TLIAW(II):A Rigged Deck, for a Rigged System

What is this?

You know all the people who ran for President in America?

Uh-huh.

And you know how a lot of them lost?

Uh-huh.

Well let's take them and remix them into a new list.

This sounds kind of like all those "Shuffle" TLIA(X), surely you aren't so strapped for ideas that you've fallen so far as to copy them?

I'm American, it's my national destiny to take the things that other people are doing and do them better.

Of course it is. Anyways, what's up with the (II) in the title? I've seen some weird and overtly convoluted acronyms in these titles but even I'm stumped at what it would mean.

It just means 2.

Wait when did you do a first TLIAW?

I didn't, I did a TLIAD about 5 months ago. Which I actually finished in 24 hours. Anyways, this is just for branding purposes.

"Branding purposes?" What are you some kind of corporate sell out?

If only.

This is going to suck isn't it?

Yes. And by yes I mean maybe. And by maybe I mean it's a theoretical possibility within the confounds of space-time.

Anyways, we're starting with 1797 sometime in the next week, because Washington can never lose, so stay tuned.
 
With all regards to "Rolling the Dice"

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#2.) Thomas Jefferson - Republican
(1797-1801)


Vice-President: John Adams (1789-1801)

The Election of 1796 was the first real competitive election in American history. With Washington declining to stand for a third term, it fell upon the shoulders of Vice-President John Adams and former Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson to act as standard bearers for the two political factions of the United States. Adams himself was more respected then loved, Senate Federalists saw him as obnoxious and someone who tried to much to bury his nose into their business, Hamilton saw him as a rival for control of his Federalist party.

Jefferson, meanwhile, was the philosophical underpinning of the Republicans and was widely respected as their one leader. Despite this, the Federalists ran a pretty good campaign against him, and only narrowly losing the Presidency, yet retaining the Senate and even gaining control of the House. Adams, despite many times stating he would rather resign then serve under Jefferson, felt compelled to offer the government his services and not merely vacate office on account of his own personal feelings. The insistence of many important Federalists, including, ironically enough, those who had fought against him in his role as President of the Senate. With a majority in both Houses of Congress, the Federalists were ready and able to fight whatever measures Jefferson would bring up.

The biggest issue with Jefferson, almost immediately, was the issue of Revolutionary France. Washington declared neutrality and took the position that America ought to be able to trade with whoever they have chosen to do so with. But to prevent France from obtaining materials, however, Great Britain ordered the seizure of American vessels taking cargo to France. The Jay treaty mostly cleared up Anglo-American issues, but many Republicans were infuriated at what they saw at capitulation to Britain. France began to see America as a potential enemy now and began doing what Britain had done to Americans just a short few years ago.

Jefferson, as former French Minister and Secretary of State, wanted to reunite the feelings of the two Republics, but the feelings were not mutual on the French side. The American Ambassadors were received coolly, and they received a demands for a bribe to continue negotiations. Prime Minister Talleyrand overestimated the pro-French viewpoint of Jefferson's men, and misread how their once ally would react to their requests.

When the Federalist press heard about it back home, the ran with it as far as possible. Calling the French little more then direct enemies of the United States, they demanded a declaration of war and a raising of a Navy to force the French to treat their vessels fairly. To their, and some Republican's, fury Jefferson refused, pleading peace and restraint with the new Republic. Citing how cash-strapped early America was, with far fewer enemies on her borders, France's desperation was to be understood. Even many of his Republican allies were disgusted how Jefferson appeared to be putting French over American interests. No one more ferocious in his attacks then Adam's, who denounced Jefferson on the floor of the Senate for his failures.

When the Federalists passed their own set of bills, aimed at suppressing Franco-Americans and other possible enemies, Jefferson let none pass and vetoed them. If the President's popularity could get any lower, it would have had to burrow under the Earth. When came the time to back American-interests, and back Jefferson, many Republicans reluctantly sided with the Federalists and overturned Jefferson's veto. Come the 1798 elections there would only need to be a few non-Federalist votes to pass legislation against even a veto threat.

