Ugh with the track record of McClellan diplomacy is gonna go horrible and that is hopefully the straw that breaks the camels back cause this is a shitshow for America. I my consolation is that the democrats and McClellan will be blamed for it and the reps and the rads will probably do some soul searching and after awhile and look to the country and how the democrats have been steering it will atleast for a bit and Lincoln is still alive and he's as canny as can be so he can mend it and bring some semblance of sanity to the Union.
The Democrats are certainly working hard to cement themselves as the worst political party in American history through the 1860s...
The good news is that the Republican Party can turn themselves around. The bad news is they are essentially fighting a rearguard action against the rising patriotic men of the Radical Democracy Party who want to blame both the Republicans and the Democrats for all of the United State's political and economic woes. That bi partisan anger resonates, and in 1868 it's going to remain a problem. But don't worry, the Democrats are also about to find "fight for your life" territory!
also yeah I don't think the us will become a great power at this stage for now but if there's one I know about America is that it's can't be beat in terms of pluck and stubbornness to reach to the top no matter how many times it's been beat down mostly by itself right now. This is coming from a non American who loves the spirit and dream and history of America
Coming from a country with warm relations, but almost casual disregard from the US (and a few invasions and political meddlings) I tend to have a more nuanced view on the American spirit. Definitely love what people think it
should stand for, but tend to be less than enthused by the results.
That said, examining the
different American spirit that will emerge from all this is going to be fun. Let's just say that as soon as the US gets around to properly banning slavery, everyone will be wondering why they didn't do it sooner. An existing Confederate States will also keep the fire of abolitionism and freedom going far stronger and far longer, with a different view on civil rights in the long run.
Also there's definitely gonna be a massive investigation into the corruption and collusion with the fenians that's gonna ruin the McClellan administration and the democrats as whole even more and I'm gonna surprised when successor manages to do worse also I think the successor maybe is probably not gonna live his whole life without getting atleast an attempted assassination on him.
And there's going to be alot of people thrown to the Wolves biggest of whom would be butler which I think nobody is gonna mind and McClellan gets another blow to his already ruined credibility and i seriously laugh at the previous mention that's he's going to be a Hayes like figure.
I've got a whole chapter coming up dedicated to this, and then we're off to the Confederate election of 1867 after I tie up loose ends in Europe! Let's just say that with McClellan being so willing to look the other way (or just not canny enough to care about the potential problems) he's going to get caught up in this sudden storm. That this will also mean he had to be distracted from the pet issues he has will also end up a problem...
and finally there's got to be alot of anger from the population to the fenians that could lead alot of ethic violence against the Irish cause of the mess they lead the America into but im just speculating here but people will blame something and the Irish are biggest target next to Britain.
The anti-Irish (and broader WASP anti-immigrant sentiment in general) is going to be a lingering cultural factor in the US. One that will have... less than positive aspects going forward.