Editor says, what if Woodrow Wilson had lived? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the December 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

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Editor says, inspired by David A. Robbins excellent novel "Assassins Gallery" (2006) in which British Agents poison FDR.

Mark Taylor commented on 2012-12-28 19:12:53 ~ No Comment

Richard Roper commented on 2012-12-28 19:31:08 ~ Unhappily there was no conspiracy. The stroke was brought on by Wilson's discovery of what the public really thought on his foolish tour now the C Espionage and Sedition Acts had ended and control of the press no longer existed. In particular the german-Americans and Irish. He refused to believe the reaction of public opinion and violent demonstrations and continued his tour. Wilson was not used to demonstrations against himas a reactionary and the rejection of the idealist self-righteous retoric which were his stock in trade. Significant were the large demonstrations at Minneapolis and the railroad depot and outside the hall. Read The Illusion of Victory. However, if he did not have his stroke he would have had a third term with FDR as thev youngest Vice-President. Ps. British agentes poison FDR, as you crazy? He was the best thing we had, BRITISH AGENTS HELPED SECURE HIS 1940 REELECTION, and he was entirely pro-British.

Jackie Rose commented on 2012-12-28 20:15:52 ~ Wilson was not used to beieng called a reactionary? Hey, I would have thought that he was used to that, thanks to his lavish praise for "Birth of a Nation." He said that it "told the truth" in making heroes out of the Ku Klux Klan...and was equally enthusiasatic in defending segregation. It's reached the point where some people are calling on the government to re-name the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and I can see their point.

Richard Roper commented on 2012-12-28 21:43:32 ~ Yes, I know. He did not see anything incompatible with his "Liberal" views any more than British colonial administrators in Africa or India at the time of the Raj - they were not if you accepted the assumptions. What did Kipling write? "take up the White Man's burden....". he wrote a history book based on Birth of a Nation. But in public the image of the Starry Eyed idealist was strictly maintained.

Mark Taylor commented on 2012-12-28 21:43:34 ~ Actually "The Clansman"-later Birth of a Nation-gave credit to Wilson's history as a source.Thomas Dixon was an old classmate of his.

Jackie Rose commented on 2012-12-28 22:07:28 ~ And don't forget Kipling's less known masterpiece..."Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right." He didn't like Irishmen, either.

Mike McIlvain commented on 2012-12-29 04:35:11 ~ This era of desired isolation in several places, like the U.S., still serves up some good novel possibilities. Mostly all best read from a novel. But, it does point out an indication of reluctance on the part of people and nations to stay out of somebody else's problems. "Maybe they will go away if we look the other way?" Since then most of us have learned that that is a near impossibility even if some places, possibly like the U.S., would still like to be isolationists. Wilson's era, including its maybe nutty possible offshoots, deserves further scrutiny in that. We might be able to see the naked us more clearly in that time's slower life pace.

Jeff Provine commented on 2013-01-01 17:35:42 ~ Very cool What If, but getting those three to work together would've been as miraculous as instant recovery from his stroke.