By the time 1800 arrived, Jeffersonian allies in Congress declined to renominate him and instead supported Aaron Burr for the office. Still, Jefferson gathered a cache of friends and managed to get himself on the ballot in many western and southern state. John Adams finally won the office of the Presidency, with his South Carolinian running mate Charles C. Pinckney replacing him as Vice-President. Adams pledged to force France to respect American interests, end their imposition of ships, and to pay for damages incurred to Americans. Jefferson would have the satisfaction of gaining more votes then Burr, and showing the popularity he still retained in the hearts of many Americans.
 
Surviving Federalist Party maybe!?!?

I never go pre-1900, but, for this, I must!

Also, this means Adams was VP for 12 years...
 
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#3.) John Adams - Federalist
(1801-1805)


Vice-President: Charles C. Pinckney (1801-1805)

After 12 years as the nations second most important man, it was a liberating experience for John Adams to finally become President. With Federalist majorities in both houses, they got to work expanding the Navy and Army to be at least suitable for contending with the French, who at this point began actively harassing American ships. Taxes were raised, a standing army was set, and censorship was enacted, mild enough to satiate all but the loudest howling Federalist and the most anti-war faction of the Republicans. Jefferson, away from power and the hearts of many of his followers, denounced the Sedition Act loudest of all.

Politically, the Republicans were badly split and feuding more with each other then the Federalists. Those who favored war with France were tarred as turncoat-Federalists, those against it as crypto-anarchists and more interested in France's welfare then America's. Early in 1802, after some months of beating back French ships, an explosive debate broke out. To help Haiti or no? A colony off the eastern coast, the populace began to fight against the French once more after the fear of slavery being re-instituted by Napoleon was raised. Southern men were repulsed at the idea of arming Negro's to fight against white men could only end in suffering for all involved. Even Northern men were hesitant to do so, but the idea was raised if only to fight back against France in some meaningful way.

Instead of something that alienated most Americans, a new option popped up. Lousiana. Under the control of Spain for as long as America had been alive. Due to pressure from Napoleon, they ceded the entirety of their New World Territories to him in a treaty some contended was unfair. Adams saw this as the perfect opportunity. Not only can America steal themselves more land, but the Federalists could make inroads into the more rural parts of the nation. Not only as the "patriotic" party, but as the "expansion" party, something that would appeal to many a farmer.

Not every Federalist liked this, most of all the land speculators in the North who feared their power to be diluted by the expanding nation and the hoards of bumpkins would be able to outvote them. But for many the prospect of more land, more ways to hurt France, and the appeal of New Orleans was too much, and the army was sent eastward. One of the men who was asked to lead it was George Washington, but at over 70 and in poor health he declined the offer, instead keeping himself quiet and at work in Mt. Vernon.

Despite popularity for the war, and good trade with Britain easing the hatred with them, Adams declined a second term. Citing his 16 years in national government, his age, and general exhaustion, he retired back home to Massachusetts. In his place Vice-President Pinckney was chosen as the Federalist nominee, generally liked more then Adams. His running mate was Governor Stephen Van Rensselaer of New York, whom Alexander Hamilton had harassed into standing for office. Congressman James Madison, still allied with Jefferson however tenuously their friendship might have been, was the nominee of both factions of the Republican caucus. The Father of the Constitution promised a restraint on extravagant Government expenditures, peace with honor, and to end empire-seeking. Madison's running mate was fellow Congressman Levi Lincoln, Sr.
 
So, are you just flipping every election? If so TTL's America will be developing a "one-term tradition" soon enough...
 
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#4.) Charles Cotesworth Pinckney- Federalist
(1805-1813)


Vice-President:
James Madison, Republican (1805-1809)

Rufus King, Federalist (1809-1813)

The 1804 election was in someways reminiscent of the 1796 one. The former French minister became President, the sitting Federalist Vice-President ran again, and of course the President and Vice-President were of differing parties. The Federalists plan of pledging all but one elector to a set backfired, as some electors weren't informed of the plan and ended up voting too much against Van Rensselaer. This let Congressman Madison squeak in as Vice-President, which in turn led Congress to passing the 12th Amendment, forcing electors to specify who they wanted as their Presidential choice and their Vice-Presidential choice. While neither Pinckney nor Madison liked the other, both attempted to reach out to the other and work with them for the betterment of the nation.

