The election of 1864

Started by elmerfudd, February 27, 2012, 10:39:22 AM

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elmerfudd

That topic, "Could the South Have Won?" made me think about this: the South didn't really need to win.  They just needed to avoid losing.  And if the election of 1864 had turned out different, they probably would have avoided loss. 

I am reading a very interesting book "Decided on the Battlefield - the Election of 1864."  Makes me realize how close Lincoln was to losing and, if the dem candidate, General McClellan, had bothered to campaign, Lincoln very well could have lost.  But he didn't because he didn't agree with his own party's mainl plank in their platorm, which was to cease hostilities and allow the South to go in peace with their slaves.  McClellan believed the Union needed to be preserved.  He cared not a whit for the slaves, he just wanted the union preserved.

Absent a few well timed Union victories late in 1864 and McClellan's failure to campaign, McClellan probably would have been elected.  Who knows if he could have kept pursuing the war.  Grant didn't think he would have and neither did Sheridan. 

I may not be responding or posting as much as I have been.  I think my home computer has an IP ban on it from the CPF.  All I know is, it's the only site in the entire world I can only get to from my home compture by using a proxy server.  I didn't think I was that bad, but if I am, just tell me.  I'll go away.  No need to ban my work 'puter, too.  But I won't be posting as much from my work 'puter.  Only get to do it during lunch and other rare occasions. 

taxed

You aren't that bad honey.  You are loved and you are special.  Check your PM.
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Solar

Hindsight is how libs rewrite history.
A lot of, coulda, shoulda, woulda, goin on.
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hokiewoodchuck

Elmer....I have found that you are OK to 'talk' with. So no need to ban you. We get enough censorship from our goobermint.

That's my opinion and I am sticking to it......I don't care what you liberals think.
I thought I was wrong one time but I was mistaken.

mdgiles

I think it's interesting that the North didn't realize how close the South was to collapse. After all, the election of 1864 was in November, by the very next April, the South was in the process of surrendering. I think the North's fixation on Lee's army had a lot to do with that.
"LIBERALS: their willful ignorance is rivaled only by their catastrophic stupidity"!

elmerfudd

Quote from: mdgiles on June 25, 2012, 06:28:05 AM
I think it's interesting that the North didn't realize how close the South was to collapse. After all, the election of 1864 was in November, by the very next April, the South was in the process of surrendering. I think the North's fixation on Lee's army had a lot to do with that.

Many in the south probably did not realize it, either.  It's a characteristic of nations who are on the verge of collapse.  Look at Germany and Japan in WWII for two other examples.  'Tis true that some in those countries (and the south) saw the handwriting on the wall, but they got shouted down as "traitors and cowards."

mdgiles

Quote from: elmerfudd on June 26, 2012, 10:59:39 AM
Many in the south probably did not realize it, either.  It's a characteristic of nations who are on the verge of collapse.  Look at Germany and Japan in WWII for two other examples.  'Tis true that some in those countries (and the south) saw the handwriting on the wall, but they got shouted down as "traitors and cowards."
If you read a history of the Civil War, you'll find that with - a few exceptions - the Southern Armies lost almost every battle except the ones Lee fought. For some reason they kept sending idiots to fight him. Can you imagine Antietam if Grant , Sherman, or Sheridan had a copy of Lee's battle orders in hand. Even Rosecrans or Buell would have done better than McClellan did. I guess because the capital was at Richmond and Lee was fighting in Northern Virginia, it was easy to feel that if Lee won, everything was alright.
"LIBERALS: their willful ignorance is rivaled only by their catastrophic stupidity"!