Philip Adrien, the first Catholic U.S. President (OC)

[NotDavidSoslan]

Philip Breaux Adrien, the 31st President of the United States, was born on September 5, 1876 in Bethel, Maine, to a Catholic family that worked in the town's railways and resorts.

Philip's mother, who considered becoming a nun at the nearest convent, raised him as a Catholic, a religion he followed throughout his life and costed him the popular vote in the 1928 election. He described his childhood as one of "dignified poverty, helping [his] family at the home", and as the sole surviving child of his parents.

Philip entered politics during the Panic of 1893, which he blamed on the Democrats and Grover Cleveland; this made him a lifelong partisan Republican, as French Catholics were some of the least Democratic Catholic groups before the 1896 realignment. That year, Philip, who had worked as a train driver, campaigned for William McKinley in spite of Maine native Arthur Sewall being Bryan's running mate, and voted for McKinley in 1900.

In 1898, Philip entered the bar in Maine, representing middle-class consumers against corporations. Taking advantage of this image, he was elected to the State House for Maine two years later, after the incumbent retired, subsequently becoming known in the state as an advocate for the common man and regulation of corporations. In 1908, already a successful politician, Philip was elected to the State Senate, and focused on opposition to machine politics and support for progressivism. His main ideas were the initiative, referendum and recall, primaries for all state offices, greater regulation of corporations and railroads, laws against child labor, and opposition to prohibition. He faced opposition from some xenophobes, including progressives, due to being a Catholic, but he said his religion had no impact on his policies.

In 1912, Philip Adrien campaigned for Governor of Maine as a progressive Republican affiliated with Theodore Roosevelt, advocating for all of the policies stated above, plus more.

By appealing to politically apathetic French-Canadians and emphasizing his youth, charisma and government experience, he was elected Governor, eventually being reelected in 1914.

 

[prezZF]

Are you that Gustavo guy who made Ed Donnell?

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

Are you that Gustavo guy who made Ed Donnell?

Yes. I left the NCT Discord server because people argued with me over my writing style, which they labeled as "uncreative, cookie cutter content". But the actual issue is my inability to accept criticism or disagreement.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

Accomplishments of Philip Adrien's governorship in Maine (1912–1920):

• Introduction of the initiative and referendum.
• Creation of a state consumer protection agency.
• An eight-hour workday before the Adamson Act.
• Banning of child labor outside of farming.
• Expanded childcare.
• Greater regulation of businesses operating in the state.
• Estabilishment of several state agencies.
• Support for World War I due to Maine's Anglophile population.
• Fight against machine politics and promotion of honest and meritocratic government.
• Outlawing of marijuana.
• Stronger protections for wildlife.
• Attempt to resist prohibition, which he called "overbearing".

In 1916, Adrien received the vote of Maine's statewide delegation at the Republican National Convention as a favorite son, and endorsed Charles Evans Hughes in the general election, campaigning for Hughes in Maine. He considered running for President in 1920, but instead endorsed the much more well-known Herbert Hoover, subsequently becoming a strong supporter of Harding and being rewarded with the position of Secretary of Interior.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

This timeline will be interesting because Teapot Dome is butterflied away.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

As Secretary of Interior, Adrien enforced already existing conservation laws, and sought a policy of peaceful coexistence with Native Americans.

He faced opposition from nativists such as the Ku Klux Klan for being a Catholic, who nicknamed him "Papist Phil", a nickname that he rejected, due to claiming allegiance to the Constitution instead of the Pope.

Adrien initially opposed prohibition, but toned this down until his presidency, when he successfully repealed it. He also made little use of his department's patronage opportunities, instead focusing on enforcing conservation laws and managing relations with indigenous tribes.

Harding was previously seen as a below-average president, but is now usually perceived as one of the many middle-ranking ones. Adrien, who was widely seen as honest and effective, remained in his post after 1923, eventually becoming increasingly powerful.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

However, several nativists were turned off by his choice of the mayor of New York as his running mate, and sat out of the election.