In the West, the Lousiana War was going rather well. Very few resistances in the New Orleans lead to an easy capture after the Spanish forces fled. Florida was slower in being taken, with Native resistance being the hardest part, but still the war was popular with Americans. The territories of Yazoo, Florida, and Orleans receive organized military governments for the time being. Madison and the remaining Senate Republicans worked to block the appointments of these men, arguing over the constitutionality of seizing what they considered "Spanish" Territory, illegally forced into French possession, without declaring War on Spain.

Their legalistic arguments would soon be ignored by something far more interesting to America, an attempt to colonize a new confederacy out in the South and Lousiana territory. Former New York Senator Aaron Burr was arrested by the Navy trying to travel out to France, and in his possessions were letters not incriminating Jefferson in writing several news articles calling for the secession of the South, under the name "Argus", but their attempts to ally with Napoleon in a combined Southern/Louisianan confederacy to counter a "Northern Federalist oligarchy".

The nation exploded at that, Jefferson was arrested, Burr was dragged back to American shores, and the Republican party was split apart as members tried to prove themselves innocent, tried to denounce Jefferson as a cad, or as not-really-Republicans. Madison echoed former President Washington's reaction, calling Jefferson "the most fallen man" who ever lived. If Jefferson wanted to counter the Federalist oligopoly in some way, he failed miserably. Republicans were either reelected as part of an extremely small clique of party members, or as Independents in some way. Rufus King of New York was elected the 4th Vice-President, who would prove, ironically enough, even more of an enemy of Pinckney then Madison.

The election of 1808 featured no organized opposition to Pinckney, although a number of electors named someone other then King and Rufus as their choices, some even asking Adams to return to office. Pinckney's second term featured far less exciting, instead it featured a mini-Federalist Civil War. While most members were Northern and someways in favor of abolition, Pinckney was a proud South Carolinian and in favor of extending slavery to as far as the Pacific Ocean. His rather animated defense annoyed, infuriated, and disgusted many Federalists and Independents who opposed him on the issue. Most infamously the Varnum Act, which barred slavery from the District of Columbia, was seen as a direct attack on the South by many members. The only way it got through the Senate was Vice-President King who forced debate to end and, with a number of missing Southern Senators, forced the act through on sectional lines.

Pinckney himself did not choose to run, following Washington and Adams in refusing to involve themselves in politics, but his Southern Federalist allies in Congress nominated James Madison as their candidates, while Northern Federalists choose King as their standard bearer. A rump of Independents and Republicans choose another New Yorker, DeWitt Clinton, as a possible opposition. Pinckney was seen as a rather poor President by many, aside from those pushing a more weak Presidency and strong Congress, as he allowed. Not the "most fallen man", nor a trendsetter, his defense of Slavery was seen by many historians as both positive (in that it agitated Northerners not to accept the state quo and re-energized the anti-slavery debate) and poorly (as many Southerners who wanted to end the institution "later" where now more animated about it's defense).
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I want to see everyone's guesses as to who is next each time.
 
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#5.) DeWitt Clinton - Republican
(1813-1817)


Vice-President: John Quincy Adams, Federalist (1813-1817)

The 5th President was the first to be chosen by the House of Representatives. DeWitt Clinton came in third counting both electoral and popular votes, but Madison (who's attacks on Jefferson before and after his acquittal, and his personal history with various Southerners, had rehabilitated him) and King were far too unacceptable to either side of the Mason-Dixon line. Madison didn't take an extremist pro-slavery defense, he did attack abolitionism and the lack of Northern understanding on Southern affairs. King meanwhile wanted to exclude slavery from all the territories, including the Southern ones, and "strangle the snake in it's sleep."

While the House of Representatives duked it out, the Senate elected their own member, John Quincy Adams (Rufus King's running mate) to the Vice-Presidency. While some Northern Federalists were content to wait and allow the younger Adams to take the office due to a "vacancy", he himself undercut that idea and threatened to lock Congress until they elected a President. Eventually, it was agreed that if they couldn't get their own man into office, they would consent to letting Clinton do so. A sectional crisis was staved off, for now.

Clinton had to juggle both regrowing his minority Republicans, and finding talented men to help run the nation. He extended olive branches to the two Federalist camps and balanced his cabinet between everyone. Even his enemies found his judgement to be rather wise and his appointments qualified. The nation settled into peace, as Napoleon was defeated and Europe returned to calm.

