamy Act in the newly annexed territories of the Mormons, as they are," in an effort to assuage the concerns of those in Babel.
Though Cleveland is somewhat popular with rank-and-file Unionists, there is some opposition in the establishment, much like there was with President Samuel Tilden. Nelson Aldrich, a young Senator from Rhode Island, is running on a pledge to repeal Blaine-Carlisle in favor of fiat currency, and to roll back Cassius Clay's Railroad Oversight Act. Similarly, he calls Cleveland's annexation of Babel "profane." Cleveland is still expected to win handily at the convention, though the tide could turn.
Despite the disappointing performance of Benjamin Harrison, there are some who wish to stick with the People's Alliance as a new political party outright. George Custer, a popular general and media personality, is considerd the favorite by some. George Custer is fairly moderate, espousing what he calls a "working man's conservatism," and compromises on several issues such as trust regulation, currency, and labor rights. Custer's chief political issue is population of the western territories, which makes him quite "Whiggish." Joseph Smith has abandoned his uncle's Radical Party in an effort to seek the nomination as well, contrasting against Custer's views with a platform entailing education reform, repeal of the Anti-Polygamy Act, and a more overseas-based expansionism.
The Whig Party is in dire straits once more. Their unity ticket with the Radicals failed spectacularly, and now those in the Destiny Party had defected to boot. Senator Newton Booth, though he is getting on in age, is running for a final time. He supports a continuance of federal homesteading, with an especial grant to those willing to populate the Dakota territory. In addition, he he too opposes Blaine-Carlisle, and wishes to switch to an exclusively silver standard. Zebulon Vance of North Carolina is also running. Though a political conservative, Vance's tenure as Governor has been unique in that Jim Crow laws have not been enacted, and that blacks have kept their voting rights. Lastly, there are also some Whigs who wish to support the Western Alliance nominee, and dissolve their party entirely.
The Radicals find themselves in a similar situation. Having lost a sizable amount of non-Mormons to the new People's Alliance Party, there are some who wish to dissolve the party outright and merge. John Ingalls, former Speaker of the House, is running a final time. In addition to supporting annexation of the Dakota territory, Ingalls supports monetary compensation and the option of citizenship for those of the Lakota and Cheyenne tribes, as well as citizenship. Ingalls also supports Clay's railroad regulation, and is calling for further oversights of trusts in general. Moses Thatcher, a young Senator from the new state of Babel, is contesting the Radical nomination as well. Moses Thatcher supports federal temperance legislation, but is out of step with his party in supporting Cleveland's push for the gold standard, having been Treasurer during Babel's period of independence.
Lastly, there is the Destiny Party. Born out of disaffected Whigs, some are skeptical as to whether the party will have relevance if the Whigs and Radicals aren't merged. However, there are some that are optimistic about the party's future, given that they attained 16% of the vote, despite little network and no party machinery. Samuel Randall, the party's chief founder and a former Whig leader in the House, is running for the nomination once more. In addition, former Whig activist William Walker is contending the Presidency on an expansionist platform that would make Randall blush, calling for American control of the entire continent. In addition, there's a movement to nominate George Custer, who is significantly less radical, but is considered a hero in America.
Three days.
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