During the campaign, Coolidge was perceived as having little chance of losing. As such, he gave speeches on his philosophy of government, not referring to McAdoo by name or maligning him.

McAdoo's economic plans appealed to white farmers, moderate unions and some of the urban working class, but middle-class consumers mostly stuck with the incumbent due to the booming economy.

Coolidge won the black vote, as he was perceived as more in favor of civil rights than McAdoo, as well as that of the majority of immigrant groups, who were turned off by the Klan's support for the Democratic ticket.

James H. Maurer, the Socialist Party nominee due to Eugene Debs being moribund, won 446,631 votes, or 1.53% of the vote and over 3% in Wisconsin, where Robert La Follette endorsed McAdoo in spite of their differing views on the KKK and prohibition. McAdoo carried several western states that had significant southern populations, or were otherwise favorable for Democrats.

 

[BigVic_1994]

A good start. Watched

 

[Japhy]

So I guess my question here is why insert an ahistorical figure into politics for this TL?

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

So I guess my question here is why insert an ahistorical figure into politics for this TL?

Please not that again. It's so annoying and I had to leave the NCT Discord server because of it.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

Anyway, since I care too much about people's opinions both online and in real life:

Adrien became the first Catholic U.S. president, a record that was not repeated until many decades later.

The party opponents of Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover united around Adrien, who saw him as essential to lock down the Catholic vote in the major cities, and thought the fact he was a French Catholic instead of an Irish Catholic would hurt him less electorally. Thus, he won the 1928 nomination on the first ballot, selecting Senator for Indiana James E. Watson as his running mate.

Barkley was nominated by the Democrats with token opposition, since Al Smith refused to run and endorsed Adrien instead. He chose Ohio Governor A. Victor Donahey as a running mate.

Adrien suffered from significant anti-Catholicism, since white Southerners feared he would take orders from the pope and run an administration that privileged Catholics. He adressed those allegations on a September 3, 1928 speech, where he promised to respect the separation of church and state and govern according to the Constitution instead of his religion. However, many WASPs refused to vote for Adrien making him the only Republican since 1876 to be elected U.S. president without winning Indiana.

Barkley ran on the same platform McAdoo had the previous election, and with the 1920s farm crisis, it had more appeal in the Mountain West. Other campaign promises included rural electrification and upholding prohibition, which Adrien promised to repeal; the Klan mostly voted for Barkley in the 1928 election, like they had in McAdoo in 1924.

Adrien was inaugurated on March 5, 1929. He initially pushed for public works such as dams and highways, the creation of a Federal Farm Board, and repealing the prohibition amendment, but the Great Depression dominated his presidency and led to Alben W. Barkley winning the 1932 election by a landslide. Barkley served as president until 1949.

 

[prezZF]

Please not that again. It's so annoying and I had to leave the NCT Discord server because of it.

I think @Japhy is just curious abt why you do fictional politicians instead of ones from irl.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

I think @Japhy is just curious abt why you do fictional politicians instead of ones from irl.

I was talking about his tone instead of his substance. Anyway, it's addressed on my test thread.

 

[Japhy]

Please not that again. It's so annoying and I had to leave the NCT Discord server because of it.

I wasn't on whatever NCT is. And I'm not trying to be annoying I'm trying to understand because I'm confused about several decisions made in this TL.

Edit: As for my tone, I'm just trying to be polite. Nothing else, I apologize if you felt it came off any particular way I guess I'll go check your test thread.

Also my pronouns are She/Her.

 

[prezZF]

I wasn't on whatever NCT is. And I'm not trying to be annoying I'm trying to understand because I'm confused about several parts of this TL.

NCT stands for New Campaign Trail, an election game.

The New Campaign Trail - A Revamped Presidential Election Game

Can you win a Presidential election? Step into the shoes of a battery of candidates across real and alternate timelines and find out.

www.newcampaigntrail.com

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

I wasn't on whatever NCT is. And I'm not trying to be annoying I'm trying to understand because I'm confused about several parts of this TL.

Edit: As for my tone, I'm just trying to be polite. Nothing else, I apologize if you felt it came off any particular way I guess I'll go check your test thread.

