1896: McKinley v. Bryan v. Cleveland

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Republicans:
Former Governor William McKinley (Ohio)
Garret Hobart (New Jersey)

Democrats:
Former Representative William Jennings Bryan (Nebraska)
Arthur Sewall (Maine)

Bourbon Democrats:
President Grover Cleveland (New York)
Postmaster General William Lyne Wilson (West Virginia)

[Kaine for Senate '18]

why would an incumbent President abandon his own party and run to split the democratic vote?

In real life, Cleveland was not crazy about Bryan but still Cleveland did not abandon his own party and run as a minor party candidate.

It's a what-if scenario, deal with it   How do you like a taste of your own medicine, Garrison?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

why would an incumbent President abandon his own party and run to split the democratic vote?

In real life, Cleveland was not crazy about Bryan but still Cleveland did not abandon his own party and run as a minor party candidate.

It's a what-if scenario, deal with it   How do you like a taste of your own medicine, Garrison?

I should tell you that because you complain and complain about most of my what if scenarios.

Read the fine print.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

why would an incumbent President abandon his own party and run to split the democratic vote?

In real life, Cleveland was not crazy about Bryan but still Cleveland did not abandon his own party and run as a minor party candidate.

It's a what-if scenario, deal with it   How do you like a taste of your own medicine, Garrison?

I should tell you that because you complain and complain about most of my what if scenarios.

Read the fine print.

why can't you just answer the question?

Cleveland tried to get the nomination in 1896, and was denied it.  AFAIK, he didn't even support Bryan in 1896, so it's perfectly possible that he would have run against him in 1896, if he could gain enough support.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

So, what you are saying is that if Ford had lost the nomination to Reagan in 1976 that it is perfectly possible that he could have run as a minor party candidate.

There is a huge difference between the two.  I don't think you understand the difference between the Bourbon Democrats, and the Bryan Democrats.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

So, what you are saying is that if Ford had lost the nomination to Reagan in 1976 that it is perfectly possible that he could have run as a minor party candidate.

There is a huge difference between the two.  I don't think you understand the difference between the Bourbon Democrats, and the Bryan Democrats.

you said that Cleveland ran as a minor party candidate because he lost the nomination, which I acknowledged, and he could gain enough support. I was just giving another example of what you indicated.

First of all, I didn't say minor party.  Second of all, your comparison makes no sense, because you don't understand the differences between the Bourbon and Bryan Democrats.

[Lief 🗽]

Ben/Gporter threads are the worst thing on this forum.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Ben/Gporter threads are the worst thing on this forum.

Indeed, but without them, they would make the Atlas Forum a less amusing place.

So, what you are saying is that if Ford had lost the nomination to Reagan in 1976 that it is perfectly possible that he could have run as a minor party candidate.

I'm surprised that you don't know this Garrison, but according to Reagan himself in his 1990 memoirs An American Life, he was approached by several conservative businessmen to run as a third party candidate after his narrow loss to Ford at the 1976 Convention and prior to the 1980 election cycle. Of course, Reagan decided against such action, citing it would "cause the Democratic Party the White House for eternity" or something remarkably similar.

As for this highly implausible scenario I'd vote for former President Grover Cleveland, however, his entrance into the race would most likely cause President William McKinley to win by a greater margin than in RL 1896.

[defe07]

Well, what's up with the maps? BTW, I wonder how an electoral map would look in 1976 between Ford, Reagan and Carter.