What if President Benjamin Harrison Had Won a Second Term?

Because I think he just did!

Following in the footsteps of his Grandfather President William Henry Harrison, a war hero from Tippecanoe turned unsuccessful one term President dying in office, Benjamin Harrison became President with a first term bearing striking similarities to that of President George W. Bush.

Nominated for President on the eighth ballot at the 1888 Republican Convention, Benjamin Harrison conducted one of the first "front-porch" campaigns, delivering short speeches to delegations that visited him in Indianapolis. As he was only 5 feet, 6 inches tall, Democrats called him "Little Ben"; Republicans replied that he was big enough to wear the hat of his grandfather, "Old Tippecanoe."

*snip*

The Democrats defeated him for Governor of Indiana in 1876 by unfairly stigmatizing him as "Kid Gloves" Harrison. In the 1880's he served in the United States Senate, where he championed Indians. homesteaders, and Civil War veterans.

In the Presidential election, Harrison received 100,000 fewer popular votes than Cleveland, but carried the Electoral College 233 to 168. Although Harrison had made no political bargains, his supporters had given innumerable pledges upon his behalf.

When Boss Matt Quay of Pennsylvania heard that Harrison ascribed his narrow victory to Providence, Quay exclaimed that Harrison would never know "how close a number of men were compelled to approach... the penitentiary to make him President."

Harrison was proud of the vigorous foreign policy which he helped shape. The first Pan American Congress met in Washington in 1889, establishing an information center which later became the Pan American Union. At the end of his administration Harrison submitted to the Senate a treaty to annex Hawaii; to his disappointment, President Cleveland later withdrew it.

Substantial appropriation bills were signed by Harrison for internal improvements, naval expansion, and subsidies for steamship lines. For the first time except in war, Congress appropriated a billion dollars. When critics attacked "the billion-dollar Congress," Speaker Thomas B. Reed replied, "This is a billion-dollar country."

*snip*

Long before the end of the Harrison Administration, the Treasury surplus had evaporated, and prosperity seemed about to disappear as well. Congressional elections in 1890 went stingingly against the Republicans, and party leaders decided to abandon President Harrison although he had cooperated with Congress on party legislation. Nevertheless, his party renominated him in 1892, but he was defeated by Cleveland.

Okay, the similarites stop at "front porch" Harrison's defeat for a second term, but the rest? Presidential blood line, small man in a big hat, lost his first race, lost the popular vote for the Presidency he won, ascribed his win to Providence (God), promised more than he could deliver, vigorous foreign policy with an eye for globalization and annex, big spender and a surplus killer.

Oh, and he had a pet goat.

Well I can tell you this much with the none stop spending the government have, I wonder where the money to rebuild two nations and our nation is going to come from.

I husband thinks that bush is going to tap into social security, federal reserve, or print fake money.

I forgot, we still have a federal reserve, right?

[edit on 053030p://444 by marg6043]

A big fat Democrat from NY that had already been President once came back and whooped ass.

President Grover Cleveland


Imagine a Big Mac and an intern in each hand.

Well to bad bush did not have somebody to kick his ass out of the white house, but who nows may be bush has a pile of gold somewhere to pay for all his spending.

I feel that we are living in a false economy.

It will have to be paid back through Taxes. The only ones that will dare raise taxes are democrats, and thats why Bush doesnt care.

Originally posted by marg6043
Well I can tell you this much with the none stop spending the government have, I wonder where the money to rebuild two nations and our nation is going to come from.

I husband thinks that bush is going to tap into social security, federal reserve, or print fake money.

I forgot, we still have a federal reserve, right?

[edit on 053030p://444 by marg6043]

Social security got tapped. Been tapped. There is no money. None, nadda, zlich.

Actually if you are planing on counting on social security in the next 20 years you are out of luck.

Originally posted by marg6043
Actually if you are planing on counting on social security in the next 20 years you are out of luck.

hopefully some smart democrat will get elected and fixed it. Privatizing it sounds like a bad idea to me.