If James G. Blaine bows out in 1884, who does the GOP nominate that year?

W

WolfBear

Well-known member
If James G. Blaine bows out in 1884, who does the GOP nominate that year? Let's say that Blaine decides that his candidacy might be too tainted due to corruption allegations, which wouldn't be unreasonable considering that corruption allegations previously caused him to lose the 1876 Republican presidential nomination to Rutherford B. Hayes. In such a scenario, who would the GOP nominate in Blaine's place? Incumbent US President Chester A. Arthur would still have his own half-hearted presidential bid, but he was suffering from Bright's Disease and thus would not put up a fully serious effort in his fight for the GOP presidential nomination. So, whom would Blaine's delegates at the 1884 GOP Convention have defected to en masse? To Benjamin Harrison like in real life in 1888? To someone else?

This alternate history question is fascinating for me because Blaine only lost New York in 1884 by 0.10% and with it lost the 1884 election. This was due to the defection of the Mugwumps, whom a more honest GOP presidential candidate would have probably persuaded to continue voting for the GOP in 1884:


Anyway, what do you think about this, @stevep @History Learner @Skallagrim @sillygoose @Chiron @Zyobot @Earl @Atarlost @raharris1973?
 
Under those circumstances I don't think anyone but Blaine could win looking at the ballots. Chester A. Arthur was the only serious competition and shed votes the slowest of anyone with a chance.

If Chester A. Arthur were healthy he might have won. If he was not running opposition to Blaine might have coalesced around someone else, but if he's there but not truly campaigning he sucks all the air out of the room.
 
Atarlost said:
Under those circumstances I don't think anyone but Blaine could win looking at the ballots. Chester A. Arthur was the only serious competition and shed votes the slowest of anyone with a chance.

If Chester A. Arthur were healthy he might have won. If he was not running opposition to Blaine might have coalesced around someone else, but if he's there but not truly campaigning he sucks all the air out of the room.
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I'm just wondering if Blaine's pick, assuming that they are anywhere near remotely competent, would get a lot of support in 1884 in the event that Blaine doesn't run. One would presume that most of Blaine's delegates would flock to whomever Blaine would endorse if Blaine himself doesn't actually run, no?
 
Basically only a period of rapid economic and industrial development accompanied by widespread growth of power of assorted magnates and oligarchs with resulting corruption and brutal treatment of industrial workers especially. It was part of the reason why Teddy Roosevelt gained a lot of support and took some heat out of the situation by his trust-busting activities and moves to regulate the worst excesses.
 
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