Lincoln, Johnson and other Vice Presidential options

[jimmy olsen]

Obviously Johnson turned out to be a shitty choice for VP. What other options were there though.

First of all, how much influence did Lincoln have on the nominating process? The party bosses and delegates had the power, but surely Lincoln had considerable influence.

As for candidates, I assume they'd be limited to border-state/lower mid-west war democrats in order to broaden the ticket's appeal. Who besides Johnson might Lincoln have picked that would have turned out better?

[The Nickname Who Was Thursday]

Would Lincoln picking a different candidate have resulted in a different map?  ;D

[jimmy olsen]

Would Lincoln picking a different candidate have resulted in a different map?  ;D

If you're going to comment, answer the question.

[Lettow77]

Parsons brownlow, if we are looking for a moar different east TN treasonist.

The honourable Thaddeus Stevens, if we are just being :3

[PDH]

With full benefit of hindsight, Lincoln should have picked Wilkes-Booth to attempt to avoid his later act when he was mad that he did not get chosen VP.

[jimmy olsen]

With full benefit of hindsight, Lincoln should have picked Wilkes-Booth to attempt to avoid his later act when he was mad that he did not get chosen VP.

See, nickname, if you're going be off topic, at least be funny.

[The Nickname Who Was Thursday]

[ See, nickname, if you're going be off topic, at least be funny.

I'll leave the trying to be funny in EVERY SINGLE POST to other posters, thanks.

So no map then. Meh. What kind of alt history thread is this.

[Neil]

Johnson was a good political move in order to take support from a potentially dangerous McClellan.  It's not like Lincoln was unopposed, even in his own party.

[Razgovory]

Johnson was a good political move in order to take support from a potentially dangerous McClellan.  It's not like Lincoln was unopposed, even in his own party.

Little Mac wasn't going to win.

[Neil]

Johnson was a good political move in order to take support from a potentially dangerous McClellan.  It's not like Lincoln was unopposed, even in his own party.

Little Mac wasn't going to win.

It's easy to say that in retrospect.

[jimmy olsen]

Johnson was a good political move in order to take support from a potentially dangerous McClellan.  It's not like Lincoln was unopposed, even in his own party.

Surely there must have been other politicians who would have offered political benefit that would have worked out better after Lincoln's assassination.

[dps]

Surely there must have been other politicians who would have offered political benefit that would have worked out better after Lincoln's assassination.

Not really.  He was going to pick a War Democrat, and any of them would have probably clashed with the Radical Republicans in Congress. 

Besides, I'm sure from Lincoln's perspective, the ideal outcome wouldn't have been to have a "better" VP, it would to have NOT been assassinated.

[Neil]

Johnson was a good political move in order to take support from a potentially dangerous McClellan.  It's not like Lincoln was unopposed, even in his own party.

Surely there must have been other politicians who would have offered political benefit that would have worked out better after Lincoln's assassination.

Maybe, but how was anyone to know that?  It's not like presidential assassinations were a common occurance back then.  Besides, if the Republicans were commited to running a War Democrat VP in their National Union Party, then any one of them would have had a rough time in the Republican-dominated Congress.

[PDH]

Besides, I'm sure from Lincoln's perspective, the ideal outcome wouldn't have been to have a "better" VP, it would to have NOT been assassinated.

Which, of course, is why my initial post is correct.