If Hughes wins in 1916, could we have a conservative Dem 20s and a GOP ‘New Deal’?

[raharris1973]

If Hughes beats Wilson, WWI is still likely, and a popular backlash is likely afterward. This could hand the 1920s to the Dems politically, but assuming the Great Depression, along with party fatigue happen, the GOP should be back in 33.

facing economic crisis I imagine they would put their progressive wing forward and support govt relief and public works programs. Would they also support the Wagner Act and right to collective bargaining? Or just top down programs from the govt?

 

[49ersfootball]

Big question is whether this prevents Harding from seeking the Presidency in 1920 ?

 

[WolfBear]

Big question is whether this prevents Harding from seeking the Presidency in 1920 ?

Yes, because 1920 would be a Dem year and Harding wouldn't want to be viewed as a loser.

If Hughes beats Wilson, WWI is still likely, and a popular backlash is likely afterward. This could hand the 1920s to the Dems politically, but assuming the Great Depression, along with party fatigue happen, the GOP should be back in 33.

facing economic crisis I imagine they would put their progressive wing forward and support govt relief and public works programs. Would they also support the Wagner Act and right to collective bargaining? Or just top down programs from the govt?

Sounds reasonable, though I wonder who exactly the GOP equivalent of FDR is going to be here. Any ideas? Harold Ickes, Sr., perhaps?

 

[WolfBear]

Another possible candidate for a GOP version of FDR would be Herbert Hoover, but I don't think that he would have been quite as willing to support big government spending programs as FDR was in real life.

A 1930s US President Herbert Hoover would be very interesting since if Hitler still comes to power on schedule in Germany, then we could see a more German-friendly US in this TL. AFAIK, in 1931 in our TL, Hoover advocated having Poland give the Polish Corridor back to Germany in order to reduce German-Polish tensions. Safe to say that Poland was not very happy with this idea of Hoover's!