The first big issue of the Clinton Presidency was at the end of his rein, a few months before the 1816 election in fact, which was the issue of whether to allow certain territories to claim statehood. Orleans, Yazoo, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri all claimed they were ready for the past few years. With the war in Europe over, and Napoleon dethroned, the issue of taming all of Lousiana territory quickly became null and they were allowed to seek statehood. The biggest issue was slavery in all these cases. While Congress would have been likely to accept the first two taking in slavery, Missouri was a stretch too far and it was rejected. 3 slave states and only 2 free states was a bridge too far.

Clinton had to tread carefully here, and despite his tacit alliance with the Republican/Independents, they were neither powerful nor plentiful allies. He relied on his Vice-President, a man who had no interest in putting his own career above the nations, and a compromise was forged. Missouri would become a state, and had to emancipate all of her slaves by 1832. The District of Maine (who's borders were finalized in 1812 between it and New Brunwick) was to become a State alongside it. Southerners felt outraged, many even covertly taking back their earlier outrage at Jefferson and his complaints of a "Northern Federalist oligarchy" with how the North was forcing their views down their throats.

Come 1816 it would be Clinton versus his own Vice-President Adams, and his Secretary of War James Monroe, both sides taking either of the Federalist camps.
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I'm disappointed by the lack of discussion. Come one guys!
 
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#6.) James Monroe - Whig
(1817-1821)


Vice-President: Levi Lincoln, Sr., Whig (1817-1819)
None (1819-1821)

In a surprising move, DeWitt Clinton declined to continue his Independent/Republican challenge, and instead endorsed his Secretary of War Monroe. The Southern Federalists, seeing very little in common with their Northern counterparts anymore, joined with the remaining Republicans as a unified ticket, "Whig."

Opposition to extravagant government spending, sectionalism, and violations of rights by overarching government gave even Northerners pause, many tired of overwhelming Federalist rule in their states or of the animated anti-slavery debates. Many did not care about the Negro, or worse yet, demanded to know what the Federalists intended to do with them once they were free. It was a fairly loose coalition, existing merely as a vehicle to oppose the Federalist without drawing the "treasonous" label many Republicans had to contend with and give support elsewhere.

Victories in all Southern states, as well as New York gave Monroe a resounding victory in the electoral college. Adams returned to the Senate soon afterward to combat the Monroe Administration. Reversing trends in previous years, the Federalists began to call for less and less expansion westward, while the Whigs demanded to take what was American by force. It was not a completely perfect split, many Federalists like JQA wanted to expand to the Pacific, while many Whigs opposed it due to the high amount of taxation and military it would need to be conquered.

Monroe took an expansionist role. Knowing how weak Spain was at the moment, and how zealous they were in trying to crush their Cuban revolutionaries, he ordered the Navy to "patrol" the island while en route elsewhere and attack only in defense. As expected, Spanish ships fired on the American Navy and the Spaniard forces were defeated. Demanding not only an apology by Spain, but a limit on their forces was issued by Monroe. Spain predictably refused, still feeling fury over the American seizure of Lousiana and Florida, and aching for revenge declared war on them.

The war had the predicted response at home, even Federalists enemies backed the war in hopes of expelling the last bits of Spain out of the North American continent. While popular at first, and especially after the rather ill-equipped Spaniard forces fell across the Caribbean, the debate about what to actually do with the territories reignited the Slavery debate. The debate about whether to annex the islands also included the question of whether they ought to permit slavery there. Formally it had been abolished in previous Spanish Constitutions, but later reintroduced. Once taken away, the Cubans rioted and attempted to separate themselves from Spain permanently. While America like could take the islands by force, whether they should, and what they would do to them was a whole different question.

The Monroe administration was dealt a hard blow when Vice-President Lincoln died in office. Not the most able Senate President, he did command respect from all sides of the aisle, and another debate was opened as to how the government should deal in the permanent absence of a Vice-President. While nothing was decided at the time, many ideas were discussed on the matter. Running with Lincoln's son, Levi Jr., Monroe attempted to win a second term in office, but like his Republican predecessors he lost due to an increasingly unpopular "occupation" of Cuba, which cost much money and lives (due to both revolutionaries and sickness), while Congress battled over annexation and slavery. Even within his own party he was somewhat unpopular, the northern Whig caucus voting mostly for former President Clinton over him. Yet Monroe won his party over while losing the nation.

