Huey Long in 1936

[kashifsakhan]

Imagine if Huey Long had not been assasinated, and had made an independent bid for the presidency in 1936 along with Charles Coughlin as his VP with the "share our wealth" scheme as his main platform. Who would have won this 3 way race?

DEMOCRAT: Franklin Roosevelt/John Garner
REPUBLICAN: Alfred Landon/ Frank Knox
INDEPENDENT: Huey Long/ Charles Coughlin

Anyone want to try making a map?

[Colin]

Well Alf Landon the only sane one of that bunch, except John Nance Garner he was alright.

[kashifsakhan]

Well Alf Landon the only sane one of that bunch, except John Nance Garner he was alright.

thats great, but who would win?

[Colin]

Well Alf Landon the only sane one of that bunch, except John Nance Garner he was alright.

thats great, but who would win?

Oh this is a who wins poll? That would be Hughie though I doubt he would have a Catholic, Coughlin, as his VP.

[kashifsakhan]

Well Alf Landon the only sane one of that bunch, except John Nance Garner he was alright.

thats great, but who would win?

Oh this is a who wins poll? That would be Hughie though I doubt he would have a Catholic, Coughlin, as his VP.

Actually it was Huey Long's plan to run for the democratic nomination in 1936, even though he knew he was going to lose. His plan was to then form a third party with Charles Coughlin based on the idea of Share Our Wealth. The party was going to run someone other than Long in 1936, which would then split the left wing vote and cost Roosevelt the election. Long's plan was to run for the presidency in 1940 as a Democrat.

[opebo]

The 1936 calculator has no provision for a third party, so I put Long's states as light pink.  I think that FDR would still win easily, as most people in the north would still vote for him out of fear that Landon would win.  Certainly his margins are so huge he could afford to lose even a few more states to Landon and Long each than shown on this map:

[Colin]

Huey was probably more popular than FDR in 1936 easily. Seriously though I think he would shoot himself in the foot if he ran with Coughlin. I believe the plan was for Coughlin to be a main backer of the party and act as one of its grand poobahs but that Long would run with someone different, I think Senator Burton Wheeler of Montana, who was LaFolette's 1924 running mate, would have been a good choice. Like I said before Huey was trying to call out to the blue collar workers, unemployed, Southerners, and farmers many of whom still had anti-Catholic feelings.

Also Coughlin was born in Hamilton, Ontario and later emigrated to the United States so he would legally not be allowed to be Huey Long's Vice President.

[skybridge]

Couldn't Long have done better in 1932?

[Dr. Cynic]

Still, I don't think even the mighty demagogue, baby Huey could defeat FDR, especially with a nutjob like Charles Coughlin as his running mate.
Also, why would anti-Catholics vote for a man who had a Catholic priest as his running mate? Why would blue-collar workers vote against FDR, who had the backing of the unions?

Long may have been popular, but he was also not at all on the level, and his economic plan was far more radical than anything FDR had previously offered. I think either FDR or Landon could easily have portrayed Long as a loony toon, who was not only deceptive, but dangerous as well.

[Colin]

Still, I don't think even the mighty demagogue, baby Huey could defeat FDR, especially with a nutjob like Charles Coughlin as his running mate.
Also, why would anti-Catholics vote for a man who had a Catholic priest as his running mate? Why would blue-collar workers vote against FDR, who had the backing of the unions?

Long may have been popular, but he was also not at all on the level, and his economic plan was far more radical than anything FDR had previously offered. I think either FDR or Landon could easily have portrayed Long as a loony toon, who was not only deceptive, but dangerous as well.

As I said above it would have been impossible legally for Coughlin to run for the Vice Presidency thus while he might have been a supporter he wouldn't have been on the ticket.

[Dr. Cynic]

I saw that Colin, and yes I know it is impossible, but I was still pointing out the obvious flaws in a Long candidacy. Say he picked Gerald L.K. Smith, a man later identified as a neo-nazi?

It's still the same thing. FDR or Landon could have easily painted Long as a nutjob.

[Colin]

I saw that Colin, and yes I know it is impossible, but I was still pointing out the obvious flaws in a Long candidacy. Say he picked Gerald L.K. Smith, a man later identified as a neo-nazi?

It's still the same thing. FDR or Landon could have easily painted Long as a nutjob.

Why do we obviously assume that he picks a neo-Nazi? Why not another populist Democrat like himself? There were plenty of them to choose from. I could get you a whole bundle if I wanted to run downstairs and open up the appendix to the Plot Against America by Roth.

[Reignman]

FDR wins.

[Lincoln Republican]

Most of the nation had embraced the New Deal, and were not about to change direction by 1936.

Roosevelt wins overwhelmingly, losing 5 southern Democratic states to Long, and losing 9 states to Landon instead of 2.

Long's running mate is a populist Protestant.

Roosevelt/Garner                420
Landon/Knox                         60
Long/Running Mate               51

[NewFederalist]

Huey Long's running mate William Lemke perhaps?

[M]

FDR for sure. A smart Long would way or better yet, get into the cabinet.

[M]

Long in 1940, now. Garner might support him when he realized he wouldn't win, as a fellow Southerner, though there philosophies couldn't be more different.