Hail, Columbia! (The Election of 1808)

[Cranberry]

President Lafayette was resoundingly re-elected for a second term in office, but while his popularity ranged high, he made it clear already in his inaugural adress that he would follow the example set by presidents Franklin and Hidalgo and not run for a third term.

His National Republican ticket was not much more but a personal vehicle for the President's election, and he could do nothing but stand by when it ripped apart ahead of the Congressional elections of 1805. To the amazement of many, the Continentals were able to gain a breakthrough in both the House of Commons and the Senate, defeating the President's carefully cobbled coalition's majority. Standings after the elections in both chambers were as follows.

It has to be attributed to the political talent of Gilbert Lafayette that he made the best out of the situation, and arranged himself with the new majority. He did not use his constitutional power of vetoing the legislative's decision once, but moderated and compromised with congressional leadership on many things: his second term in office saw the passage of so-called "protective tarrifs" on foreign goods and a reducal of limits regarding intra-provincial trade; additionally, it marked the beginning of the so-called "Frontier Exploration" phase, with the erection of forts in upper Mississippi River region, and vast land grants to settlers in the northwestern provinces. In 1806, Erie was admitted as the Commonwealth 27th province. The same year, both houses of Congress passed a resolution, championed by the Continental Party but detested by frontier settlers, that would reserve the land between the Mississippi and the provinces of Tennessee, West Florida and Georgia as land for five Indian tribes the Commonwealth had established relations with. This so-called Indian territory was further expanded in 1807 when Congress forced the province of Georgia to rescind claims on lands of the Cherokee tribe in its north.

Especially this last policy proved very unpopular with frontiermen, rural famers and planters alike. Uniting under a common banner for the presidential election, they selected Vice President Aaron Burr, running on a ticket of the revived Democratic Party, but supported by both Federal Unity and the National Party, one half of the old National Republicans. The Continental Party meanwhile is running Thomas Strange, a prominent abolitionist and humanist figure from the province of Acadia, where he served as Chief Justice in the nineties, and was able to bring slavery to a factual halt. His candidacy is supported by the small urban Liberal Party - commited to the abolitionist cause - the Republican Party, a mainly French Quebecois organisation, and the Partido Radical, a catholic party with large support in Mexico.


Vice President Aaron Burr of New York [Democratic]
A bit uncomfortable with his position as the declared "pro-slavery" candidate, Burr is trying to portray himself as the candidate against the "overreach of the federal government" that supposedly happened under Lafayette's tenure. He campaigns against the abolition of slavery, against the creation of the Indian Territory, against the National Bank and against the new tariffs. He envisions a society of farmers and handymen, not one of "banks and foreign interests".

Supporting Coalition:
Democratic Party
National Party
Federal Unity


Former Justice Thomas Andrew Lumisden Strange of Acadia
The former Chief Justice of Acadia, responsible for the abolition of slavery in said province, is a highly detested figure among many - an epitome of the urban, northern, un-democratic interests of the uppity pseudo-nobility. He is emphasising his one topic of prominence - the abolition of slavery - cobbling together a vast coalition of French Canadiens, Mexicans and other Catholic Southerners, as well as Northeastern Protestants. He calls for a constitutional amendment to end the practice of slavery in all of the Commonwealth, "before such could only give rise to more pain and conflict than we already see this day".

Supporting Coalition:
Continental Party
Liberal Party
Republican Party
Partido Radical
Candidates for President need a majority of 28 of the 56 electors.

[Blair]

Burr to shake things up

[TDAS04]

Burr

[Zioneer]

Burr, because I want the President to do something insane.

[Mr. Smith]

Strange

[Goldwater]

Burr to shake things up

[Intell]

Strange

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

Strange

[Cassius]

Burr

[Cranberry]

Because I am very bored, here an outlook on the current composition of Congress. The Continental Congress is divided into two chambers, the House of Commons, with representatives divided upon the provinces by population; and the Senate, with one member by province. The House is elected popularly every three years, while the Senate is elected in different ways which are up to the province (a few in the north elect their Senators popularly, but the majority of Senators is elected by the provincial legislature) and for six year terms, but divided into two classes elected three years apart. The last congressional election was in 1805, while the next Congress is elected simultaneously with the President in 1808.

The Eight Continental Congress of the Commonwealth of North America
Elected in the year of 1805

House of Commons: 176 Members Continental Party - 65 Liberal Party - 18 Partido Radical - 14 Republican Party - 7 Democratic Party - 32 Federal Unity - 26 National Party - 14

Senate: 27 members Continental Party - 13 Partido Radical - 2 Republican Party - 1 Democratic Party - 2 Federal Unity - 3 National Party - 6

Senate after the Election of 1805


Senate Classes:
Red - last election in 1802
Blue - last election in 1805

[Cranberry]

Still 24 hours to go, so bump.

[Cranberry]

The Election of 1808

Former Justice Thomas Andrew Lumisden Strange [Continental-Acadia] - 28 electors
Vice President Aaron Burr [Democratic-New York] - 26 electors

What was widely regarded as a referendum on the way the Commonwealth would progress, turned out to be a very narrow contest. Strange was able to capitalise on Continental advantages in the Northeast and Mexico in the end however, beating Burr in a close race in the Electoral College. Nevertheless, he saw the majority of his coalition in Congress weakened, and has a hard time ahead passing his agenda.