Monroe was seen as a rather intelligent and decisive man by historians, but hampered by both overreach and his inability to secure a second term. Some historians argue that Clinton would have been able to win both 1816 and 1820 if he ran one on one against Adams, but others claim the euphoria of a new party and a new name in the former year, and the weak economy of the later year, ruled that out. What followed was one of America's best Presidents, and probably one of the most competent man to ever run in American history.
 
Are you counting 1808, when Monroe tried to grab the nomination from Madison, as a "loss" for him? If so, that is going to open up nominating conventions, too. Maybe Seward is the Civil War president? (Then again, it *could8 be Van Buren in '48 or Scott in the '50s)

Which points to the fact that, like with #2 and 3, there will be a number of situations where actual Presidents serve.
 
Are you counting 1808, when Monroe tried to grab the nomination from Madison, as a "loss" for him? If so, that is going to open up nominating conventions, too. Maybe Seward is the Civil War president? (Then again, it *could8 be Van Buren in '48 or Scott in the '50s)

Which points to the fact that, like with #2 and 3, there will be a number of situations where actual Presidents serve.

Not exactly. My system is, if they got any amount of popular or electoral votes they are considered a "candidate", regardless of the levels of campaigning they did. The actual in-universe races may not count all of the OTL contestants, but the winner will always be someone who participated in that years election.
 
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#7.) John Quincy Adams - Federalist
(1821-1829)


Vice-President:
Richard Stockton, Federalist (1821-1825)
Henry Clay, Federalist (1825-1829)

The first President to be related to an earlier President, John Quincy Adams was leaps and bounds ahead of his father. From near birth he was involved in governmental affairs, from his fathers secretary during his ambassadorial duties, to Ambassador himself, Senator, Vice-President, Senator again, and now President. Adams campaign was based on the idea of solving the "Negro question" forevermore, which many interpreted as a code word for emancipation.

While many Northerners tipped back an forth on the question, many knew that the South wanted it to be extended westward, which gave the anti-slavery men a vehicle to attack the institution. "Federalism, Free-Soil, and Free Men" was the preferred slogan. While many Southern leaders expected the victory to be purely on sectional lines, giving them amble justification for claiming the South was being infringed on by Northern interests, their dismay came when states like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and even Orleans went for Adams over Monroe.

By now changes in the southern economy had decoupled Negro labor from money and success, something that many pro-slavery leaders did not quite understand while the rest of the South did. Men like in South Carolina's leading clique were blindsided by the defections of Kentucky (who's slave population was soon to reach single digits) and Orleans (who's racial rules were never quite the same as in the rest of the South). There was also the fact that even slaveholders, like Whig Senator Andrew Jackson who held more then a hundred of them, had no interest in pursuing an explicitly pro-slavery direction, when economics dictated that Free Labor was where the nation, and their banknotes, followed.

The Federalists held a triple majority, President, Congress, and Supreme Court. The acts came slow but hit certain. Slavery was outlawed in any annexed territories, Cuba and Puerto Rico were to be given independence within a decade, and any Negro citizen in a free state became free, regardless of previous servitude. Despite threats of war and bloodshed if the Federalists continued their schemes, the ruling Southern leaders surrendered and agreed on an Emancipation Plan after Adams won a second term in office. Him furthering his majority and showing even many slave states were ready to compromise was what is widely considered to have ended the showdown.

On July 4, 1826, President John Quincy Adams signed the General Emancipation Act, proving emancipation of all American slaves by January 1, 1840. While a bitter pill to swallow, the fact remained that life continued onward much as it was beforehand. The transition from slavery to freedom still left many Americans in bondage, now economic instead purely race-driven. The slaveholding elite still controlled the money, the land, and the means to power. Adams comfortably retired in 1829, content in fulfilling his duties adequately.

Many historians agree Adams the Younger was one of, if not the, most qualified men to hold the office of President. His knowledge of the Constitution, law, rhetoric, and the various powers afford him, in and out of the Presidency, gave him the tools to handle the biggest political question of his day. Today, however, many historians look back on his legacy and attack him for his abolition of slavery, but then leaving the Freedmen to contend with their news position as wage slaves to their still-masters.
 
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