Also my pronouns are She/Her.

The reason I create so many of them is that I am usually not passionate about popular althist ideas/tropes, unless it's something about Brazilian history or they happen as a result of my characters' actions.

Also, what are you confused about? I might clarify for you.

 

[Edmund]

So I guess my question here is why insert an ahistorical figure into politics for this TL?

Creating OCs (formerly 'self-inserts' due to a misunderstanding) is kind of Gustavo's thing, going all the way back to Ed Donnell in the Imaginary Elections community. It's not a specific choice, just a general thing.

 

[Japhy]

Also, what are you confused about? I might clarify for you.

Well I guess the nature of him becoming a Republican when he came from a class and ethnic background that was less apathetic and more opposed to their party.

And then The 1924 Democratic ticket doesn't really make sense, the infamous convention that year was a war between what one could broadly call Nativst and Progressive-Machine factions. McAdoo of course was a Progressive himself but it's about the internal contradictions as the ideas of "Scientific Advancement for Better Government" had become ubiquitous more then any claim to leadership of a movement. Basically McAdoo picking a Tammany Man even as a compromise would have been something that caused him to lose his base of support. Someone like IOTLs Charlie Bryan would be far more likely.

McAdoo's Campaign also would not have received the endorsement of LaFollette either for Ideological or personal reasons. LaFollette's ego was too big and Ideological opposition to too much of McAdoo's conservative platform wouldn't have allowed it.


Additionally it's just hard to see how the Party that denounced their opponents of "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" the past two generations and which saw a massive upswell in Anti-Catholic Nativism throughout the 1920s would get behind any catholic. There's a reason the GOP wouldn't make major inroads with them for decades to come and why the French Canadians of New England became less and less of a political force outside of dives into Populism or Socialism rather then finding welcome in either political party.

That said I am absolutely not trying to have an argument or nitpick. This just used to be my field of study. If it's irrelevant to your project don't mind me.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

Well I guess the nature of him becoming a Republican when he came from a class and ethnic background that was less apathetic and more opposed to their party.

And then The 1924 Democratic ticket doesn't really make sense, the infamous convention that year was a war between what one could broadly call Nativst and Progressive factions. McAdoo of course was a Progressive himself but it's about the internal contradictions as the ideas of "Scientific Advancement for Better Government" had become ubiquitous more then any claim to leadership of a movement. Basically McAdoo picking a Tammany Man even as a compromise would have been something that caused him to lose his base of support. Someone like IOTLs Charlie Bryan would be far more likely.

McAdoo's Campaign also would not have received the endorsement of LaFollette either for Ideological or personal reasons. LaFollette's ego was too big and Ideological opposition to too much of McAdoo's conservative platform wouldn't have allowed it.


Additionally it's just hard to see how the Party that denounced their opponents of "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" the past two generations and which saw a massive upswell in Anti-Catholic Nativism throughout the 1920s would get behind any catholic. There's a reason the GOP wouldn't make major inroads with them for decades to come and why the French Canadians of New England became less and less of a political force outside of dives into Populism or Socialism rather then finding welcome in either political party.

That said I am absolutely not trying to have an argument or nitpick. This just used to be my field of study. If it's irrelevant to your project don't mind me.

Thanks for clarifying, I did not know about some of these things, and actually considered making La Follette not run or refuse to endorse either candidate.

 

[frustrated progressive]

Additionally it's just hard to see how the Party that denounced their opponents of "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" the past two generations and which saw a massive upswell in Anti-Catholic Nativism throughout the 1920s would get behind any catholic. There's a reason the GOP wouldn't make major inroads with them for decades to come and why the French Canadians of New England became less and less of a political force outside of dives into Populism or Socialism rather then finding welcome in either political party.

That said I am absolutely not trying to have an argument or nitpick. This just used to be my field of study. If it's irrelevant to your project don't mind me.

It was my understanding that French Canadians just gradually became part of the Democratic coalition by the end of the Fourth Party System, much like other “white ethnics” in New England. Am I mistaken in that-or did I misunderstand your statement in the first place?