If Sherman Ran, Served .........

samgrant · #1 06-02-2007, 08:31 PM

When it was proposed that William Sherman be the Republican candidate for president in 1884, Sherman famously replied: "If nominated I will not run; if elected I will not serve."

What if he instead said "Sure, why not?"

1) Would he have won? (Keep in mind that in the previous 6 presidential elections the Republican candidate had won, and that the only Democrat from 1860 till 1912 to win the presidency was Grover Cleveland, who did win in 1884, then lost in 1888, the won again in 1892.)

2) Had he been elected what kind of president might he have been? (Would he have made any difference in the dwindling "Reconstruction", would he have gotten along with the powers that be surrounding him - Congress, business men, foreign relations, etc.)?

My quick take is that he would have been elected, but probably subsequently impeached for something or other (not for improprieties, but some issue upon which he would have a violent disagreement with Congress.)

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ole · #2 06-02-2007, 10:56 PM

Silly supposition, Sam. (Alliteration acknowledged, thank you very much.) Sherman hated politicians even more than he hated newspapermen. When he said he wanted nothing to do with office, he meant it.

OK. Supposition. He takes the job. He'd have attempted to have every Congressman and Senator eliminated. Of course, he'd have been impeached. Sherman, as president, stretches the what-if beyond credulity.

Ole

larry_cockerham · #3 06-03-2007, 10:25 AM

As long as he didn't post a graphic campaign poster he might have had a chance, albeit slim. Maybe if they didn't let the southerners vote? He would have done for the assassination crowd what Bill Clinton did for the comedians. As he told Joe Johnston, he just wanted to be left alone.

whitworth · #4 06-03-2007, 11:06 AM

Sherman always got too much blame for the Confederate army, not staying around to fight in Georgia, and moving off brilliantly to attack Tennessee.

Is it Sherman's fault that he was approaching Savannah and the sea, when the Confederate army, formerly of Atlanta, was in the vicinity of Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee?

OpnDownfall · #5 06-04-2007, 12:49 PM

I agree with those who believe that he would not have run and would not have serve, if elected. However for the sake of the 'what if' question, I agree with those who predicted he would have been lucky to escape impeachment sometime during his administration.

Texas2nd · #6 06-08-2007, 05:54 PM

Oh my...

If Sherman ran and was elected...impeached might not be the worst that would have happened.

I think he would have been assassinated - pretty darn quick.

Someone who generated as much hatred in the South as he did - deserved or not - would have tipped a crazy who wanted a last rebel yell into doing the dirty deed.

Texas2nd